By Al Smith, Criminal Justice & Homeland Security Specialist
A literature review shows that there has been an increase in the number of juvenile offenders (Sutton et al., 2021). Nowadays, teenagers are also at the center as adults are in perpetrating crimes. Several studies have confirmed the different types of crimes committed by teenagers, their causes, prevention, and measures. and plans that can be used to restore. Adolescents are the greatest lawbreakers as they act from their feelings, and their brains are still immature.
Causes and Prevention of Juvenile Crimes
Social Learning Theory (SLT) insists that no one is inherently born with criminal behavior and the use of extreme force unless he or she is indoctrinated by their environment. Corresponding to the theory, the extreme use of force among juniors largely results from their instant surroundings. Family matters add to a youth’s lawbreaking because parents have an important task in a kid’s beliefs. If parents are imprisoned for some time, leaving the child in adverse surroundings, the possibility will be that the child will be pushed to commit a crime (Siegel, & Welsh, 2016).
The parents confined in cells can leave the kids as street children indulging in theft. Domestic violence increases enmity among teens as they start being cruel to their peers in school. Uncommon reasons for youth crimes are in the human mind, such as fears and depression that can accelerate a youth to sin. Psychological issues are caused by inadequate concern from parents, changing attitudes from parents, and low socio-economic conditions.
Regardless of the unfriendly surroundings, such as the street experience that makes children sin, it is a purpose for showing them the good path in life. There is a purpose to start by showing the juniors what is right to avoid the increasing crime rates among teens. One of the crucial precautions is education and prevention programs. An example of a program is “Scared straight,” involving often visits to imprisoned junior lawbreakers (Petrosino et al., 2013). The program targets to uncover the lawbreakers to prison life and interlude with adult lawbreakers to avoid the repetition of already punished crimes. The research was done to assess the importance of the program.
The research brought together both primary and secondary origins. Among the primary origins interluded are eight different states in the US, approximately 900 teenagers from various ethnic groups (Petrosino et al. 2013). The final research finding was that some programs are not useful in lowering the youthful repetition of punished crimes. However, the research showed a noticeable fault of interluding more male teenagers than females in the research.
Recreational actions and community involvement in youth activities can help restrain new crimes after being punished for the first one in youthful offenders. After busy school activities, youths/teenagers are usually overpowered by class actions, leading to nervousness or even depression. Therefore, it is desirable to permit them to get involved in recreational activities such as swimming, mountain climbing, sports, music, or dancing. The community should be involved in the recreational activities of the youth.
A study was done based on assertion to examine the success rate of youth after being freed from confinement. The study engaged in interviewing youth while in their recreational activities and found out that the community should work hand in hand with youth justice personnel (Mathur & Clark, 2014). It is hinted that after freeing youthful offenders, it is the role of the community to reshape and regain the morals of the teens.
Leisure can aid healthy mental growth and also avoid dangerous behaviors. From a prevention perspective, leisure can increase dangerous behaviors among young adults (Caldwell, & Faulk, 2013). Therefore, it is the task of the community to teach adolescents methods of having healthy choices in life to increase the advantages of leisure. Education on leisure increases growth and self-consciousness and the willingness to succeed through both formal and informal leisure. Leisure activities also aid young adults to strategize on their time to balance leisure and academics and, in the long run, have no time or mentality to think of doing crimes.
Punishment and Correction Measure
In addition to creating programs targeting the rehabilitation of young criminal offenders, the focus should also be placed on activities that would ensure discipline. The reason for imprisoning young adults is to undergo the unfavorable surroundings in prison and understand their offensive actions. Measures like equipping the youth and society can be of importance in minimizing the crime rate. Criminal activities in society can be remedied through activities that ensure discipline in the youth (Tilley et al., 2017).
However, disciplining is escorted by financial punishment and therefore exposing assign financial costs, which activate the repetition of already punished crimes (Piquero, & Jennings, 2017). Punishing young adults who don’t have a reliable source of income will make them do a crime to balance the incurred cost. In this case, punishment fails to be useful, and thus correction sets in as the only option.
There has been an increased case of youth crimes, and therefore, it is the community’s task to reshape the morals of the youth. The community should work with the justice system to ensure that the youth repossess their morals (Petrosino et al., 2013). The laid down programs should also help minimize the repetition of crimes among the participants, even though other programs encourage the repetition of crimes.
Further studies should be done to assess ways that can be used to ensure that a youth program solely aims at reducing the repetition of crimes. Besides, there should be more research on how punishment and correction measures should be applied without negativity in the long run.
About the Author Al Smith holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Homeland Security from Colorado Technical University, He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Homeland Security Emergency Management Program from Strayer University, and an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from College, with Certificates from the United States Department of Defense including other Agency, He has been deployed twice ( Force Protection ) NATO International Security Mission Security Operations United States Department of Defense.
Thanks so very much to the author for this article. In my opinion, it brings to the conversation not to punish young people who commit crimes in a way for them to do more crimes. I do agree with the idea. I must add that the situation of youth crimes in the USA is different than that in other countries. However, a program to monitor the activities of youth people, good and bad that will hold them accountable from the early age should be considered in the USA. The program should encourage children discipline back in the hands of the parents and police officers need to cooperate with the parents to effectively discipline them children.