...Juvenile Justice System Ruben Lopez, University of Phoenix CJA/204 – INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE ON13BCJ05 Judge Michael Sachs July 28, 2013 Juvenile Justice System In the middle ages, children were treated as adults and received the same punishment as adults, whether it be public shaming, corporal punishment or confinement. In our country, the early American Puritans changed the way children were viewed because they believed that children could not reason the same as adults, so they did not want to hold them to the same standards ("CJi Interactive", 2011). With the Puritans view of children and not holding them to the same standards as adults, it started the juvenile justice system in our country. This was the first step that lead to what the system is today. Delinquency and Status Offenses According to Schmalleger (2011), he defines delinquency as, “juvenile actions or conduct in violation of criminal law, juvenile status offenses, and other juvenile misbehavior.” and defines status offense as “An act or conduct that is declared by statute to be an offense, but only when committed by or engaged in by a juvenile, and that can be adjudicated only by a juvenile court.” (p. 543 and 547). The difference between children who are delinquents and those who are status offenders is the laws that are being violated. Delinquent children violate laws that are criminal and if they were adults, they would be labeled as criminals. Status offenders are children who...
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...An Overview of Juvenile Delinquency in the United States 1. Introduction Juvenile delinquency regards crimes that are committed by individuals under the age of 18. Juveniles can be treated as adults depending on the nature of the crimes. Misdemeanors are minor crimes that don’t carry harsh penalties although felony related offenses do. Each state has juvenile courts that deal with juvenile delinquency. In 2010, there were a total of 308,745,538 juvenile delinquents living in the United States. This large has caused an increased concern about the number of youths that are committing crimes of all kinds. Major causes of juvenile delinquency are a lack of employment opportunities, little to no education and drug addiction among the parents. Juveniles that live with parents that have substance abuse problems often exhibit negative behaviors that result in crime. One program, “Beyond Scared Straight” has been highlighted in the media recently because it uses scare tactics to help juveniles avoid crime and the resulting jail time. This paper will provide an over of juvenile delinquency by defining it in terms of prevalence, causes and interventions. 2. Juvenile Delinquency Defined Each state in the United States have pre-established laws that define juveniles. Roberts concludes that individuals that have not turned 18 are juveniles in the eyes of the law. However, juveniles can be tried as adults if they commit serious crimes such as murder and robbery (Roberts). This has...
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...need to reduce juvenile delinquency. It will consider ways to help reduce juvenile delinquency and why it is so important. This paper will give the reader insight about what needs to happen in order to help juveniles be successful and stay out of the juvenile justice system. There will be key agreements that will require the reader’s attention. Effective Ways to Reduce Juvenile Delinquency A 16-year-old teenager was arrested after a veteran police officer was gunned down in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Fox News, 2011). According to an article by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) called “Punishing Teen Criminal Like Criminals,” “juveniles were accounting for more than 500,000 serious violent crimes by 1984.” It is expected that while the adults committing homicides is to decline almost by twenty percent the juveniles committing homicides will increase by almost one-fourth. How can the American society mitigate the occurrences of juvenile delinquency? Many approaches have been taken to institutionalize juvenile delinquents and rehabilitate them. As the Mayor of St. Petersburg, Bill Foster said “we as a community need to standup and do a better job.” These occurrences will not stop unless there is a plan and execution established to make it happen. That is why juvenile delinquency must be tackled through the use of prevention programs, recreational programs, and educational programs. To start off, there needs to be approaches towards more juvenile prevention programs...
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...Abstract Many factors contribute to juvenile delinquency and research has recognized that there is not one single pathway to delinquency. Studies have shown that the more risk factors the juvenile faces the probability of offending increases. The major factors contributing to juvenile delinquency are individual factors, social factors, and community factors. Many people have tried to figure out and understand the factors that lead our youths to commit crimes and what can we do to prevent and rehabilitate them to keep them from committing these crimes again. Juvenile delinquency is one of the most important issues around the world today. Despite the social awareness surrounding the topic, juvenile delinquency is on the rise and needs to be addressed in order to stop our youth from becoming criminals instead of important members of society. There have been many efforts to understand and analyze the reasons that juveniles commit crimes however there is no set reason, but rather several reasons that can lead a youth to commit crimes. Recent research shows that violence among juveniles is rising rapidly and shows that more than 60% of youths will have either been a victim or will have committed a crime sometime during their youth years (Garza, 2011). Research has also stated that the crime rate among juveniles has increases rapidly since the 1980’s and in 2009 youths were responsible for more than 2 million violent crimes in the United States (Garza, 2011). At the same time...
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...Causes of Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile Justice Causes of Juvenile Delinquency The causes of juvenile delinquency are many. Some experts would say that juvenile delinquency has its roots in a biological cause. Other experts will assert that the cause is of an environmental nature. In this research paper, the author will examine both theories and present both supporting and contradicting evidence for both theories. However, before he can begin, the author must give a brief history of the juvenile justice system in the United States and how that system has handled juvenile delinquency thus far. In the days of old, juvenile justice was an unheard of concept. Most nations did not make a distinction between a juvenile and an adult (Bartollas & Miller, 2011). The court systems of early nations simply held the belief that an offender needed to be punished for a crime the same way no matter what the age of the offender. This led to children being punished in the same manner as adults. Early court systems did not recognize that juvenile offenders had different needs and motives than adults (Bartollas & Miller, 2011). It is fair to say that this fact is erroneous in every aspect. This tradition continued into the mid-1800s. In England, for example, “some 160-200 capital offenses were listed in the statutes for which children could be executed.” (Bartollas & Miller, 2011, p. 5). This is an amazing statistic. Knowing that young children could be executed sheds...
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...Chapter 1 1. Juvenile delinquency is the violation of a criminal law by persons under the age of 18 in most states. 2. Society views adult and juvenile offenders in many different ways such as the idea that juveniles are people that are in need of guidance because of their lack of maturity and cannot distinguish the difference between “right and wrong”. However, older offenders are expected to have this ability based off of their “experience” in life therefore deserving of punishment. 3. Juveniles are said to be immature because they lack the experience of having lived life and that they may not have understood or appreciated the harm that their actions have caused others. The immaturity is also said to have biological data that supports the argument that juveniles are immature, though there is no exact age in which a person has reached full maturity, “brain circuitry for pleasure and sensation develops rapidly during adolescences while the brain circuitry responsible for behavioral control and inhibition lags behind.” (5) 4. The major differences in the way that society treats juvenile offenders and adult offenders include the idea that juveniles are in need of guidance rather than punishment for their actions. On the other hand, adult offenders are punished for their actions. Society believes that adults were capable of distinguishing between right and wrong when they were committing an offense. 5. Status offenses are acts that are committed by juveniles that would...
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...Juvenile Crime Ephrem Larry CJS/200 01/12/14 William Patton In this essay I am going to address the differences between juvenile court and adult court. I am also going to talk about the definitions of delinquency and status offenses. I will briefly describe the variables that correlate to the juvenile crime rate and make recommendations for reducing juvenile crime. There are several differences between juvenile court and adult court. “According to the Department of Juvenile Services (2014) History of Juvenile Justice in the United States,” from a historical perspective the juvenile court systems is relatively new. It was stated that in the late 1960‘s that youth did not have constitutional rights. In 1967 the U. S. Supreme Courts ruled that even though juvenile courts were civil proceeding, individuals subjected to these proceedings still faced potential loss of liberty. The Supreme Court ruled that all youth offenders in juvenile court proceedings that faced possible confinement have the following constitutional rights: The right to receive notice of charges, The right to obtain legal counsel, The right to confrontation and cross – examination, The privileges against self – incrimination, The right to receive a transcript of the proceedings, and The right to have an appellate court review the lower court’s decision (The Department of Juvenile Services , 2014). However, many of these juvenile courts...
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...Delinquency 1 The “Broken Home” or Broken Society A Sociological Study of Family Structure and Juvenile Delinquency By Hillary R. Sheehan Advised by Professor Chris Bickel SocS 461, 462 Senior Project Social Science Department College of Liberal Arts CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY Winter, 2010 © 2010 Hillary Sheehan Delinquency 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page Research Proposal…………………………………………………………………………3 Annotated Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...5 Outline……………………………………………………………………………………10 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..14 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………15 The “Broken Home”: Truth or Trend……………………………………………15 Statistics on Single-Parent Families and Juvenile Delinquency…………………21 Case Study……………………………………………………………………….23 Theories…………………………………………………………………………..27 Criticisms………………………………………………………………………...32 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….34 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..36 Delinquency 3 Research Proposal The goal of this research paper is to explore the topic of juvenile delinquency and to analyze the cause of such behavior. The topic of most interest is how the family structure plays a role in delinquent behavior and what can be said about the so called broken home. There is a lot of research in criminal justice that tries to explore the reasons behind people’s behavior and this paper is intending to address youth who have been involved in the system. By exploring this topic I hope to get a better...
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...Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile delinquency has been on the decline in recent years. The study of the variables, and distinction between the adult and juvenile systems, has helped in the decline. Delinquency is a criminal behavior that is committed by a juvenile. Depending on where in the United States the juvenile lives, they will be considered an adult between the ages of 16 to 18. This age has been lowered for serious crimes like murder. In those cases, juveniles have been tried as adults in court. Delinquency refers to conduct that does not conform to legal or moral standards of society; it usually applies only to acts that, if performed by an adult, would be termed criminal (“Encyclopedia Britannica”, 2013). This helps to distinguish delinquency from a status offense. Status offense is a word used in the United States to describe acts that when committed by a juvenile are illegal, but not when an adult does it is legal. These offenses are considered to be a violation because the individual is...
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...Contents Page No. * Introduction 02 * Objectives 03 * Methodology 03 * Description of Juvenile delinquency 03 * Causes of Juvenile delinquency in Bangladesh 06 * Prevention of Juvenile delinquency in Bangladesh 13 * Conclusion 17 * References 19 * Introduction: Juvenile delinquency is one of the most prominent problems today throughout the world especially in developing countries as Bangladesh. It is seems that traditional patterns of guiding the relationships and transition between family, school and work are being challenged. Social relations that ensure a smooth process of socialization are collapsing and lifestyle is becoming more dynamic and less predictable. The reformation of the labour market, the extension of the maturity gap and the limited opportunities to become an independent adult are all changes influencing relationships with family and friends. Also, educational opportunities and choices, labour market participation, leisure activities and lifestyles often create hindrance in the way of developing adolescence normal behaviour. There are some new pressures that influence on young people while undergoing the transition from childhood to independence. The factors which create a bridge with the way of getting delinquent in Bangladesh are rapid population growth, the unavailability of housing and support services, poverty, unemployment and underemployment among youth, the...
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...Juvenile delinquency has steadily increased over the years and does not look to be decreasing any time soon unless measures are taken. Juveniles are usually convicted and sentenced in juvenile court but some cases have also been tried in adult court. Status offenses are also controversial topics that need further research before any conclusions are drawn on them being an actual violation of the law. There are also a number of different variables and characteristics of each juvenile in detention, and these paint a broader picture of the environment and culture they come from. Juvenile delinquency is also known as juvenile offending or youth crime, which is the participation of juveniles in illegal behavior. A juvenile delinquent is usually a person under the age of 18 who commits an offense that would otherwise have been charged as a crime if they were an adult. It is also possible based upon the type and severity of the crime that an under-18 juvenile delinquent could be charged and tried as an adult. State policies vary as to the age at which a person legally becomes an adult, but if we refer to a juvenile as a person under the age of 18, the figures are shocking and disproportionate. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), reports that nearly 16 percent of all violent crimes and 26 percent of all property crimes are committed by under 18 year olds. What is even more worrying is that this age group only makes up 26 percent of the total population...
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...Summary The perception of juvenile delinquency in the Suriname media. This thesis examines the perception of the coverage of juvenile delinquency and the possible impact thereof on a sustainable policy. Central in this study is how the coverage in the Suriname newspapers can contribute to a sustainable policy regarding juvenile delinquency. To answer the central question, subquestions were formulated: • How does literature define sustainable policy with respect to juvenile delinquency? • What manifestations of juvenile delinquency are present in the media coverage? • Is a univocal and defined policy regarding the coverage of juvenile delinquency perceptible with the editors of the newspapers? • Are there structural differences between the newspapers regarding the coverage of juvenile delinquency? • How could the coverage contribute to a sustainable policy? As a background in this respect, a number of explanations for criminal behaviour are taken into consideration. With the general criminological theories we used theories that start from the person of the offender, the interplay of individual and social environment, the situational circumstances and characteristics of society. As regards the theories that specifically deal with juvenile delinquency, we looked at theories that discuss the socially vulnerable youngsters and we also considered theories that discuss the risk factors at different levels: the individual level, family level, level of school and peers, and...
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...Juvenile Crime Jacqueline Allen CJS200 June 9, 2013 Charles Musselwhite Abstract Juvenile crime is a crime committed by minors (juveniles) younger than the statutory adult age. In most of the legal systems there are specific procedures followed when dealing with minor offenders, such as juvenile detention centers, boot camps, etc. This paper will attempt to create a better understanding of the offenses, the causes, and the procedures to deal with the criminal behavior of juveniles. In addition this paper will project ideas to reduce the criminal behavior of these minor’s through intervention and preventative measures. Juvenile Crime Each state has its own trenchant juvenile justice system with its own practices and laws. There are however broad underlying opinion that separates the juvenile justice system from the criminal justice system. The fundamental rationalization of the juvenile court system is that youth are developmentally different from adults and that they are susceptible of being lead or directed. Because of this pliant behavior the justice system feels that rehabilitation and treatment, with the addition of community protection are very feasible goals. In the adult court the defendant is provided greater Constitutional rights than are available in the juvenile court. An example of this is the criminal defendant has a right to a trial by a judge or a jury of their peers. A minor does not have that right; their fate is decided by a juvenile court...
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...1.1: Introduction Juvenile Delinquency is a terrible problem in the unequal management system of society of the modern world. Juvenile Delinquency is increasing for the fast and speedy development of Industrialization and Urbanization. Industrialization and Urbanization make changes the Family structure which increases the propensity of Juvenile Delinquency. A large scale of people has been shifted to City town from rural area and keeps staying in the abdomen. This also increases Juvenile Delinquency. Now Juvenile Delinquency has emerged as a matter of concern in Bangladesh in recent times with the number of children and young people involved in "criminal activities" rising at an alarming rate. In most of the cases this is not a deliberate choice for the children. Numerous social factors coupled with poor parenting, family troubles and above all extreme poverty are pushing these children to this anti-social position. A child is born innocent and if nourished with tender care and attention, he or she will be blossom with faculties physical, mental, moral and spiritual into a person of stature and excellence. On the other hand, noxious surroundings, neglect of basic needs, bad company and other abuses and temptations would spoil the child and likely to turn him a delinquent. Therefore, expressing his concern for Child care, the noted Nobel Laureate Gabrial Mistral Long ago observed: We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children...
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...Social Work: Juvenile Delinquency In the last twenty years, juvenile crime is at its lowest point. It has decreased 36% since 1996 (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention). With this change in crime rate, it can be assumed that the prevention of juvenile delinquency has been a great asset to our country, and leads into the profession of social workers role in juvenile delinquency. An overview of this field requires a social worker to be knowledgeable with criminal law, principles and education that can be gained from experience, familiarity with laws and practices, and awareness of environmental contributors. The social worker must be prepared to work in a variety of settings, and with other professions that contribute to cases. Overview of Social Problem The Social Work Dictionary states that juvenile delinquency is seen as a person under the age of 18 (some jurisdictions go by 21) that have been involved in criminal activity (juvenile delinquency, 2003). In 2002, juvenile delinquency was at its lowest point in the last two decades. Despite the statistics, most people believe that juvenile crime continues to rise. The media plays a great part in this problem because when a violent crime involves young offenders, the media has excessive coverage on situation. The average age of delinquents continue to be younger and younger. Even though juvenile crime has decreased, but serious violent crime rate for boys and girls are excessively high (McWhirter et al, 2007)...
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