Teenage Crime: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention - Research Paper Example

Teenage crime- Causes, Consequences and Prevention Outline There is mounting evidence forthe rise in teenage crime both within the US and other world countries. Several factors such as poverty, inequality, and social relations are major contributing factors for the increase in juvenile crime rate. Juveniles living in poverty are more likely to get addicted to drugs and become part of drug gangs which also involve violence and crime. In order to prevent youth from engaging in criminal activities, several preventive measures are being undertaken by governments and other agencies such as early interventional programs and support especially for children in poverty stricken regions, employment and educational opportunities for youth, recreational activities and correction programs which will prevent them from engaging in further criminal activities. The changing lifestyle and social relations is having a dramatic effect on the young children and especially those who are in the transition phase from childhood to adolescence. Teenagers in the present day world are left to deal with changing family structures, stress of education and career choices and peer pressure in addition to effect of poverty and social status of their families. This changing environment has been a major contributing factor in the rising youth crime rates around the world. Children, especially teenagers, who are exposed to poverty, disintegrated family structures and peer and social pressures are more prone to commit crime at a young age (Juvenile Delinquency). In addition studies have also linked juvenile crime to substance abuse and constant use of drugs is also connected with re-offending resulting in a drug-crime cycle (Hodgdon). Substance abuse by teenagers is a growing social malady in the United States. Despite bans on the use of illicit drugs by teenagers, the percentage of adolescents using these substances since the 1990s is steadily rising (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services; Juvenile Delinquency and Substance Abuse). Many studies have also shown that drug trafficking involving youth is associated with violent criminal activities. Thus both the consumption of drugs and its trafficking involve violent and criminal activities; with juveniles hailing from lower socioeconomic backgrounds being targeted in a majority of the cases. In many cases teenagers addicted to drugs engage in violent or criminal activities in order to get money to support their substance addiction (Juvenile Delinquency; Juvenile Delinquency and Substance Abuse). Various measures are being undertaken by several countries to prevent the increase in juvenile delinquent behavior with emphasis of early prevention through education and youth development activities. However, the effort requires the cooperation and participation of various agencies apart from the family such as the governments, local non-governmental organizations, medical institutions and the local community (Juvenile Delinquency). According to criminologists, juvenile delinquency includes all public offences committed by people in the age group of 12 to 20. The offences could range from petty crimes to serious criminal offences. However, according to the United Nations Guidelines, while many teenagers commit petty offences during their growing up years which in many cases would not lead to a criminal career, those juveniles who create or become part of criminal groups during their young age are more likely to engage in serious criminal activities in adulthood. Statistical data has revealed that there is a higher rate of criminal activity among juveniles who are part of a group with theft, robbery and rape being the major activities conducted by these groups (Juvenile Delinquency). The present day youth are facing several challenges mainly owing to changing traditional patterns of family structure, collapsing social relations, lifestyle changes and limited opportunities due to rising competition in education and career. In the case of developing nations, the rising population, poverty, unemployment, disintegration of family structure, abusive environment, affliction to diseases such as AIDS and a lack of efficient educational system are the main stressors affecting teenagers. Such changes in family and social systems are seen as the major contributing factors for the rising youth crime rates in several countries. Evidence suggests that teenagers who hail from a poorer economic background, or who have witnessed or experienced violence in their immediate social environment were more likely to engage in deviant behavior. Another major contributing factor for teenager crime is the living standards set by the media and society which is in many cases not achievable by all the members of a society. When teenagers who have set goals beyond their reach experience difficulty in achieving their required means, they resort to illegal behavior. Parental neglect of children has been found to be one of the most powerful predictors of juvenile delinquency. There have been several studies which have studied the link between parental support and monitoring and delinquency in children and all of them have concluded that a high rate of delinquency was observed among children who faced parental neglect, lack of parental supervision and care. The delinquent behavior ranged from skipping classes in school, drug abuse and indulging in violent and criminal activities. The low emotional attachment found between children and their neglectful parents was found to be a major factor that influenced delinquent behavior in these children. In addition the failure of parents to adequately spend time and monitor their wards increases the child’s access to deviant peers. When parents fail to impart the necessary life values and help in character building of the child early on in life, children tend to fall prey to such deviant activities as they find them more attractive and easily accept them as a way of life. Parental neglect right from a young age combined with other factors such as lower socioeconomic background, age and gender of the child collectively influence the deviant behavior in children (Salmelainen). According to Francis Cullen, a sociological criminologist, a supportive family in most cases prevents children from engaging in deviant behavior. He further asserts that there is a lot of evidence to support that fact that delinquent behavior among teenagers drastically reduces in cases where there is child-parent involvement. This includes open communication, confiding and sharing information, and seeking the parent’s help and guidance. According to Elliot Currie, another noted criminologist, family deprivation in most cases is a leading factor for violent and deviant behavior of children. In his research on extreme deprivation and poverty, Currie found that deprivation markedly impairs the child’s intellectual development and encourages violent behavior and poverty lays undue stress on the parent’s ability to properly raise their children and the lack of which breeds crime (Kramer). In addition the changing family tradition from a joint family set up to nuclear family is also another major contributing factor for the rise in teenager crime. The lack of traditional control over young adults by the family elders is on the decline which has in a way allowed teenagers to choose their way of life irrespective of its nature and cost on the society (Juvenile Delinquency). Addiction to drugs is another main cause for delinquency among youth as many of the juvenile offences are linked to substance abuse by teenagers (Juvenile Delinquency). Adolescence is largely considered to be a vulnerable period in the developmental stage of both boys and girls during which they are more prone to experimenting with drugs, alcohol and other substances. The biological and cognitive development in teenagers is still naïve and hence they are unable to fully comprehend the actual effect of narcotics and other substances on their health. Once addicted, this habit could lead to substance abuse that could have potentially harmful effects on their health and psychological make-up. According to a recent monthly survey about 11 % of teenagers used illicit drugs of which a large majority used marijuana. The number of teenagers who used alcohol was about 19.7% of which binge drinking constituted about 11.6%. Adolescent tobacco use was also equally high with the girls outnumbering the boys. The alcohol and drug dependence or abuse rate was estimated at 71,000 males and 59,000 females (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). When teenagers coming from a lower economic background get addicted to drugs they are most likely to indulge in criminal offences mainly in order to support their drug addiction. While teenagers can be arrested for mere possession of drugs as they are illegal under law, further indulging in criminal behavior can lead to adjudication and judicial intervention (Juvenile Delinquency and Substance Abuse). Youth gangs which involve in drug activities have also been found to be widely linked to criminal activities. Statistical evidence shows that such youth gangs were involved in more criminal activities compared to individuals. In many cases these gangs are considered as home by many members as they tend to compensate for their family and social life (Juvenile Delinquency; Juvenile Delinquency and Substance Abuse). Teenage crime is also linked to the cultural environment to which the growing child is exposed to. In countries such as Africa, poverty, lack of education and unemployment are the major factors that drive teenagers into crime as it serves as a source of money for those who lack even the basic necessities. The increasing number of street children and orphans who have been abandoned by their parents owing to poverty or diseases such as HIV is another factor which contributes towards juvenile delinquency. Many children who resort to criminal acts also get addicted to narcotics and indulge in trafficking and selling of drugs. In most Asian countries the major contributing factor for juvenile crime has been drugs and also the large scale of unemployment in the recent years. Asia also harbor two major narcotics producing regions which is called the Golden Triangle and teenagers in and around this region are mostly employed in the drug trafficking business which in turn may involve criminal activities. In countries such as Latin America, where high rates of unemployment have rendered many children and teenagers homeless and this insecurity has lured several young adults into crime thus contributing to the high juvenile crime rate in this region. In the Arab nations, increasing urbanization and affluence in the richer countries has contributed to teenage crime and the move from the traditional upbringing to the modern values has been cited to be the problem behind juvenile crime. Western European countries witnessed a soar in juvenile violence during the 1980s and 90s. Despite having developed to a civilized status, these countries also had vulnerable groups and increase in poverty and unemployment rates among these groups is a major factor which has contributed to juvenile crime. Weakening of family and social relations and a lack of adequate education for those coming from a lower economic background have been cited as main reasons for juvenile delinquency in Eastern Europe and Commonwealth States. In many countries of the Soviet Union, teenagers are increasingly getting addicted to drugs and alcohol and involve in antisocial activities. Parents are often neglected and the collapse of public educational systems has further compounded the problem. Lack of employment and other recreational activities has resulted in alienation from society and increased participation in delinquent groups (Juvenile Delinquency). The situation is no different in the US which also has an exceptionally high rate of violent criminal activities involving young adults. Despite being a highly industrialized nation, the US also has one of the highest poverty rates and also a huge gap in economic inequality between the rich and the poor. Children who are subject to social exclusion and economic hardships have been shown to be more prone to indulge in violence from a young age. According to Francis Cullen, a sociological criminologist, the absence of social support and informal social control are major driving factors that encourage criminal behavior. While social support deals with the provisions provided by the community or society to an individual, informal social control refers to sanctions or prohibits exercised on an individual by members outside the legal and bureaucratic systems such as the immediate family, friends, neighbors and the extended community. Cullen attributes the rising crime rate in countries such as America to the breakdown of the social support systems offered to young people. The American culture which favors individualism and attaches a lot of importance to material wealth and possessions irrespective of the means employed to get them makes it a highly competitive society. In such circumstances, people are forced to earn wealth by any means possible and in the process their concern for the community and the entire country is lost. In addition, the large gap economic inequality that exists between the rich and the poor has prevented the formation of social support networks which also serves as a causative factor for the increasing crime rate. Lack of adequate informal social control that exists within families, schools, neighborhoods and workplaces also play a key role in the development of delinquent behavior in teenagers. Parents and older adults have a common responsibility to monitor and supervise their child’s activities and behavior right from a young age and help them understand morally acceptable behaviors and values. In many cases poverty can prevent adults from exercising appropriate control on their wards which in turn leads to wayward behavior and ultimately to indulging in criminal and violent activities (Kramer). In an analysis of the impact of a country’s economic and political condition on the rate of delinquency, Minor, point to three macro forces which include the social position of youth, economic market and poverty and inequality as the main contributing factors to violence among youth. The introduction of compulsory education, laws pertaining to child labor and implementation of the juvenile justice system have caused segregation among youth, restricted their position in the labor markets and stressed on the need for socialization and the need to be part of a peer group. The market situation has contributed to the increasing competitive environment for teenagers with less importance to social welfare and team work (Kramer). Violence among American teenagers has been widely shown to fall under three categories: for economic gains, drug related crimes or due to social relations. In the first form of violence youth commit crimes mainly in pursuit of monetary gains. This is mainly carried out by economically disadvantaged teenagers who are less likely to find legitimate means of survival and who do not possess the necessary educational qualifications for a work career. These individual resort to small crimes such as mugging and car-jacking and also indulge in serious crimes such as invading homes or killing people. In the second category youth indulging in drug-related activities which is also conducted for monetary gains, they are more likely to resort to criminal activities. Youth become part of drug gangs and indulge in violence to gain a higher market share. Many studies have pointed to the fact that the present day drug industry in the US is more violent and unstable as compared to the past. This was evident during the crack cocaine epidemic during the 1990s when the rates of serious criminal activities reached its peak. In the last form of violence, youth angered due to their social and economic status resort to violent behavior in their frustration to deal with the crisis. Those individuals who are humiliated or subjected to torture by the society tend to take up violence as a form of protest. All the three forms of violence could become more serious and damaging to the security of a country like America especially due to the increasing use of guns within the country. Increasing access of firearms to youth has worsened the situation which has led to several intentional shoot-outs at school premises by young children (Kramer). Many preventive strategies have been proposed to curb teenage violence within the US and in many other countries. Many experts have called for early interventional strategies instead of waiting for the violence to occur and then intervene. Formulating a public health approach as a preventive strategy would prevent both the offender and the victims from the consequences of violent crime. Public health professionals have included three interventional levels namely primary, secondary and tertiary. In the primary approach the focus would be on the social and economic problems of delinquent youth. This includes means to reduce poverty and social inequality among the people. Creating jobs, increasing wages, provide sufficient opportunities for the young and reduce workplace inequalities and disparities are among the key approaches to reduce crime rate among youth. In addition, social support through government aid and welfare programs would help in uplifting the poor and reduce crime. Prohibition of racial discrimination also constitutes an important aspect of the primary strategy. In the second form of prevention active involvement of schools, family and community would help in alleviating teenage violence. Children who are at high risk of resorting to crime and violence owing to early exposure and their living social environment, need to be subjected to early-interventional programs through skill-building programs and helping them deal effectively with abuse and neglect (Kramer). The various educational programs offered to meet this end are focusing on positive upbringing, controlling aggression, explain the myth of gangs and its glamor and creation of self-esteem (Juvenile Delinquency). The final tertiary program would focus on already affected individuals and help them deal with their problems and prevent them from further indulging in crime or violence (Kramer). In many cases provision of recreational activities for youth have shown to reduce crime rate. The establishment of basketball programs for delinquent youth in many towns in the US has shown to reduce crime rate by nearly 60%. In another instance delinquent youth in the US were involved in educational and recreational activities in a reconstructed park with the inclusion of several self-building activities. In a recent effort the support of the community is also included in dealing teenage crime. Community programs encourage youth to give their inputs and volunteer their services for community building. The involvement of non-governmental organizations and public volunteers to change deviant adolescents has been very encouraging (Juvenile Delinquency; Hodgdon). Most cases of preventive or rehabilitative initiatives are the result of a combined effort of several agents within the community. In one instance within the US, the combined effort of law enforcement agency, activists, and local citizens worked together to build athletic leagues for youth, forums to discuss various problems and other preventive measure, lead to a 29 % reduction in the crime rate in the areas targeted by the program. In addition to all the above efforts the role played by the family is critical in the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency. Providing training to parents of delinquent children has brought changes among the youth and was instrumental in bringing them back to their normal behavioral self. In cases where the child has not family support the care and attention should be increased and the children should be repeatedly monitored for their behavior and attitude (Juvenile Delinquency). In case of rehabilitation of repeat offenders preventing further involvement in criminal deeds can be brought about by restorative justice. This usually involves non-governmental organizations along with the local community in which the offender is not tried by the judicial system; instead they are made to interact with the victim to fully comprehend the nature of their crime and its consequences. Steps are also taken for reconciliation between the two parties and along with which the victim is provided with the required remedial assistance. Through such systems the juvenile is not sent to any correctional facility and are made to earnestly repent for their acts. Such measures have helped to reduce the crime rate by nearly 50% and have also been found to be a cost-effective measure compared to that of judicial confinement of the juvenile. Such measures have helped to restore the honor and dignity of young people and provide the required encouragement to continue their lives positively. Juvenile delinquency which is in most cases wrongly perceived to be committed by individuals is also a communal phenomenon. Most of the cases which involve juvenile delinquent groups might have connections with organized crime networks or local community members and the prevention efforts should also focus on this end (Juvenile Delinquency). In conclusion, there is an observed rise in youth crime and especially in drug-related cases. Several factors such as poverty, inequality and social factors have contributed to this communal menace. When youth are constantly exposed to a violent environment they tend to follow similar activities in order to meet their means. In most cases juvenile deviant behavior can be correctly identified and corrected at an early stage; however in case of repeat offenders suitable restorative measures can be undertaken to prevent them from committing further crimes and dissociate themselves completely from criminal activities. Reference 1. “Juvenile Delinquency”. World Youth Report. 2003. Web. 12 April 2014. www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/worldyouthreport.pdf 2. Hodgdon, Hillary. Juvenile Offenders and Substance Use and Abuse. The Future of Children, vol, 18 (2) 2008. Web. 12 April 2014 futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/.../18_02_Highlights_05.pdf‎ 3. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. “New York Adolescent Behavioral Health.” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Sept. 2009. Web. 12 April 2014. 4. Juvenile Delinquency and Substance Abuse. Ncjrs.gov. n.d. Web. 12 April 2014. https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/jjbul9712-1/substan.html 5. Salmelainen, Pia. “Child Neglect: Its Cause and its Role in Delinquency” Crime and Justice Bulletin, 33. 1996. 6. Kramer, Ronald K. Poverty, Inequality and Youth Violence. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 567 2000. Sage Publications. Web. 12 April 2014. http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/561/kramer.htm Read More