Juvenile Delinquency

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

causes:
Changes in the Social Environment - there have been many changes
in our social environment over the last twenty five years. These changes
have made a risky environment for today's youth. Children and teenagers
spend more time with peer groups than ever before. Drugs and deadly
weapons are used increasingly as ways to solve problems. Illicit and
explicit sexuality and violence are the main subjects of choice in the
media; and the impact of media influence has widened and become
more vivid with the introduction of computers, video games, portable
stereos and MTV.

Changes in Family Structure and Functioning - The prevalence of
divorce and the increasing number of women in the workplace have
reduced the number of adults who provide interaction, structure and
supervision in a child's life. Along with this, institutions have not kept
pace in providing alternative programs for unsupervised kids. Add to
this new parenting expectations that come with single parent and ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

reduction of control as the child matures.


Studies have been made to determine the causes of juvenile delinquency. Many of these studies have focused on family relationships. In one study, comparing delinquent and non-delinquent youths showed that over ninety percent of the delinquents had unhappy home lives and felt discontented with their life circumstances. Only thirteen percent of the non-delinquent youths felt this way. This study also brought attention to the fact that to these youths, delinquency appeared to be a sort of solution to them. It brought attention to youths neglected by their parents, or approval of delinquent friends, or it solved problems of an unhappy home life in ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: