From the definition point of view, juvenile delinquency is unlawful acts or behaviors by minors that are against statuary laws ( Curcio, Mak & George, 2017 ). Also known as juvenile offending, this is an act where children who are below the statuary age engage in unlawful behaviors, and such cases are treated as civil rather than criminal before courts of law. The behaviors or acts are punishable by courts or juvenile detention centers, depending on the severity of the offense committed. There is a concern about a high number of cases involving juvenile delinquency with increased incidents recorded across nations. Previously, juvenile delinquency was termed as a code of conduct where children engaging in such acts or behaviors would be assigned specific duties as a form of punishment. However, the rate and nature of such societal behaviors have changed the narrative and how such acts are perceived and, therefore, punishable before a court of law or under juvenile detention centers ( Okorodudu, 2010 ). According to Rhoades, Leve, Eddy, and Chamberlain (2016) , approximately 80% of youth as early as the 20s in the United States have experienced arrests with a reflection on zero-tolerance policies as well as aggressive criminal justice rather than a change in youth behaviors. Some of the activities involved in juvenile crimes range between violent crimes, status offenses, and property crimes. The 2013 official US government statistics indicate that most offense done by juveniles has dropped to approximately 12% with non-violent status ( Curcio, Mak & George, 2017 ). However, juvenile delinquency is termed as normative adolescent behavior where most crimes committed by teens are non-violent and usually happen once or a few times during adolescence. When the behaviors or acts are repeated occasionally coupled with violent offenses, the offender creates antisocial behaviors even before the adolescent period. Family lifestyle is one of the juvenile delinquency determinants, where the reactions or act of doing an offense is influenced by the level of the care from the family. As per Okorodudu (2010) , family lifestyle is influenced by various variables such as parental divorce where a child is raised by a single parent, as well as family functioning or disruption. The two variables concerning family structure are critical in the upbringing of the child and ultimately define the delinquent behaviors of a child. Youth who are free of violence, have both parents, and subjected to good upbringing are not vulnerable to juvenile delinquency as compared to those with inadequate supervision and perceived parental rejection. However, Curcio, Mak, and George (2017) indicate that the poverty index is subject to juvenile delinquency, where youth from marginalized lifestyle status are subjected to unethical behaviors to survive. Individual risk factors and gender are two aspects that define delinquency prevalence among adolescents. Okorodudu (2010) suggests that a low level of impulsiveness and intelligence, lack of restless and empathy as well as delay inability to aggression and gratification predetermine the nature of individual psychological or behavioral risk factors. Poor school performance is related to children with low intelligence level, and therefore, such children are vulnerable to delinquency due to low school, educational, and aspirations attainment. Additionally, poor school performance makes a child truant with a poor personality level that predicts delinquency. However, gender also plays a role in terms of delinquent behavior influence. Despite variation in males and females, socialization is a gender risk factor predetermining with more crimes committed by males than females. In the US, cases of juvenile delinquency and rate among adolescents are high in males as compared to females. For instance, 80% of male adolescents are vulnerable to more offenses and serious offenses as compared to their counterparts; thus, in the United States, out of 100, 80% of juvenile delinquency are male adolescents ( Rhoades, Leve, Eddy & Chamberlain, 2016 ). Socialization is a key aspect of delinquency prevalence among adolescents. There exists a big difference in male and female juveniles due to socialization disparity in society. Different paths of delinquency for male and female adolescents, therefore, differ due to different control and bond that the society upholds in terms of social interactions ( Sanchagrin, Heimer & Paik, 2017 ). The society expects the immediate family to teach their children morals and ethical code and therefore becoming an important socialization force in the life of the young ones. Despite the social expectations of the family to be responsible for the behaviors and actions of their children, adolescence period changes the whole narrative, especially when youth starts embracing and doing things through their own decision. Varied social exposure beyond family ties with vulnerabilities and opportunities expansions is what youth exhibit during the adolescence period. The adolescence period may expose the child to violent society through social interaction; hence the level of engaging in delinquency rises. Thus, how youth at adolescent period react to social prevalence in the absence of his or her family ties depends on the gender or individual risks factors that uphold his or her level of impulsiveness and intelligence, restless and empathy as well as the ability to aggression and gratification in terms of the decision-making process ( Okorodudu, 2010 ). Established by Robert Merton, strain theory is the best theory that explains juvenile delinquency as far as institutionalized paths that bring about success in society is concerned. The strain theory perceives that an act of crime is associated with the poverty level where individuals, despite gender or age, use illegitimate means to achieve their valued social goals ( Shoemaker, 2018 ). The theory reflects on the effects of poor educational attainment resulting from poverty where families are unable to meet basic needs and secure well-paid employment and therefore have difficulty in achieving wealth status. The only way to survive is by engaging in criminal activities at a tender age. The prevalent delinquency among adolescents is therefore high as youth are unable to use innovation, retreatism, ritualism, rebellion, and social adaptations to disassociate with criminal dilemmas.
References
Curcio, A. L., Mak, A. S., & George, A. M. (2017). Predictors of delinquency among adolescents and young adults: A new psychosocial control perspective. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology , 50 (2), 155-175.
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Okorodudu, G. N. (2010). Influence of parenting styles on adolescent delinquency in delta central senatorial district. Edo Journal of Counselling , 3 (1), 58-86.
Rhoades, K. A., Leve, L. D., Eddy, J. M., & Chamberlain, P. (2016). Predicting the transition from juvenile delinquency to adult criminality: Gender ‐ specific influences in two high ‐ risk samples. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health , 26 (5), 336-351.
Shoemaker, D. J. (2018). Theories of delinquency: An examination of explanations of delinquent behavior . Oxford University Press.
Sanchagrin, K., Heimer, K., & Paik, A. (2017). Adolescent delinquency, drinking, and smoking: Does the gender of friends matter?. Youth & Society , 49 (6), 805-826.
