Juvenile Crime

When will enough be enough? It appears that there is more juveniles committing crimes today than there has ever been. The scarier point is the juveniles are committing crimes at a younger and younger age. In order for society to get a firm understanding of what is happening with today’s youth, a look into juvenile offenders, the statistics of race in regards to crimes committed, and resources available needs to be examined to find a solution.

Juvenile Offenders

There may be underlying issues why juveniles are committing more crimes and at a younger age than before. Between the years of 1985 and 2004 the juvenile courts have reported an increase of 44% in cases (Ruiz, 2009). That is an extreme jump in crime for juveniles. Substance abuse has been on the rise which may be an indicator as why the juvenile crime rate is going up as well. Another explanation for why juvenile crimes are spiking could be due to the juveniles being exposed to it through family members, friends, and idols. The juvenile(s) may see that there are other people who are doing the same substance and see how he or she is living so it may seem acceptable to do the same.

In the state of California in 2008 there were 229,104 juveniles arrested. Out of those 229, 104 juveniles 180,160 were sentenced to probation. 45,925 juveniles were counseled and then released from incarceration and 3,019 juvenile cases were turned over. Males made up 169,270 of the total which leaves 59,834 were females arrested (Slowikowski, 2009). Breaking down the crimes committed can give an understanding of what areas have the most participation among juveniles. A felony may include violent offenses (rape, murder), property offenses, and drug offenses. A misdemeanor includes assault and battery, theft, drug and alcohol abuse, and malicious mischief. Status offenses include truancy, runaways, and curfew violations.

Race and Ethnicity

The same information for the total juvenile arrests shows that out of the 229,104 arrests 28.4 % were for felonies, 56.8% were for misdemeanors, and 14.8% were for status offenders. The broad topic of felonies, misdemeanors, and status offenses can be further broken down by the percentage of different races that committed the crime. Under felonies Caucasians made up 24.2%, Hispanics made up 27.0%, African Americans made up 38.5%, and other made up the remaining 28.7%. Under the category of misdemeanors Caucasians made up 62.9%, Hispanics made up 55.6%, African Americans made up 51.1%, and other made up 58.9% of the original percentage. The last category is status offenses and Caucasians made up 12.9%, Hispanics made up 17.4%, African Americans made up 10.4%, and other made up 12.5% (Slowikowski, 2009). Knowing all of the percentages the next step is to evaluate current resources in action and see if other options are available.

Resources

Resources are an important aspect of juveniles committing themselves to following down a path of crime. Family, friends, and the community all play a part in helping juveniles have an outlet so that he or she doesn’t commit a crime. Family and friends provide a support system which will allow for the juvenile to communicate. Family and friends need to be available for communicating. The community can be involved with a juvenile by offering programs for them to be involved in. The programs could be provided through the school district. There are several athletic avenues that one could go through and if this does not interest the juvenile than there should be several options available. The options should include academics, music, and art. These programs will give the juveniles something to look forward to and something that he or she can be a part of that does not involve criminal behavior.

A study was conducted in the state of Arizona. The study was to see how well juveniles did throughout a program dedicated to helping them recover. There are four initial phases that a juvenile will go through in the program. The first phase will last six weeks. This time allows for family members to examine the issues that may be related to substance abuse. There is therapy for both the family and the individual. A ropes course will be initiated to help build trust. The second phase is also six weeks long. These six weeks works on the cognitive behavior. Family and individual therapy will continue and communication among family will begin. Phase three will be six weeks long, will focus on all skills learned, develop a relapse prevention plan, and therapy will continue for all. Phase four will last eight weeks. During these eight weeks recovery support and case management will be very important for juveniles to not follow a previous path of crime (Ruiz, 2009).

Conclusion

A look into juvenile offenders, the statistics of race in regards to crimes committed, and resources available needs to be examined to find a solution are possible information points in understanding ways to curb juvenile crime. A support system is vital for juvenile offenders to stay out of the criminal justice system as a delinquent.

Reference

Ruiz, B. S., Stevens, S. J., Fuhriman, J., Bogart, J. G., & Korchmaros, J. D. (2009). A Juvenile Drug Court Model in Southern Arizona: Substance Abuse, Delinquency, and Sexual Risk Outcomes by Gender and Race/Ethnicity. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 48(5), 416-438. doi:10.1080/10509670902979637

Slowikowski, J. (2009). Juvenile arrests 2008. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/ pdffiles1/ojjdp/228479.pdf


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