Juvenile Delinquency: We Are the Cause, But We Can Also Be the Solution (original) (raw)

Reducing Recidivism In Serious And Violent Youthful Offenders: Fact, Fiction, And A Path Forward

Marquette Law Review, 2020

Since the 1990s, there has been a fear of the serious and violent juvenile offender and the alleged menace they pose to society. In this Article, we begin with some truths about the serious and violent juvenile offender to correct the widespread myths and propaganda that have led to some ill-advised policies. We then define the problem, using research to show how these youth can be identified, even before the onset of their serious offending. We then proceed beyond this fear and offer examples of multiple evidence-based programs that work to guide these youth to regain their future and become productive adults. We do not limit our suggestions to only those youth already engaged in these behaviors but also discuss the importance of early identification of youth on pathways to trouble and thus address prevention as well as rehabilitation. We end with several key messages that we hope will move the field forward as we strive to expand society's protective systems to beneficently include these youth who are also in need of help and protection.

Understanding Juvenile Crime: The Need for a Paradigm Shift

Although it is imperative to understand and control delinquency of all types by all age groups, the focus on juvenile delinquency is more significant because of the likelihood of continuity between juvenile and adult delinquency. Commonly child is distinguished from an adult only on the basis of physical attributes and it usually denotes a miniature human being. In the older days criminal law thus made no distinction between a child and an adult offender.

Runaway Juvenile Crime?: The context of juvenile arrests in America

1998

The Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Act of 1997 (S-10) was to be debated in the Senate in spring 1998. This bill would blur the distinction between juvenile and adult criminal systems, making it easier to imprison children as young as 14. Supporters of S-10 were citing statistics to indicate that juvenile crime was on the rise. In fact, the bill, if passed, would place teens arrested for robbery in the same conditions of confinement as runaways, closer to adult felons in county jails. This report analyzes data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to show that most children being arrested are arrested for petty crimes, and that violent offenses among youth are not increasing. In fact, the Attorney General announced in October 1997 that juvenile crime was on the decline. According to the findings of the report, the approach pending before the Senate is too far removed from the current context of juvenile crime to meet the needs of U.S. children and the wide social need for public safety. (Contains 35 endnotes.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.