There are many studies conducted by psychologists and other interested professions related to the human behavior and society at large with the objectives of determining the scientific aspects that shape events in the society. Such studies have produced findings and recommendations that many organizations responsible for a particular case can take to address the concerns objectively. The information found from such research processes, thus, have helped both government agencies and the private sectors at large to institute measures regarding policies and interventions that different societal concerns are addressed. The application of such recommendations has proved vital and objective as most have helped address the societal concerns objectively. Such findings have also proved to be vital in the justice system and have helped make decisions that address the concerns of the judicial processes objectively and, thus, help the society as a whole address the concerns that it faces. However, this paper presents an analysis of the impact that the environment has on juvenile delinquency.
Minors or children between the ages of ten years and 18 years that commits acts that violate the law are referred to as juvenile delinquents. Many studies primarily relating to behavior that has tried to establish the impact that the environments has to behaviors have indicated results that show there is an excellent correlation between the two aspects. Minors or children between the ages of 10 and 18 according to Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory experience a lot of challenges as they develop and grow (Cassidy, 2013). It is the stages that see them embrace and practice deductive logic analysis that enables them reason from the generalization to the specific issues in life. The stage, therefore, notes that the children explore and discover the world issues besides experiencing both physical and mental developments at a rapid pace. Many describe it as adolescent’s stage in life. It is the reason many have described this stage of life as the most challenging to minors, parents and guardians as the children become more vulnerable to many issues in life that can lead them to trouble such as crime and drug abuse among others if not well addressed objectively. At the stage, as much as the children might look somehow mature and able to make rational decisions and distinguish between abstract and facts in a rational manner, the inner mental drive that develops at the time enables the minors experiment and reason from the generalizations to the specific issues in life and their surrounding at large. They, therefore, learn much from their environment and see what people in the social, economic and political aspects do and copy or interrogate such actions (Meldrum, Connolly, Flexon & Guerette, 2016).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Studies have indicated that if the stage is not well managed, it can lead more to behavioral challenges that can lead to juvenile delinquency. The environment can impact, therefore, the behaviors of minors either positively or negatively as far as behaviors and in particular that violates the law leading to juvenile delinquency. The environment can be described from two perspectives that include the internal environment as well as the external environment that minors encounter daily. The internal environment in most of the cases applies or is limited to family context (Liebgold, 2014). Children learn much from their parents and siblings regarding behavior as they spend most of the time together. It is, thus, imperative for parents and guardians to show the best character before their children as far as behavior and respect to the law are concerned. Older siblings also have a role to play in minors and mentor them positively as far as behaviors are concerned. However, when the internal environment or surrounding has challenges related to behaviors, such as parents who abuse drugs and conflict frequently in the domestic violence incidents, it creates a great possibility and likelihood that the children in such environment can replicate what they learn from their parents (Vries et al., 2015). And, thus, have the same character and behaviors that in many instances can lead them to trouble as far as the law is concerned resulting to juvenile delinquency. It is because the children view their acts as a norm because their parents or guardians or even older siblings do what they try to do. It is because, at the stage, they explore and learn many issues deductively reasoning from the general to the specific. There are many incidences that children have cited their parents or adults within their internal environment that have taught them to do some things in life that lead them to trouble such as introduction to or use of drugs and related crimes. Some of the minor see their acts that they do as a norm and, hence, they get amazed when they are taken before the judicial system in juvenile delinquency cases (Veltri et al., 2014). It is when they get in trouble that the reality hits them that they have been breaking the law all the times that they have been doing such acts that get them in trouble. It indicates that the internal environment impacts greatly to the behavior and character of minors that can either keep them away from the courts and judicial system or bring them the close to the system in juvenile delinquency incidences. Parents and adults in the immediate internal environment that children in adolescents exist, thus, have a great responsibility to shape the character and behaviors of the minors by showing them the correct example that can keep them away from incidences that result to the breaking of the law resulting to juvenile delinquency.
The external environment also contributes to the issue relating to behavior and character of the minors. As the adolescent stage is exploratory, many of the minors learn beyond the immediate internal environment. The minors learn from the entire community and try to embrace what they see happenings in the community whether good or bad (Altman & Christensen, 2010). They see issues happenings such as the formation of gangs and related groups that engage in activities that break the law as a norm. They, thus, try to replicate that and they have role models in the society that can either have a good character or a bad reputation that they can learn. For example, at the stage, they envy most celebrities in different things and field depending on their particular individual interest. They can, thus, try to replicate what they see in such personalities that they envy and seek to copy and live their lifestyles. For example, if the person that they envy or their model engages in activities that contravene the law, there is a high possibility that such minors might replicate that. It is at this stage that most of the minors get recruited in gangs or groups that whose activities breaks the law increasing the chances of such minors to find themselves having the juvenile delinquency-related cases (Peterson, Lee, Henninger & Cubellis, 2016 ). The external environment, hence, provides pressure to the minor that require them to either conform to the expectations, for example of such groups. They also try to outdo each other and show their progress regarding discoveries and exploration of the world issues at the stage of development as indicated by Piaget in his theory of cognitive development; they compete in such discoveries. The external environment, thus, can create pressure on the one hand and at the same time provide a surrounding that leads to misguidance such as noted in celebrity role models of the minors who engage in activities that they breach the law.
The judicial system has recognized the challenges that such minors go through and it is for this reason that they separate their cases from those involving adults who are over 18 years old. The judicial system understands that the minors are vulnerable to many incidences and temptations as they are not mature enough and well developed to distinguish at times what is good and bad. It is also for that reason that the judicial system tries as much as possible to understanding the background of minors involved in juvenile delinquency cases so that they can help address the challenge objectively. They, therefore, have to find facts relating to the environment that such minors have that help them make a just decision (Meldrum et al., 2016). The system has created the division of juvenile justice in the department of corrections and rehabilitations. If the judicial justice system recognizes that the child’s challenge results from the internal environment, the minor might be put on probation that means that the child might go and live in a foster home, with a relative or an institution depending on the facts of the case. The environment, therefore, plays a critical role as far as the juvenile delinquency cases are concerned (Bennett & Chorley, 2008).
In conclusion, the environment has proved to influence behaviors greatly especially in minors. The stage that children with juvenile delinquency case are at contributes greatly to their vulnerability as far as issues of the law and behavior are concerned. The justice system, therefore, should go beyond addressing the issues of minors at the courts level and start programs that empower the people about the impact that the environment has and show how it relates to the juvenile delinquency incidences. It will work as a preventive measure that they have relating to minors. Such programs should be done alongside other social organizations interested in children affairs as well as the education system.
References
Altman, I., & Christensen, K. (2010). Environment and Behavior Studies: Emergence of Intellectual Traditions. Boston, MA: Springer US.
Bennett, R. J., & Chorley, R. J. (2008). Environmental Systems: Philosophy, Analysis, And Control. Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press.
Cassidy, T. (2013). Environmental Psychology: Behaviour and Experience In Context . Psychology Press
Liebgold, E. B. (2014). The Influence of Social Environment: Behavior of Unrelated Adults Affects Future Juvenile Behaviors. Ethology , 120(4): 388-399.
Meldrum, R. C., Connolly, G. M., Flexon, J., & Guerette, R. T. (2016). Parental Low Self-Control, Family Environments, and Juvenile Delinquency. International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology , 60(14), 1623-1644.
Peterson, B. E., Lee, D., Henninger, A. M., & Cubellis, M. A. (2016). Social Bonds, Juvenile Delinquency, and Korean Adolescents. Crime & Delinquency , 62(10), 1337-1363
Veltri, C. C., Sellbom, M., Graham, J. R., Ben-Porath, Y. S., Forbey, J. D., & White, R. S. (2014). Distinguishing Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY–5) Characteristics Associated With Violent and Nonviolent Juvenile Delinquency. Journal of Personality Assessment , 96(2), 158-165.
Vries, S. A., Hoeve, M., Assink, M., Stams, G. M., & Asscher, J. J. (2015). Practitioner Review: Effective ingredients of prevention programs for youth at risk of persistent juvenile delinquency - recommendations for clinical practice. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry , 56(2), 108-121.
