Juvenile Crime Causation Factors.
Criminologists have always devised studies and advanced theories to explain why some children engage in criminal activity while others do not. A large amount of data related to juvenile delinquency has been collected through collaborative efforts with officers from juvenile courts, various educational bodies, child welfare associations, and other relevant stakeholders, allowing for the development of various conclusions about the likely causes of childhood delinquency (Hoffmann, 165). Understanding the factors that contribute to juvenile crime is critical because it aids in the prevention of future crimes. Furthermore, by understanding the key factors that lead to juveniles engaging in crime, appropriate actions can be taken at an early age to rehabilitate juvenile criminals so that they do not engage in crime in their adult lives. This discussion will look into the factors that contribute to juvenile crime.
Poor education standards have long been regarded as a major contributor to juvenile delinquency. According to research, the type of school a child attends has a direct impact on their overall behavior (Lane, 4). Lane, for example, claims that underfunded and overcrowded schools are more likely to have a high level of disorder because there aren’t enough teachers to monitor the large student population, which encourages indiscipline in such a setting. As a result, children who attend such schools have poor discipline, which contributes significantly to their involvement in crime.
Unstable families and domestic violence are also contributing factors to juvenile delinquency. Various psychological studies show that when a child is exposed to violence at a young age, especially when it comes from people they trust, such children are more likely to become violent adults later in life (Lane, 7). As a result, children who are exposed to violence at a young age are more likely to use violence to express their frustrations, which may lead to them engaging in criminal activities in their adolescence. Furthermore, when such teenagers are exposed to violence in their social circles, their likelihood of engaging in criminal activity increases.
Peer pressure among teenagers is also viewed as a major contributor to juvenile crime. Children who have delinquent friends feel pressured to adopt the same behavior in order to fit into their friends’ social circles. Peer pressure and crime are closely linked to drug abuse, with studies indicating that children who abuse drugs are more likely to be violent as a result of the false illusion created by these drugs (Warr, 14). Furthermore, Warr observes that children who abuse drugs are more likely to engage in criminal activity in order to obtain resources to sustain their drug use. As a result, peer pressure and drug abuse are among the leading causes of juvenile crime.
Socioeconomic factors have also been linked to juvenile delinquency, with children in poor neighborhoods being more likely to engage in crime than those in wealthy neighborhoods. According to studies, children in low-income neighborhoods are more likely to engage in criminal activity in order to fulfill their desire to prosper (Smith, 5). This explains why juveniles in poor neighborhoods are more likely to commit petty crimes than their counterparts in wealthy neighborhoods.
In conclusion, one of the most important factors in the effort to deter crime among delinquents is adult influence or parental guidance. When adults interact with children to model acceptable behavior, children are more likely to comply and avoid crime (Hoffmann, 176). As a result, understanding the leading juvenile crime causation factors is critical because it informs parents and other relevant stakeholders about the areas to focus on in order to combat juvenile delinquency.
References
Hoffmann, John P. “Parenting and Delinquency.” The Handbook of Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice, Jan. 2015, pp. 161–180., doi:10.1002/9781118513217.ch12.
Lane, Jodi. “Juvenile Delinquency and Justice Trends in the United States.” The Handbook of Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice, Jan. 2015, pp. 1–14., doi:10.1002/9781118513217.ch1.
Smith, Carolyn. “Juvenile Delinquency.” Encyclopedia of Social Work, Nov. 2013, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.214.
Warr, Jason. “Humean Causation and Crime Theory.” An Introduction to Criminological Theory and the Problem of Causation, 2016, pp. 13–19., doi:10.1007/978-3-319-47446-5_3.

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