Juvenile delinquency is one of the most serious problems within society. There are various causes and factors associated with this issue; hence, it requires a great amount of attention. Certain social factors are responsible for juvenile delinquency such as broken homes, economic instability, domestic violence, malnutrition of parenting, and drug and alcohol abuse. Other social influences like the neighborhood, peer pressure, and school influences are also key reasons for such issues. It has long been a problem that why some set fires and damage property and other play truants, and why some children steal and not others. With the passage of time, many theories have been made to explain these things. Over the last decade, there has been extensive scientific research to find out the reason behind such issues. It is notable to mention that the delinquency itself is a socially insufficient adjustment for children who are facing certain critical situations. There are various factors that make up difficult situations for adolescents. These factors along with physical and mental conditions influence the capacity of an individual to adjust in particular circumstances constitute the causes of delinquency. Here, the focus is to close the research gap concerning social conditions and their contribution towards juvenile delinquency.
Discussion
According to the United States Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), 1,906,600 arrests involved juveniles in the age range 10-18 years. Such stats show that the juvenile delinquency is a major problem in the United States as it involves a high number of crimes and arrests. Juvenile delinquency also affects the whole family and the entire society along with the youth population. Now, the question is who is categorized as the juvenile delinquent. The Juvenile delinquent is the person who loses their freedom due to probation and incarceration, who suffers the most from his or her actions while losing ground academically. Juvenile need to understand the fact that they risk their future when involved in crime (Sykes & Matza, 2017). Involving in such crimes has a risk of getting higher education in crime. Juvenile might also get acquainted themselves with more serious offenders as a result of their placement in the detention due to certain minor crimes. It is catastrophic for them if they get themselves influenced by serious offenders, which might lead them into future recidivism. Juvenile delinquency can cause instability within the family due to the trauma of having a member involved in delinquent behavior. Juvenile delinquency results in creating more responsibility for parents as a family have to deal with ethical issues. These issues might also force parents to deal with economic hardships. Additionally, delinquency also correlates with vandalism, gang involvement, and drug use which leave neighbors unsafe and costing the large society amounts to protect themselves.
Situational Action Theory (SAT)
There are certain theories that try to explain the relationship between social problems and juvenile delinquency. One of these theories is the Situational Action theory (SAT) which is recognized as a theory of moral action and moral values. SAT combines both environmental perspectives and individual perspectives in a context in order to explain the delinquent behavior (Schepers, 2017). SAT works on the assumption that criminal behavior is a moral action. People commit a crime as they consider it as an alternative action. The susceptibility of a person (towards crime) and his/her exposure to the criminal environment are used to find out the probability of the occurrence of criminal behavior. SAT emphasize that the occurrence of criminal behavior is dependent on the interaction of a person with a particular environment in which he/she is willing. The characteristics and experience of a person in a specific setting along linked with the criminal behavior in that person (Schepers, 2017). This theory is designed to combat certain problems of criminological theorizing such as the missing understating of explanatory mechanisms, the ambiguous definition of the crime, the inadequate understanding of change and development, and the insufficient amalgamation of the different levels of explanation. A situational model is being followed by the SAT in order to integrate propensity and exposure of criminal setting (Schepers, 2017). The interaction process between propensity and exposure results in juvenile delinquency.
Social factors
There are certain social factors that contribute to Juvenile delinquency. These social factors are divided into two major categories including micro and macro social. The macro factors includes poor organization of a network of clubs, social inequality in the society, low living standards of the population, disadvantages of the educational activities, the lack of concern for the integration in difficult living conditions, weaknesses in the employment of minors, and the penetration in youth behavior inconsistent with societal values (Hirschi, 2017). Media also plays an important role in altering the behavior of juvenile by television, newspaper, and movies. Micro social factors such as the influence of family, as it is an important social institution for a child. Hypo Custody is also a major problem that encourages a child to commit a crime. Parents lack proper control over the child, which allow the child to stay away at night and get influenced by peer groups (Hirschi, 2017). The negative influence of informal peer groups distorts the behavior of a child, leading towards juvenile delinquency.
Family influence
A family is like a social institution for a child. A family is a basic unit of society, as it is a cell in the tissue of the social body. The behavior of children alters due to the influence of familial members and the environment. Delinquency is dependent on the development and bringing up children by their parents (Hoffmann & Dufur, 2018). Parental methods have a significant impact on the development and cognitive abilities of a child, and hence on delinquency. Inappropriate control over children leads towards delinquency, which is crucial for the family as well as society. Lack of control over a child often results in youngsters going wrong. Regardless of beating and scolding, indulgence is a major factor that forces a child towards delinquency. Parents need to cut off the bad habits of their children, as it is hard to control a child after the formation of bad habits. If children are not able to get a significant amount of money from their parents, then they often resort themselves to inappropriate ways of getting money (Hoffmann & Dufur, 2018). It is often seen that children try to rob or steal money when they are unable to get more money from their parent. Money borrowed from friends is often repaid by stealing and robbing. Children often dissatisfied with a minor amount of money from their parents, which cause the danger of juvenile delinquency. This process can be described as follows:
Indulgence > bad habits > dissatisfaction > criminal offense
Environmental influence
People encounter other people in a society. Despite family, youngsters are persistently in touch with their friends, schoolmates, and neighbors. Children’s age between 10 to 18 years is physically and mentally immature which make them vulnerable to bad influences. It is noteworthy to mention that their surrounding forms most of their habits and traits. Studies have suggested that the recreational interests are correlated to crime. Youngsters between the 10 to 18 years have particular interests. They are susceptible to their surrounding environment. They are more likely to influence by the viewpoints and ideas of people around them (Hirschi, 2017). Social media and entertainment world also plays a critical role in altering their viewpoints about different perspectives. A delinquent group is fond of thrillers such as action movies, fictions articles, and detective movies. On the other hand, normal people are more into news and theoretical literature. They love to read certain magazines in order to increase their mental credibility. Whereas, the delinquent group hates theoretical literature and news. Peer group is also responsible behind juvenile delinquency. Lack of parental control encourages children to stay out after school, which leaves their children open to any bad influence.
Violence in their Social Circles
The neighborhood in which a child lives is violent, then the chances of committing crimes increases as the violent environment have a tendency to contribute towards delinquency. The violent environment gets a child into trouble due to the presence of violent people and gang members in the vicinity (Sykes & Matza, 2017). Therefore, the best option to save a child from such a circumstance is to remove this type of situation. Parents need to relocate themselves in an environment where they can live peacefully. Living in peaceful environment lowers the chances for delinquent actions by youngsters.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure can change the way in which a child reacts to bad situations. Peer pressure from direct acquaintances is similar to neighborhood pressures (Hirschi, 2017). A child may feel pressurized by his/her friends who are committing delinquent acts. These circumstances pressurized a child to commit crimes just like his/her friends. Consequences of such circumstances can be avoided when parents keep an eye on the activities of their child. Parents need to involve them in the daily activities of their children and should need to know their friends. This strategy will keep a child away from bad influences, hence, reducing juvenile delinquent.
Substance Abuse
It is notable to mention that substance abuse is a very common cause for delinquency. Substance abuse is a serious issue and young people who are into this, need to commit crimes to sustain that habit. Substance abuse force a person to sustain that habit by finding necessitates in order to spend on drugs. When children left with no other choice to gain money, then they thrive to steal and rob to fulfil their evil desire (Hawkins & Weis, 2017). Children lose their self-worth and self-esteem due to substance abuse, which allows them to commit criminal acts. The only remedy to help these children is to provide counseling.
Socioeconomic Factors
Juvenile delinquency is more common in poor neighborhoods. When a child considers prospering due to social inequalities in the society, then they commit a crime. Social inequalities mentally deteriorate the personality of a person (Shaw & McKay, 2016). That's why children feel they must commit a crime in order to prosper in the cruel world. It is notable to mention that theft is a result of necessity. When a person is unable to get basic necessities in the society, then he/she will turn towards delinquency to fulfil his/her need. The only remedy for such circumstances is to provide basic necessities to children. The provision of rudimentary facilities will minimize the juvenile delinquency.
Lack of Moral Guidance
Parental stimulus is the utmost feature in discouraging delinquency. The child is more likely to act in a safe manner when a parent shows them what is considered wrong and what is considered as acceptable behavior. By doing so, a child will behave in an appropriate way, which would be far away from delinquency. It is essential for a child to interact with good adults and family members who will show them the difference between right and wrong. Even if your child has committed some crime, then it is your core responsibility to show them a way around. When parents take steps to address the unethical behavior of their children, then children come to know that this path is not right for them. Children feel more secure when their parents talk to them about every matter and guide them to behave safely; otherwise, it can cause harm. Many juveniles are engaged in unsafe activities, and it is critical to correct their behavior. If no efforts are made in the future, then the juveniles are more likely to engage in violent crimes. Whenever a youngster commits the crime, he/she must be endowed with punishment. Additionally, a juvenile must be responsible for their actions. However, it is not wise to treat them the same as an adult. The government must provide these juveniles with appropriate education and rehabilitation programs to prevent the juveniles from unsafe lifestyles.
Furthermore, Juvenile delinquency puts a burden on the United States. Estimating the cost of juvenile crime is difficult as there is a lot of juvenile crime annually. According to an estimation, the United States has to bear tens to hundred billions of dollars annually. This cost includes stolen or damaged property, the medical cost to individuals, the cost to the government, loss of work time, and loss of productivity to society. According to the Statistics of the Department of Criminal Justice, the incarceration of the juvenile has the highest capital cost as compared to other crimes.
Juvenile delinquency is of no good for anyone. In a time of economic upturn, benefits from the adolescents committing a crime is only taken by the people who are seeking employment within the department of the criminal justice system. Any person who boosts unlawful actions by youngsters is contributing to juvenile delinquency. These people are encouraging such crimes, which can be as simple as domestic violence. Youth peers along with adults are responsible for encouraging juvenile delinquency. The Juvenile delinquency is also contributed due to the impact of peer pressure. Moreover, the juvenile justice system is working effectively to control juvenile delinquency by employing sanctions, treatments, and rehabilitation (Sykes & Matza, 2017). However, it is proven that a child is less likely to behave positively once they are fully engaged in the illegal performance. In accordance with the statement of the National Institute of Justice Journal, it is suggested, "prevention is more effective and less costly than treatment after the fact." This statement proves that the US government need to establish more prevention programs in order to keep children away from violence and drugs. Once a child becomes habitual to crimes, then it is hard to keep his/her actions back on track. Therefore, effective prevention methods are more efficient in keeping teen away from juvenile delinquency.
Within the Juvenile Justice System, there is a long road for reform such as programs and treatments. These programs are essential in creating awareness among a wide population regarding juvenile delinquency. Trauma-Informed Intervention (TII) and Positive Youth Development (PYD) are valuable programs in order to create a brighter tomorrow. These programs are against any punishment for juvenile crime and focus on building the strengths and assets of juveniles. TII program is efficient in fixing the psychological problems of a youngster in society. These programs assist a child to combat mental issues in the community. There is a need to focus on Positive Youth Development in order to build a successful juvenile justice system. The government should need to focus on humane and rehabilitative juvenile facilities, detention reduction, and strong partnership with the community.
It is noteworthy to mention that the program of punitive prevention is widely spread in the United States as it tries to curb the juvenile delinquency. That particular program includes ongoing monitoring by the police to minimize the emergence of gangs. Suppression means active intervention, does not require any particular justification, as it is fully legitimized by the State. It requires no special evaluation results as it was originally declared as a “correct." Subsequently, all ignore the propaganda of the desired behavior according to the approach from the standpoint of suppression. Whereas, external aggression only use to strengthen the bonding of juvenile delinquent groups. There are programs that are established to control juvenile delinquency by implementing informal control over youngsters in order to promote positive activities.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, Juvenile delinquency is a major issue in the United States. Juvenile delinquency can cause instability within the family due to the trauma of having a member involved in delinquent behavior. Adults may be able to stop these critical circumstances by addressing such issues at an early age. Addressing the issues once committed can also protect a child from further deterioration. It is essential to building protective barriers to avoid such problems in the future. Negative peer pressure forces a child to engage in the juvenile delinquency, which is catastrophic for a family as well as for the community. Youngsters who are involved in watching thrillers such as action movies are more likely to peruse themselves towards delinquency. Juvenile Justice System is working effectively to control such crimes, but they should initiative more prevention and rehabilitation programs to address this serious issue. State governments need to establish efficient programs by allocating more funds for juvenile delinquency. Furthermore, social inequalities and discriminations are also major reasons behind such circumstances. Department of criminal justice must place strict policies to promote social equalities in society in order to encourage youngsters to behave in a positive manner.
Reflection
I have found that Juvenile delinquency is a serious crime that is growing at an alarming rate. I am fascinated by knowing that there are certain social factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency. It was an awesome experience to collect data regarding such a hot topic. Mostly I used “Google Scholar” to find scholarly articles regarding juvenile delinquency, as it is one of the most credible search engines. I also used Google to find out certain social factors that are responsible for such crucial circumstances. I am thrilled to know about the working of peer pressure. Undoubtedly, peer pressure is responsible for altering the behavior of children. First, I searched for the term "juvenile delinquency" to get a picture of the topic I am dealing with. Collecting data was one of the critical and difficult parts of that research as there are various materials regarding the juvenile delinquency. However, I only choose credible sources from ‘Google Scholar' due to its reputation and reliability.
Regardless of searching information regarding juvenile delinquency, I come to know about various social problems such as social inequality and discrimination that lead towards such circumstances. It is remarkably clear that parents and their parenting style play a critical role in the development and behavior of a child. A violent environment is more vulnerable for a youngster to involve in the criminal activities. I am amazed to know that substance abuse can also contribute to juvenile delinquency. Overall, I enjoyed searching for and writing about such an interesting and knowledgeable topic.
References
Hawkins, J. D., & Weis, J. G. (2017). The social development model: An integrated approach to delinquency prevention. In Developmental and Life-course Criminological Theories (pp. 3-27). Routledge.
Hirschi, T. (2017). Causes of delinquency. Routledge.
Hoffmann, J. P., & Dufur, M. J. (2018). Family Social Capital, Family Social Bonds, and Juvenile Delinquency. American Behavioral Scientist, 62(11), 1525-1544.
Schepers, D. (2017). Causes of the causes of juvenile delinquency: Social disadvantages in the context of Situational Action Theory. European journal of criminology, 14(2), 143-159.
Shaw, C. R., & McKay, H. D. (2016). Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas: A Study of Rates of Delinquency in Relation to Differential Characteristics of Local Communities in American Cities (1969). In Classics in Environmental Criminology (pp. 103-140). CRC Press.
Sykes, G. M., & Matza, D. (2017). Juvenile delinquency and subterranean values. In Cultural Criminology (pp. 3-10). Routledge.
