JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Juvenile delinquency

Juvenile delinquency

Introduction

Juvenile delinquency refers to antisocial or illegal behavior by children or adolescents. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not all of which can be applied to the causes of youth crime. Youth crime is a major issue and is an aspect of crime which receives great attention from the news media and politicians. The level and types of youth crime can be used by commentators as an indicator of the general state of morality and law and order in a country, and consequently youth crime can be the source of 'moral panics' Theories on the causes of youth crime can be viewed as particularly important within criminology. This is firstly because crime is committed disproportionately by those aged between fifteen and twenty-five. Secondly, by definition any theories on the causes of crime will focus on youth crime, as adult criminals will have likely started offending when they were young.

Adult and Juvenile Offenders including Juvenile delequients

A Juvenile Delinquent is a person who is typically under the age of 18 and commits an act that otherwise would've been charged as a crime if they were an adult. Juvenile delinquents sometimes have associated mental disorders and/or behavioral issues such as post traumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder, and are sometimes diagnosed with conduct disorder partially as both the cause and resulting effects of their behaviors.\ Many may think that juvenile crime is on the rise, but it may actually be declining. According to a 1999 report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), violent juvenile crimes fell steadily from 1995 to 1998 after peaking in 1994, and the arrest rate of violent juvenile crimes declined 30% from 1994 through 1998. (For more information visit the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention web site.) However, it is important to note that it is difficult to accurately quantify these figures for several reasons. Often, crimes committed by juveniles are not reported and those that are may not result in an arrest. Crimes are more likely to be reported when they involve a serious injury or large economic loss. Statistics on reported crime may reflect not only the number of crimes committed, but also in the willingness of victims to report crimes to law enforcement agencies, and in the ...