Juvenile Delinquent Crimes

Delinquency can be defined as a youth person who has committed a crime or violated probation; others define a delinquent in terms of their actions, such as “immoral or vicious persons” (Bartollas & Schmalleger, 2013, p.8). Children are no longer considered a youth offender from ages 16-18 years old, persons under 18 years old are charged with a law violation then considered to be juveniles (Bartollas, 2013, p.8).

Researches have continuously tried to explain why people commit crime and engage in juvenile delinquency. Over the past century, many theories have emerged and been adopted as the main contributing factors for why juveniles engage in deviant behaviors. Some theories, such as

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a juvenile is an individual that is younger than 18 years of age, and any violation under the law committed by a juvenile is defined as juvenile delinquency (2016). About 70 million Americans are 18 years of age or younger, and are the fastest growing population in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 2016). As the population increases, the exposer of juvenile victimization and youth offences increases.

Juvenile Delinquency is the participation of illegal behavior by a minor who falls under a statutory age limit. A delinquent is a minor who commits a crime or a status offense. A status offense is conduct that is illegal only because the child is under age i.e. smoking cigarettes (Senna 10, 20). The cases of Eric Smith, Lionel Tate, and an unidentified NJ child are similar only because, they are guilty of killing another child, but the Criminal Justice System treated and punished them very differently. In August 1993 in Savona, New York 13 year old Eric Smith killed 4 year old Derrick Robie. Smith lured Robie into the woods and strangled, beat with large rocks, and sodomized Robie. Smith was questioned by police and kept changing some

Juvenile delinquents are minors, usually defined as being between the ages of 10 and 18, who have committed some act that violates the law. These acts aren’t called “crimes” as they would be for adults. Rather, crimes committed by minors are called “delinquent acts.” Instead of a trial, the juvenile has an “adjudication,” after which he/she receives a “disposition” and a sentence. However, juvenile proceedings differ from adult proceedings in a number of ways (Reuters, 2017). Delinquent acts are put into two categories. The first category of a delinquent act is one that would be considered a crime had an adult committed it. Given the serious nature of the crime(s), some jurisdictions will try young offenders as adults. The second type of delinquent act is age related or “status crimes” meaning that the crime(s) wouldn’t normally be performed or committed by an adult. For example, staying out past curfew or skipping school known as truancy is an act of a status crime or age related crime.

Juvenile delinquency has become a controversial issue within the Criminal Justice system. In the United States, juvenile delinquency refers to disruptive and criminal behavior committed by an individual under the age of 18. In many states, a minor at the age of 16 to 17 ½ can be tried as an adult. Once the individual reaches adulthood, the disruptive and criminal behavior is recognized as a crime. However, the criminal justice system has divided juvenile delinquency into two general types of categories that has brought upon controversial issues of inequality and corruption. Yet, putting young individuals in juvenile detentions facilities seems to open the door for them to commit more crimes in the future. Therefore, under certain circumstances juveniles should be tried as an adult.

Are crime rates for juveniles in the United States on the rise or are they falling? What kinds of crimes are juveniles typically arrested for? Are all the laws and policies with reference to juvenile justice seen as truly fair? Should a juvenile be locked up for life without the possibility of parole? What has the U.S. Supreme Court ruled as to locking juveniles up for life without the possibility of parole? These and other issues will be discussed in this speech.

The United states, has more Violent juvenile crimes, due to the access of guns, drug trafficking gangs, Death squads, –Drug lords and Juvenile gangs. What makes, America different is the way in which measures are conducted in the courtroom as well as the sentencing process. To start every country, has their own definition of what qualifies for juvenile crime and the age range.

Juvenile delinquents experience family aggression and violence frequently which can lead to psychological issues of antisocial behavior. Violence within the home is the leading cause of injury to women with the shocking statistics of between 2 million and 4 million women are being battered in their homes yearly. This results in approximately 3.5 million children witnessing this type of violence in their homes. With so many children experiencing witnessing this chronic violence there are certain development effects it has on children, including; truncated moral development, pathological adaption to violence, and identification with the aggressor (McWhirter, 2013).

Juvenile crime is defined as crime committed by persons under the age of 18. Although juvenile

Juvenile delinquency is a social issue in the United States today. Juvenile delinquency, is when “a violation of the law is committed by a juvenile and is not punishable by death or life imprisonment” (Juvenile Delinquency). The juvenile system is different from the adult system in many way and most juvenile delinquents are from the age of ten to the age of seventeen (Juvenile Delinquent). Once the delinquent or anyone is at the age of eighteen, they are considered to be an adult. Therefore, in the justice system they are tried as an adult. There are many different reasons why a child would commit crime, such as mental and physical factors, peer influence, home conditions, neighborhood environment and school conditions. Teens are greatly influenced by the interactions and surroundings they are around. Their behaviors can result from the parent and/or their peer influences. Parents play a great role in the child’s life and a teen’s peers also play a strong role in how the teen behaves when the parents are not insight. This research will examine links between the social environment of teens and how it influences the teens actions and behavior which leads them to commit an offense.

The principles of this paper are to outline how mental health disorders can effect an adolescents mind and actions to lead them down a path of crime. The most apparent realization is that having a mental health disorder alone will not land you in prison, however the actions behind the thinking will most certainly get you in trouble unless you can learn to control them. More than 50% of the juvenile crime populations suffers from a mental disorder but has landed themselves their for various reasons. Today, almost 25% of our generation ages 13-19 have struggled with some type of mental health disorder in their young lifetime. The crime rate of juvenile delinquents is increasing, resulting in a higher capacity of offenders with these mental

Crime is a major issue in America today; an issue that continues to eat away at our country economically. Because of the immensity of the issue, there have been numerous speculations into what the cause of crime may be in an effort to find a solution. Many people lean towards believing that a one’s home life, economic status, and location are all factors in the possibility of becoming involved in criminal activity.

When a juvenile commits an act that would be criminal if committed by an adult, the juvenile is determined to be delinquent. Delinquent acts may include crimes against persons, crimes against property, drug offenses, and crimes against public order. Delinquency prevention efforts seek to redirect youth who are considered at-risk for delinquency or who have committed a delinquent offense from deeper involvement in the juvenile justice system (Deling, 2014).

As stated by Bartol and Bartol “Juvenile delinquency is an imprecise, nebulous, social, clinical, and legal label for a wide variety of law- and norm-violating behavior” (2011, Pg 139). The juvenile delinquency term has come to imply disgrace in today's correctional institution. Our government is up hold to procedures and expected to come with a solution to solving the delinquent problem. An underage offender can be labeled a delinquent for breaking any number of laws, ranging from robbery to running away from home, and especially being involved in school violence. The following situations faced by correction officials when dealing with juvenile delinquents will be examined. Three main areas (child development, punishments, and deterrence