Juvenile delinquency is one of the major fields of criminal psychology and is regarded as the participation by minor children who are between the ages of ten and seventeen in illegal activities or behaviors. It also means children who show persistent behaviors of disobedience or mischievousness to the extent that it is considered to be out of parental control which then becomes subject to legal action that is by the court system. There are several theories that apply to juvenile delinquency.
Theories that Apply to Juvenile Delinquency
There are various theories that apply to juvenile delinquency including s ocial disorganization theory , control theory , symbolic interactionist theory , c ultural Deviance theory , strain theory , labeling theory , differential association theory, opportunity theory , and conflict theory. The ones that are mostly applied juvenile delinquency include;
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S ocial Disorganization Theory
The theory indicates a situation where a community decreases the opportunity for children to advance. Examples include high poverty levels and an increased rate of dropout rates. In many cases, people in these areas experience despair and conflicts that result in antisocial behaviors.
C ultural D eviance Theory
The theory explains that because of the draining lifestyle of children who are living in deteriorated neighborhoods, often they turn to delinquent behaviors and social isolation. Culture deviance often results in subcultures such as cults and gangs.
S train Theory
Strain theory indicates that when people have goals and are not able to achieve them in legitimate ways than they often look for alternative ways that would help in achieving them, usually turning into criminal behaviors.
Causes of Juvenile Delinquency
Researchers and philosophers have tried to explain the causes of juvenile delinquency ranging from a straightforward and simple explanation that explains that juveniles often make rational choices to commit illegal acts. Some children are often raised in poor environments that consist of the high level of violence and inadequate parenting which encourages juvenile delinquency. The best policy to solve the issues is improving the environment through policing that will make areas safe and discourage the youth from engaging in criminal activities.
The second cause of increased juvenile delinquency is the influence from the commercialized mass media that is more concerned about profits than their contents. Therefore, many of the contents have negative effects on children as they are exposed to bad ideas and violence that cause lifelong harm ( Lahey, 2003) . Children often get the assumption that violence is the ordinary way of living and thus results in their criminal activities. Policies towards making the media act ethically need to be developed to reduce the effects of media influence. The media needs to be supervised to ensure that they provide good quality that tells the youth on how to distinguish between right and wrong.
Another cause of the problem is the increasing rate of single-parents. These children are often not taken care of as those who are in a traditional family and thus they feel neglected. Often they find it easier to engage in crime to fill the gap. The problem can be solved by encouraging a mutual understanding between children and parents. In addition, parental supervision is vital in making sure that the children do not feel neglected and that they do not opt to engage in crime.
Conclusion
Juvenile delinquency has become one of the biggest issues that affect the society today. It is caused by many factors from the increase in single parents that makes them feel neglected to the negative influence of mass media. Researchers have also tried to study the issues through the various theories that apply to juvenile delinquency including s ocial disorganization theory , control theory , symbolic interactionist theory , c ultural d eviance theory , strain theory , labeling theory , differential association theory, opportunity theory , and conflict theory. From the analysis, it is evident that strategies and policies need to be put in place to solve the issue.
Reference
Lahey, B. B., Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (2003). Causes of conduct disorder and juvenile delinquency . New York: Guilford Press.
