Juvenile Delinquency in Georgia - Research Paper Example

Juvenile Delinquency in Georgia Goal statement, variables and research questions Goal: Goal of the research is to identify juveniles who are most likely to become delinquent. Independent variables in the research: Education, Age, race, gender, parental location and status Research questions I. What gender is brought into the juvenile justice system the most for juvenile delinquency? What is the age of juvenile delinquents that enter the juvenile justice system the most? II. What is the race of juvenile delinquents that are brought into the juvenile justice system the most? III. What is the parental status of juvenile delinquents that are brought into the juvenile justice system for delinquency? IV. Where are the locations that juvenile delinquents enter the juvenile justice system from in Columbus Georgia? Hypothesis Juvenile delinquency refers to underage offenders. The research therefore investigates the pattern of the prevalence of juvenile crimes in the state of the Georgia. Gender is often a fundamental factor hat influences human behavior and is therefore an equally important factor that influences the patterns of juvenile delinquency. The research thus strives to prove that male children are more likely to commit felonies than their female counterparts are. Educated juveniles are less likely to commit crimes. Juveniles with both parents and peaceful families are less likely to commit crimes. Younger children are less likely to commit crimes. Adolescents on the other hand are most likely to commit crimes Sampling procedures The research seeks to demine the demographic factors that influence the behavior of children with the view of determining the nature of juvenile offending in the country. As such, the research investigates the effects of such demographic factors as age, location of parents and race among other factors. In doing this, the research must determine an appropriate research sample in order to enhance the effectiveness of the research findings. The qualitative research will adopt a numerical approach in investigating the prevalence of the demographic factors that influence the behavior of children. Random sampling technique is the most appropriate sampling technique since it creates a natural environment for the research thus enhancing the effectiveness of the research finding. The researcher will select the sample randomly thus not influencing the type of data collected from the respondents. The interview seventy-five respondents selected randomly from the target population. Justas explained, the researcher will use such essential data computation and calculation tools as the SPSS. Just as is the case with any other quantitative research, the tools will enhance the accuracy in the research thus enhancing the recommendations. "Based on a sample size of seventy five, this produces a sampling error of 5% based on a 95% confidence interval" (Babbie, 1989, p.A32). With an appropriate sample, the research will use numerous data processing tools and data presentation techniques in order to enhance the effectiveness of the research findings. The researcher will for example use the SPSS in order to compute the qualitative research findings thus turning them into numeric that are easy to compute and translate. The researcher will use tables, graphs and pie charts among other forms of graphical data presentation techniques. The tools enable the comprehension of the research findings thus influencing the formulation of both the conclusion and the recommendations. Additionally, the researchers will use appropriate data collection techniques in order to enhance the success of the research process. Among the data collection techniques the researcher will use include structured questionnaires and interviews among others. The two techniques have numerous strengths and weaknesses in data collection. He researcher will therefore use the two coupled with an effective observation of the prevailing trends of juvenile crimes in the state. Using the three in a single research ensures that each of the three techniques complement each other thus enhancing the data collection. This influences the success of the research since data collection remains an empirical feature in the research. Cover letter Darryl, Atlanta, Georgia Attn: RE: Research proposal Dear sir/ madam, My name is John Michaels; I am undertaking a study on the patterns of juvenile delinquencies. Children are important members of the society who contribute to the social structuring of our societies. As such, their upbringing requires specific information key among which are the factors that motivate their delinquencies. As such, the research is an important social study, one that does not only seek to enhance the works of the security officers but will also influence the structure of families in order to curb the rising cases of juvenile delinquency not only within the state but nationally as well. With this understanding, I write this letter to request for your assistance in the research. I seek data concerning juvenile arrests that you have made within the last two years. The research will be published nationally; I will gladly preserve a copy for you besides acknowledging your role in facilitating the research. Please feel free to contact me through the contacts I avail on the letter in case you have any concerns. Thank you in advance for your corporation in the research. Respectfully, Darryl. Questionnaire Please circle the most appropriate response to each question. What is your gender? a. male b. female Have you ever committed a crime? a. Yes b. No What is your race? a. White b. Black Do you have both parents? a. Yes b. No What motivated you to commit the crime? a. Despair b. Friends Literature review Bad boys or poor parents: Relations to female juvenile delinquency The article investigates the prevalence of juvenile delinquency and strives to explain the factors that influence children’s behavior. The author of the article states that male children are more likely to engage in crimes than their female counterparts are. As such, the author therefore investigates the behavioral patterns in male children and the factors that influence their behaviors. The author asserts that different theories of sexuality may validate the claim that male children are more likely to offend. Males have higher testosterone hormones and therefore are always aggressive and tough. Such personality features influence the behavior of male children thus setting them apart from their female counterparts who are always docile. Additionally, the article investigates the roles of parents in upbringing their ale children since the relationship between children and parents influences the behavior of children. Male children require attention from their parents. This implies that whenever the children fail to get the attention they act in aggressive manner thus committing crimes. The article therefore accuses parents for neglecting their male children a feature that compels such destitute children to seek solace from their peers. While friends are important to children since they help hone the personality traits besides developing their interpersonally skills, some of the groupings motivate violence and crime. The article argues that parents must develop close relationship with their parents. Parents must monitor the behavior and growth of their children with the view of correcting them. This way, the children grow into disciplined individuals who appreciate peaceful ways of solving conflicts even in their social groupings. The legal regulation of adolescence The second article on the other hand investigates the legal provisions in the regulation of adolescence. As explained earlier, children are important members of the society. Despite their underage, the government has appropriate laws that govern their relationships and appropriate facilities to correct their behavior. The laws are social creations that seek to facilitate the development of the children into responsible and law abiding adults. The article addresses numerous psychological theories that explain the behavior of adolescents in understanding the behavior of the juveniles. In most cases, the juveniles act oblivious of the legal ramifications of their actions. The fact that they lack adequate legal information worsens their situation thus making the vulnerable to arrests and police harassments. Children have numerous freedoms just as any other adult. However, the parents are responsible for their behavior a feature that accords parents unparalleled control of their children. This implies that some of the crimes the juveniles commit arise from poor parenting. Sex crimes are among the most common crimes that juveniles commit. Male adolescents at aggressively against their female counterparts often abusing them sexually, children are curious and in the attempt to satisfy their curiosity, they may act aggressively against females most of who males consider weak. The high prevalent of sexual crimes in the country portrays the lack of basic education concerning sexuality. Both parents and teachers among other stakeholders in the society are responsible for the rise in sex crimes among juveniles since the children rely on them to obtain answers to basic questions concerning their sexuality. Data analysis Research population Those who committed crimes Race Disparity motivating factors Girls 50% Girls 15% Black 50% Friends 70% Boys 50% Boys 85% Whites 50% Despair 30% Research findings/ Conclusion I. Race is not a major factor that influence the behavior of juveniles II. Boys are more likely to commit crimes than their female counterparts III. Peer pressure is a major factor that motivates juveniles to commit crime Unlike is popularly believed that black children are likely to commit crime, the society has changed and race is no longer a factor. Instead, gender is a major factor that influences the behavior of children. Most of the child offenders as the research discovered are male. The children admitted that their friends were among the major factors that compelled hem to commit the varied crimes. Problems encountered Among the problems encountered during the research was the difficulty of finding respondents. Just as the research claims, interviewing children requires the permission of their parents or teachers. This made the research difficult since in most cases it was difficult to find either the parents or the teachers who were often busy. Additionally, some of the children did not understand the research and thus found it difficult to take part in the survey. Their inability to understand the research questions require the researchers to interact with the children in order to obtain the essential data. References Cauffman, G. (2008). "Bad boys or poor parents: Relations to female juvenile delinquency". Journal on Research on Adolescence 18 (4): 119–142. Woolard, S. (2009). "The legal regulation of adolescence". Handbook of Adolescent psychology Vol. 2. 345–371. Read More