Most young individuals often indulge in offensive activities that may result in one being caught up in the juvenile system. Some of these teenagers learn such offenses from society while others are actually born with such characters. The contents of this paper identifies biological, social, and psychological factors contributing to characters being caught up in the juvenile system and gives recommendations to help reduce juvenile incarceration.
Biological, Psychological, and Social factors leading to Juvenile Delinquency
In their video, Devon, Kenneth, and Lentrell point out that most young people under the age of 17 indulge in offenses due to various factors such as peer pressure, poverty and drug abuse among others. The offenses are mostly non-violent and include offenses such as drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, or computer hacking. The factors leading to such behavior is discussed below.
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Psychological Factors
Devon, Kenneth, and Lentrell state that young individuals with complications such as the inability to gain experience or recall consequences of their actions or those of others are likely to commit offenses. Failure to recall the consequences of wrong behavior may make such individuals unable to adhere to discipline instilled in them. Other factors include the inability to learn the required morals that enable them to distinguish between good or bad. As a result, most individuals end up serving time at the juvenile system in an event of committing an offense.
Biological Factors
Biological factors are often gene-related. Such genes tend to make one unable to make a decision in choosing between right and wrong. A good example is the feeble-mindedness gene that is often related to vice, crime, or violence. However, this factor rarely serves as an excuse or reason to commit offenses and young offenders mostly end up in the juvenile system.
Social Factors
From the video, it is evident that the society can also lead to offensive behavior. The growth of cities and the steady immigration to the USA has also affected crime levels. Most young offenders from every racial background are highly influenced by the nature of their neighborhoods, which in most cases happens to be socially unstable. Exposure to various offenses in such neighborhoods through peers or relatives also increases the chances of young individuals engage in it too (Devon, Kenneth, and Lentrell).
Recommendations for intervention for reduction in Juvenile Incarceration
From the discussion, it is evident that reduction in juvenile incarceration saves the lives of young offenders from being squandered by the juvenile system. It also reduces the possibility of adult criminal activities, saving both the individual and society as well (Troutman, 2018). However, in order to reduce juvenile incarceration, it is important to engage young offenders can in more promising programs. Home-visiting programs can be implemented for regular checkout to ensure the juvenile offenders do not indulge in any irresponsible activity. The state can also use school-based programs to help monitor teenagers closely to help reduce early school dropouts, drug abuse, and anti-social behaviors among the offenders. Other recommendations include community programs which focus on the family’s interactions with the offender. Skills on parenting and discipline can also be provided to adults or guardians regarding the supervision and training of the child.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, young people under the age of 17 who indulge in offensive behaviors often end up in the juvenile system. The factors leading to such offensive behaviors can either be biological, psychological, or social depending on the location or nature of the offender. However, alternative solutions to the juvenile system can be employed in order to prevent the young offender from committing other crimes in the future thus saving both the young offender and the society.
References
Devon, Kenneth, and Kentrell (part 2): Cradle to jail [Video file]. (2009). Retrieved December 1, 2018, from https://digital-films-com.portal.lib.fit.edu/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=102189&xtid=52344
Devon, Kenneth, and Lentrell (part 1): Cradle to jail [Video file]. (2009). Retrieved December 1, 2018, from https://digital-films-com.portal.lib.fit.edu/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=102189&xtid=52343
Pennington, L. (2017). Socializing Distrust of the Justice System through the Family in Juvenile Delinquency Court. Law & Policy , 39 (1), 27–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/lapo.12065
Troutman, B. (2018). A More Just System of Juvenile Justice: Creating a New Standard of Accountability for Juveniles in Illinois. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology , 108 (1), 197–221.
