Personal Application of Criminology
The paper that follows will address a hypothetical situation, which is a personal application of criminology.
My husband and I are the parents of a 16-year-old son. Coming home after work, I noticed the door is ajar. Our son’s friend is in the house without our son, and the friend is also looking through the kitchen drawer. John states he is looking for a pad to leave our son a note. On the kitchen counter I notice a lock pick, and some jewelry from my bedroom drawer. The scent of marijuana permeates the air. The dilemma that must be addressed is do I tell John to leave immediately, call John’s parents, tell our son and my husband or call the police to our home.
Our young people often find themselves faced with delinquent or criminal behavior as they go from childhood to adulthood. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) compiles arrest information provided by law enforcement agencies each year and creates reports examining the trends, rates and, statistics of juvenile criminal activity. More than half of youth arrests are for assault, drug abuse, and disorderly conduct, and curfew violations. Theft was the highest reported crime of young people getting arrested. In 1999, “2,468,800 juvenile arrests were recorded; of these arrests, 380,500 were for theft. In 2000, 2,369,400 arrests were recorded; of these, 363,500 were for theft. Drug abuse violations accounted for 198,400 of the 1999 arrests, and 203,900 of the 2000 arrests. Violent crime accounted for 103,900 of the 1999 arrests and 98,900 of the 2000 arrests. Arrest rates dropped across the board 5% between 1999 and 2000” (Lawyer Shop, 2010)
More countries other than developed nations are facing similar situations; “in developing countries there are new pressures on young people transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Expansive population