Corrections/Police - Juvenile Justice Crimes and Juvenile

Corrections/Police - Juvenile Justice

Crimes and Juvenile Delinquents

There are many reasons why juveniles commit delinquent acts. Some of them blame it on the unhappy childhood and home life that they have, while others have mental problems, do drugs, or are pushed into it by their peers. Because there are so many reasons, the purpose of this paper is to discuss these reasons and what causes juveniles to involve themselves in these types of criminal activities. Discussed during the paper will be reasons that deal with unhappy home lives, as well as reasons that deal with alcohol and drugs. Peer pressure and mental instability will also be mentioned as these are also reasons that juveniles might commit crimes or illegal acts.

It is no secret that there are many people in the United States that cannot afford the basic necessities that they really need to survive. They may not have a roof over their heads and they may not have enough food to put on the table, or warm clothes in the wintertime. Some of these people are homeless and living on the streets. Others live in shelters or halfway houses. Even some of those that manage to live in an actual home are either renting and can barely afford to do anything else or are having trouble making the payments on a home that is small, old, or not in good repair.

Because of this there are many children in this country that do not have enough to eat, do not have access to good medical care, and do not have many of the things that young people and teenagers would enjoy. Many of these children have a lot of love and support from their families and they turn out just find regardless of the fact that they do not have many material possessions. Others, however, have more difficulty with these issues and they do not fare as well. These other types of individuals often become juvenile delinquents and commit crimes. They may do it because there are hungry and want something to eat, or they may do it because they do not have the latest video game and feel that they are deserving of it even if their mom or dad cannot afford to pay for it.

Another reason that juveniles get into trouble with the law is because they sometimes become involved with drugs and alcohol. This is especially true of individuals who do not have parents that watch them closely. They can end up running with other children and young people that tend to do the same kinds of behaviors. Most parents feel that their child is a good person and would not get involved with these kinds of things but unfortunately it becomes very easy for many of these children to get access to drugs and alcohol through their peers or sometimes through their own parents if the parents tend to have prescription medication, liquor cabinets, or other things that become very easy for a child to get involved in. Not at children that have parents who do these types of things or have these things in the home will get into trouble with them, but the temptation is there and most children are very curious. It gives them the access to things that they normally would not have and raises the potential for them to get into delinquent behavior.

Some of this delinquent behavior is caused by peer pressure. A child's peers are often very important to them and the child has not developed the necessary reasoning to avoid getting into some of the behaviors that other individuals are involved in. Many of these children think it's very important to be 'cool' and to be accepted by others their age. Because they want to be accepted so badly they tend to do things that their friends are doing, even if they do not feel that these behaviors are right. Some children will say no to drugs, alcohol, and criminal acts, but far too often children assume that if their friends are doing it they will not be accepted if they do not do it as well. At the age that most children began to get into trouble with the law they do not realize that their friends are not good people if they are doing these types of things and that they could cultivate friendships with others who do not engage in these behaviors that would make them much happier in the long run. It is usually only adults that realize these things, although some children are capable of making that determination.

Mental problems are another reason that some children will involve themselves in delinquent behavior. This is, naturally, a smaller number of children, but it is still an important consideration when one is looking at the reasons behind juvenile delinquency. Mental problems such as schizophrenia, excessive compulsive disorder, and depression are not all that common but when they occur they can cause strange and erratic behavior in adults and children. If the parent does not realize that there is a genuine problem with their child and there is something that needs to be corrected then they will often not take that child in for treatment. By allowing the child to continue untreated the potential for them to become involved in delinquent acts and spend time with unsavory individuals becomes higher and higher.