Juvenile Delinquency - Research Paper Example

Running Head: JUVENILE DELINQUENCY A Paper on Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile delinquency is one of the problematic issues in the society that is related to the behavior of adolescents, their social relationships and interactions with other people and the actions that they commit that can cause harm to others. The objective of the study is to present a view on juvenile delinquency and the different strategies and methods to resolve such cases of delinquent behaviors. According to the definition of the United Nations Organization, juvenile delinquency includes the different forms of problematic behaviors and repercussions caused by a minor that contradict the legal and social norms which can varies from minor offences to serious crimes. Statistics showed that the young people are the ‘most active part of the population involved in illegal activities’ based on different forms of risks factors such as peer pressure, lack of parental or adult guidance, etc. thus, resulting into different forms of crimes such as substance abuse, and even murder in the most serious case scenarios (2005). Juvenile delinquency is an issue that affects both the legal and social aspects of the society. Although the problems related to delinquent behaviors can be rooted to the biological risk factors and parental supervision, the solutions undertaken by the society transcends the boundaries of personal and family life. The legal aspects and the establishment of the juvenile justice system can be considered as the main intervention established by the social and political leaders to resolve the problems related to juvenile delinquency. History of Juvenile Justice Juvenile justice is directly related to juvenile delinquency on the precept of finding solutions to the problems related to the latter. The main focus of juvenile justice includes the crimes that are committed and/or affected the youth. These cases had been recorded through history and each period had established certain rules and guidelines to handle these types of problems but the cases of problematic youth still continue. Based on the work by William Sanders in 1970, it had been de noted that juvenile offenders of the law had been recorded for 1000 years and such problems had been known even earlier (Shoemaker and Wolfe, 2005, p.3). Establishment of Juvenile Courts The juvenile justice had started prior to the formal establishment of juvenile courts. During the early part of history, e.g. the era of feudalism, social control can be considered as the most stringent in every aspect of the society. Due to the social structure, the family was considered as the basic unit of social control. But due to the different factors affecting the development of children’s behavior and views, juvenile delinquency became a social issue rather then a family issue (Elrod and Ryder, 2009, p.92). Due to the social structure, the poor people and the destitute increased and the immigration to colonies became a trend. Studies on the colonial youths during the 1700s revealed that misconduct was a common behavior of the youth. The periods from 1500s to 1800s had been a continuous development of social structure from a simpler to a very complex and intricate society, in terms of industries which also affected the norms. Due to the said development, the simple family and personal institutions became ineffective in giving proper influence, guidance and support to the youth. Thus in 1800s, the juvenile courts and institutions came about (Elrod and Ryder, 2009, p.98). Juvenile Delinquency Institutions According to Bartollas (2000) as quoted, in the United States the juvenile justice development is composed of different stages which include the Colonial Period (1636-1823), the House of Refuge Period (1824-1898), the Juvenile Court Period (1899-1966), the Juvenile Rights Period (1967-1975), the Reform Agenda of late 70s, and the Social Control Period or ‘get tough’ era of the 80s. Each period had been divided on the basis of the policies that had changed and developed the juvenile justice system (Shoemaker and Wolfe, 2005, p.12). Juvenile correctional institutions had been established to resolve the cases of juvenile delinquency. In 1817, the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism in New York which is aimed to control poverty through finding solutions to different activities such as immigration, gambling, prostitution, and public drunkenness. In 1824, the said organization became the Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents. In 1825, the New York House of Refuge had been opened for the youthful offenders of the country with the vision on reformation of the children through discipline and work. This had been followed by other institutions throughout the eastern and Midwestern part of the country during the middle of the 19th century. The Lyman School for Boys in Westborough, Massachusetts had been established in 1846 which is recognized as the ‘first public juvenile correctional institution in the US.’ During the said period, such institutions and establishments were referred to as industrial schools or training schools. The cottage system had been introduced in 1856 for the girls with the establishment of the State Industrial School for Girls. There were also facilities made for the immigrant families such as the Hull-House which had been established in 1889. In 1890 the first detention center had been established for the juveniles who had court hearings and who were waiting for court decisions (Bartollas and Miller, 2008; Shoemaker and Wolfe, 2005, p.88-89). In the 1900s, the focus on juvenile delinquency had been more on the medical aspect, thus, child-guidance clinics had been established until the 1920s to apply the individualized treatment as per the decisions of the court. During the 60s to 70s, halfway houses and group homes were established which monitored the education and group counseling of problematic juveniles. Examples of the said institutions were the Criswell House, the Dare Project, and the House of Umoja for the African American gang youth. During the 70s, the day treatment had been popular which allowed youth to live at home and just report in treatment centers upon schedules such as the Associated Marine Institute (AMI), the Project New Pride, the Outward Bound, and the Vision Quest. In 1972, the correction system had been halted y Jerome Miller. This period became the onset of the Social Control period wherein the juvenile delinquents directly report to the national agencies that monitor them and were assigned to private institutions when needed (Bartollas and Miller, 2008; Shoemaker and Wolfe, 2005, p.89-90). In the Europe, juvenile institutions were also established as early as the 1500s. An example of the said institutions was the Bridewell prisons or house of corrections which not only housed the children but also the adults (Shoemaker and Wolfe, 2005). Stakeholders to Juvenile Delinquency The stakeholders to juvenile delinquency include the different groups involved and affected by the issue such as the family, the public and private organizations working to counteract the issue and the legal systems. The family can be considered as one of the most important stakeholders in the issue of juvenile delinquency. This can be attributed to the important role of the parents and the members of the family in the development of attitudes and behaviors of the child in addition to the biological make-up inherited through descent. Based on studies, although children wanted to be independent, one of the most important needs they perceive is attention. For that matter, one of the awareness being promoted in the US is the increase of quality time of parents with their children. The family should prevent risk factors to juvenile delinquency such as ‘poor social practices, antisocial behaviors, poor supervision of the activities of children, poor discipline skills, lack of established parent-child relationships, family conflicts, aggressive actions toward the child, poor parental mental health, family isolation, poverty, violence in the community, and sibling vices.’ Included in the possible ways to prevent and solve juvenile delinquency are proper parental supervision, strong parent-child relationship, and the consistency of discipline. These are referred to as protective factors against delinquency (Alvarado, Kumpfer and Jezycki, 2000). The different social groups and organizations can be considered as another important stakeholder to the issue of juvenile delinquency. The main visions and objectives of such organizations vary on the basis of focus. These groups are stakeholders on both perspectives, as the initiator of change and benefactor of the advantages. This can be attributed to the fact that they work on the elimination of juvenile delinquency for the improvement of the society. Elimination of social problems such as juvenile delinquency can result to the improvement if the different aspects of the society such as the cultural, economic and social facets (United Nations Organization, 2003). The legal system is another stakeholder in the issues related to juvenile delinquency. This can be attributed to the fact that the juvenile courts and institutions represent the justice system and the manner of leadership of the country. For that matter, resolution of issues such as juvenile delinquency can also be related to the political aspect of the society (Bartollas and Miller, 2008). The most important stakeholders in the juvenile delinquency are the juveniles themselves. Although the behavior of the juveniles can be considered to affect the society in a negative manner, reformation is still the most essential end result of finding solutions to juvenile delinquency. Children are full of potentials and have the right to experience the good aspects of life (Alvarado, Kumpfer and Jezycki, 2000; United Nations Organization, 2003). Strategies and Interventions The strategies and interventions to counteract and resolve juvenile delinquency are related to the stakeholders of the issue. Family-Based Interventions Strengthening the family in terms of values and relationships is one of the most important strategies to solve juvenile delinquency. Based on studies, sufficient parental guidance and supervision can effectively prevent the onset of criminal activities and behaviors. Basically the dysfunctional family is one of the main reasons that trigger delinquency. Aside from the inculcation of values and the development of the children’s behaviors, financial support of the family is also an important. For that matter, social problems on under- and unemployment are also needed to be resolved. In addition, poverty in the family is also another factor that can trigger delinquent acts (United Nations Organization, 2003). Another important issue needed to be given attention and additional support is the changing face of the family. Single parenthood needs to be empowered to be able to prevent the children from searching for support and understanding in peers and social groups which increases the risk of juvenile activities (United Nations Organization, 2003). Institution-Based Interventions Different institutions in the society are actively utilizing different methods to resolve juvenile delinquent actions. In a case study on Wraparound Milwaukee, there are different approaches being used. Primarily, the relationship with the family is included in the initial stages. Included in the said methods are strength-based approach that renews family relationships; family involvement in the treatment process; and needs-based service planning and delivery as a way to continuously improve the institution. The reformation of the juvenile delinquent is an individualized form of treatment to ensure improvement. Result of the study is 80% decrease in inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. The result reflected the level of effectiveness of the methods given in the particular institution (Wiig, Tuell and CWLA, 2004, p.46). In another case study that focused on the Washington State Research-based Programs for Juvenile Offenders, different methods based on the Community Juvenile Accountability Act (CJAA). These methods were considered cost-efficient because they the methods are supported by researches and studies. Included Functional Family Therapy (FFT), Aggression Replacement Training (ART), Coordination of Services (COS) and Multi-systematic Therapy (MST). The FFT have considerable amount of support due to the significant reduction in felony recidivism by 38%. Analysis of cost-efficiency resulted to $2.77 ($10.69 according to FFT therapists) for each taxpayer dollar allocated for the program, since the said project is supported by the legal system. For the ART, the corresponding 18-month felony recidivism is equivalent to 24% and cost ratio of $11.66. The COS program achieved 12 month felony recidivism and cost ratio of $7.89 (Wiig, Tuell and CWLA, 2004, p.46). Based on the study, the effectiveness of the intervention is based on the manner of implementation and the consistency. For these programs, cost-efficiency had been observed due to the competence in implementation. Legal Improvements Aside from the continuous study and improvement of legal provisions, guidelines and laws on juvenile delinquency, there are interventions implemented and related to different institutions. One example is the Dual Court Jurisdiction which is part of the Model Courts initiative of the Illinois’ Cook County Juvenile Court which is aimed to improve coordination between child welfare and juvenile justice. The said project includes a system to identify juvenile delinquents in a more precise manner, a protocol for processing the cases and legal staff for dual jurisdiction cases, specifically related to child welfare and juvenile delinquency issues (Wiig, Tuell and CWLA, 2004, p.49). These programs are just the few examples of the interventions that had been applied and studied for their feasibility and efficacy in counteracting the problems on juvenile delinquency. It can be considered that interventions targeting family and personal relationships are the initial steps in fighting juvenile delinquency and legal measures are the end interventions for the most serious cases of delinquent actions. In the next decades then, interventions that can be considered effective are those that can target the future problems of the society. For example in the past few years, the changing face and definition of a family is having great effects on the values of the children, such as single parenthood and other related issues. Conclusion Based on the study undertaken, juvenile delinquency had been an issue even during the early part of human history, thus, it can be considered as a result of the quest of young members of the population to gain attention or freedom. The focus of the study though includes the actions undertaken to resolve delinquent actions of the juveniles. The legal aspects and the establishment of the juvenile justice system can be considered as the main intervention established to resolve the problems related to juvenile delinquency. References Alvarado, R., Kumpfer, K. and Jezycki, M. (2000, December). Juvenile Justice (Parenting Issue). Juvenile Justice Journal, Volume VII, Number 3, 1-33. Bartollas, C. and Miller, S. J. (2008). Juvenile Justice in America. 6th ed. Prentice Hall. Elrod, P. and Ryder, R.S. (2009). Juvenile Justice: A Social, Historical, and Legal Perspective. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Shoemaker, D.J. and Wolfe, T.W. (2005). Juvenile Justice: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. United Nations Organization (2003). Chapter 7: Juvenile Delinquency. World Youth Report. Youth and the United Nations. United Nations Organization (2005). Juvenile Delinquency. Retrieved January 2, 2011, from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/wpayjuvenile.htm Wiig, J., Tuell, J.A. and Child Welfare League of America (2004). Guidebook for Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare System Coordination and Integration: A Framework for Improved Outcomes. Washington DC: CWLA Publication. Read More