Impact of Juvenile Crime on Society

Abstract

Juvenile crime is a concept that focuses on the jurist, sociologist and psychologist. The study of this phenomenon corresponds in fact to a double objective: to determine, for the purpose of prevention, what causes young people to break the laws of society and seek the most effective ways to organize the repression of antisocial acts committed by youth (Boehnke, 2002).

Impact of Juvenile Crime on Society

Problem Statement

Juvenile delinquency is a complex phenomenon, linked to the development of urban and industrial society, and the evolution of morality in the modern world. It is at the heart of public debate since the late 1990s because of its growth in a context marked by the increase in crime in general and fear of crime.

Individual and Social Implications of the Problem

Crime has long been interpreted as a hereditary phenomenon, linked to intellectual disabilities or mental disorders. But this feature is far from decisive. Indeed, juvenile delinquency is the result of a combination of factors whose impact is more or less important depending on the individual (Mennel, 1973). These factors can be grouped into three major groups: factors related to adolescent psychology itself and fragility that characterizes this stage of human development, family factors, social factors (especially school life) and economic.

Unlike adult humans, which support some constraints voluntarily to adapt to society, the young offender rejects the values of this society. He feels as unfair, impersonal, and considers the social rules as obstacles to the satisfaction of his desires. But this negative attitude is basically results in the exaggeration of a natural tendency to all adolescents. This can also be accentuated by lack of education due to the weakening of family authority, or emotional in situations where parents are disunited and where the child suffers from tensions and imbalances that result (Jenson, 2001).

School failure and, more generally, the difficulties of academic and vocational integration also play a significant role in juvenile delinquency. The teenager who feels the sidelines will seek the company of young people like him, a phenomenon which promotes incentives and acting out. The group thus formed replaces the family fails or does not understand the problems faced by young people. The band can somehow escape the social reality of the adult world. The adolescent seeks to create the position to which they aspire and it is not in school life.

These factors are reinforced in urban areas, where social inequalities are perceived more acutely, where multiple requests can accentuate the natural tendencies of adolescent rebellion. This is indeed structurally related to the operation of the consumer society and the existence of social inequalities (Cross, 2003).

Expert's Opinion about the Problem

Different experts have presented their valuable contribution on the issue of juvenile crimes and its impact on society. According to (Cross, 2003), it is difficult to statistically determine the importance of the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency. Indeed, all offenses are not reported - parents often prefer set themselves the behavior problems of their children. On the other hand (Butts, 1997) claims ...