Juvenile Criminals As social systems expand to cover the ever growing social dynamics, the norms governing social behaviors are losing their ability to control behaviors. Over the years, concerns over the rising level of crimes committed primarily by the young are evident. The number of youths placed in juvenile correctional facilities is on the rise with the authorities appearing incapacitated to control the situation. This paper looks at the aspects of society contributing to Juvenile criminals and their continued perpetration of antisocial behaviors in the society.

In the modern world the norms that guide transitions and relationships from family to school and work have come under immense challenge. These challenges have seen to the collapse of the smooth socialization process that the young need to become productive in the society (Livingston, Stewart, Allard, & Ogilvie, 2008). As lifestyle trajectories vary and become more unpredictable, the young find it difficult to fit in the society thereby resulting in criminal behaviors. The situation is evident not on in developed countries but also in developing countries. Regardless of their social origin, gender and country of residence, the youth in the modern world face the risk as well as opportunities both beneficial and harmful to their well-being. The dynamics ensuing in the modern world present a challenge to the youth hindering their connection with their respective families and members of the society. With the ever declining educational and job opportunities, the youth face unchallenged pressures that throw them towards the risk of embracing criminal tendencies (Wright & Younts, 2009).

Factors contributing to juvenile criminal behaviors

Cultural and Social-economic aspects predominant in a country or region play a big role in the severity and intensity of juvenile criminal behaviors. Evidence from interrogation in the juvenile criminal cases shows that, crimes committed by juvenile criminals follow from declining economic condition (Greenwood, 2004). Many are the cases where economically deprived children turn to become street children and adopt a survivor instinct that call for adoption of criminal tendencies. Economic deprivations mean that the lot has low educational attainments as well as unstable social backgrounds (Savignac, 2008). The causes of juvenile criminal behaviors are present at every level of social strata. The aspects that contribute to juvenile criminals are discussed below.

Family

The family as social institutions has over the years seen substantial alterations with the being an increase in one-parent homes and non-marital unions (Wright & Younts, 2009). Absence of one parent in a homestead forces the children to seek a replacement of the absent parents from groups outside the family setting. The present parent being overwhelmed by the social roles of providing for the family is left with little time and capability to play a leading role in social guidance to the children. In this respect, even though the parent is fully capable of proving for the family, the children may get unwarranted social advice from other individuals in the society. In the event, that the young people are exposed to antisocial behaviors in the early stages, they will result to delinquency thus juvenile criminals (Wright & Younts, 2009).

When young individuals are exposed to adult offenders, the influence they have on the youth is to train them on delinquent behaviors. The possibility of the youth engaging in adult crime grows to become a bitter reality. The young have a higher capacity to learn especially from their immediate family members who serve as the primary socializers. Studies on juvenile delinquencies exhibit that, if a child comes from a family with a history of criminal activities, they are likely to ape the behavior (Sprott, Jenkins, & Doob, 2005).

Adequate parental supervision on children contributes to a lesser potential in engaging in criminal activities. A family that displays some degree of dysfunctional settings including, inadequate parental control, parental conflict, weak linkages internally and premature autonomy are more likely to raise a juvenile criminal. Children from disadvantaged family setting with few opportunities for employment and facing risk of social exclusion comprise a higher proportion of juvenile offenders. The predicament of migrants, ethnic minorities, refugees and displaced persons places a distressing attribute in occurrence of juvenile criminals. Regions and countries where there is a higher level of transition, will experience a higher level of juvenile delinquency owing to parents and society neglect of the children well-being (Sprott et al., 2005).

Social-economic Developments

The negative consequences of economic and social development such as political instability, economic crises, and weak social institutions contribute to juvenile criminal behavior. Instability of the social-economic aspect in the region will lead to persistently low incomes, unemployment among...

In social setting where there are norms guiding the acceptable behavior are broken or non-existent, it is likely for delinquent behaviors to emerge. Norms give rules deterring individuals from committing unacceptable behaviors. In the absence of these norms, common rules of acceptable behavior lack meaning resulting to destructive and socially traumatizing actions by the socially unconscious persons. To the youth undertaking the antisocially actions, their perception of reality knocks down a realization that such action are unacceptable. This follows from their own created perception guided by the social and economic pressures of the modern world dynamics (Livingston et al., 2008).
In both developing and developed regions, media created consumer standards considerably stretch beyond the capability of a majority of families. These ideals nevertheless, become for many young people a virtual reality some of them will take extra lengths to maintain a lifestyle rather unaffordable for them. Since not all population groups have the necessary resources within their reach, some end up not achieving their goals through available legal means. The conflict between socially and idealized sanctioned goals and real-life limited opportunities sets in frustration for many a young people. To address these frustrations the young take in criminal tendencies that turn to career. Delinquent behaviors are, therefore, a result of excessive focus on idealized goals reflecting success combined with insufficient measures of achieving these goals (Livingston et al., 2008).

Occurrence of deviant behavior is, therefore, dependent on both the availability of illegal opportunities and absolute absence of legal measures. Some juvenile criminal are conscience of the limitation on the behavior in the community but end up taking up criminal behavior by influence from adult criminals. To escape emotionally from the reality of life, the youth may retreat to a socially comforting clique of individuals where they have easy access to drugs among other social pleasures. The use and abuse of drugs, alcohol and illegal social pleasures among youth contributes delinquency and criminal behaviors. The youth while under the influence of such drugs are compelled to commit crimes guided by their desires to achieve their social goals (Livingston et al., 2008).

Geographical Location

Occurrence of juvenile criminals is also attributable to geographical locations. Countries where, there are more persons living urban regions display a higher level off criminal delinquency among the youth compared to those with higher rural living population (Sprott et al., 2005). The observable difference is contributed by the fact that, in urban areas social cohesion and control is much looser. In rural settings family and community oversee measures of dealing with antisocial behavior in a much-controlled manner thereby exhibiting lower crime rates. In the urban setting, formal measures comprising of school and churches and the legal systems are charged with the obligation to, oversee and control antisocial tendencies. These institutions are incapacitated to deal with antisocial behaviors owing to their impersonal institutionalization and their lack of cohesion in their undertaking. Measures taken by these urban institutions are different thereby resorting to, uncoordinated efforts of fighting juvenile criminal tendencies in the society (Livingston et al., 2008).

Continued urbanization widens the gap for the urban institutions to foster measures of controlling the youths and guiding them away from juvenile behaviors. The growth observable in urban areas presents a hindrance on the social institutions as well as providing anonymity for juvenile criminals.

Migration to a new region throws an individual setting where the existing social norms are different from those in their original state. The difference secludes a person's acceptability to some levels in the society forcing one especially the young to seek subgroups where the can fit in. The ideal measure will highly alienate the young and push them to form subgroup culture where the come up with their own norms. These norms are likely to conflict with the larger society's norms. However, since the subgroup has embraced alienation, they will care less what the society approves or does not approve. The subgroup develops an acceptable culture that comprises of antisocial behaviors that result to juvenile criminals (Wright & Younts, 2009).

Economic exclusion

As the economic status of some individuals improves, those of other deteriorate thereby necessitating the emergence of a gap presenting obstacles to social cohesion. Additional to the naturally created gap come the inability of the social institution to sufficiently provide economic welfare and guide behavior as well as protect occurrence of social delinquents. This result to the creation of criminal careers among the young an aspect that the existing social institutions face difficulty to control and…