Prevention Of Juvenile Delinquency

Currently, offenders are committing violent crimes within developed countries at younger ages than ever before. Statistical data collected from various regions indicate that juvenile delinquency is largely associated with the involvement of organized groups or gangs, resulting in three quarters of all offenses being carried out by members. Although unemployment and poverty are not the causes of violence themselves, they are immense elements that can contribute to criminal activity amongst minors. Lack of opportunity, inequality, and the accessibility to drugs and or weapons along with many other factors can often trigger acts of delinquency, and while adolescence may be accepted as the phase in ones life that misbehavior and resistance is to be expected, evidence has shown that a majority of first-time offenders do not re-offend with the proper means and guidance provided to rectify the issue. However, incarceration is still regularly enforced when dealing with the cases of minors, even for what can be labeled trivial offenses such as drug use or theft.

In 1825, the Society for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency opened the New York House of Refuge, which was followed by the Chicago Reform School in 1855. The intentions of the reforms were to ensure the protection of young offenders by separating them from convicted adults all while trying to prevent future criminal activity. The first juvenile court was established in Cook County, Illinois in the year 1899 and this led to the implementation of juvenile courts in most states within a matter of only thirty years or so. In order to hold someone accountable for a crime, two factors must be present- the first being the intent or will to commit the crime, and the second requirement being the occurrence of an “unlawful act”. If either criterion is absent, a crime has not been committed according to the court of law. Furthermore, the importance of identifying categories for who should be able to be tried and sentenced was assessed in order to understand when to draw the line. Legally speaking, the point at which one is capable of understanding their actions separates an adult from a child, although children under the age of seven are classified as “infants” and therefore cannot be charged. Ages seven through fourteen is

Because of this, it is essential to maintain a securely structured juvenile justice system in all corners of the world so that minor offenders can receive a punishment that is both appropriate and just for their crime. Moreover, the notion of providing socio-economic opportunities and services to encourage young people to avoid a criminal lifestyle should be promoted in urban and rural regions