Introduction
Juvenile delinquency is one of the major concerns of contemporary society. A significant number of young people involved in crime signalizes the need for action and measures to improve the situation. The scope of the question is substantial, and multiple relevant topics can be discussed; however, the major purpose of the given paper is to investigate the role of the family in the sphere of juvenile delinquency and its impact on young people’s behaviors that might precondition increased crime rates. The question can be analyzed by evaluating the major social concerns associated with the topic and factors preconditioning the deterioration of the situation. Moreover, the possibility of reforming the work with problematic families to attain better outcomes can be discussed.
Background
In a family, parents play a critical role in the growth and development of the child. The lack of proper ways of resolving family affairs can result in the emergence of serious problems for a child or adolescent. Family affairs vary and might include devoting little time to other members, poor economic state, and violent or aggressive behaviors (Jacobsen & Zaatut, 2020). Parents can be limited in time to watch over and supervise their kids. In a cruel or unfavorable environment, children might acquire undesired ideas or thoughts promoting violence. For this reason, problematic family life can be associated with the rise of crime among the youth.
Possible Causes and Social Concerns
Discussing the family’s role regarding juvenile delinquency, it is vital to outline possible causes and social concerns associated with this sphere. The family has always been viewed as the central institution responsible for growing children and guaranteeing their ability to live in a particular community and succeed (van der Put et al., 2021). For this reason, the existing social expectations demand parents to raise their children appropriately and provide them with things necessary for their evolution. However, discussing the outlined problem, it is possible to state that today many parents fail to perform their traditional roles and follow existing models.
Financial Pressure and Families
The financial concerns should be discussed as the most important ones. The relevant research outlines the correlation between income level peculiar to a household and crime incidence rates among children (Lee et al., 2020). In other words, families experiencing a lack of money devote low attention to young people. Moreover, they face higher risks of being involved in crime to earn money (Lee et al., 2020). The feeling of being inferior to their peers and poor socioeconomic status leads to depression, complexness, fears, and aggressiveness which trigger peers to commit crimes (Jacobsen & Zaatut, 2020). Under these conditions, the role of the family in the growth of crime rates among adolescents is linked to the financial pressure parents experience and their ability to earn money needed to support their children and protect them from crime.
Streets’ Influence and Families
Another social factor is the influence of streets or external influences. Parents have always been viewed as people protecting a child from the negative impact of other factors and creating a favorable environment. However, children who spend most of their time in the streets due to economic and social factors belong to the risk group (Jacobsen & Zaatut, 2020). Because of the aggressive and cruel environment, violence is seen as the only way to survive, which creates the basis for the emergence of new problems (Jacobsen & Zaatut, 2020). For this reason, the role of the family can be decreased because of strong social factors.
Drugs and Families
Drugs are another factor affecting the sphere of juvenile delinquency. At the same time, it should be discussed from the perspective of a family as substance abuse might also impact the functioning of this institution. The existence of at least one addicted parent significantly increases the risk of becoming a criminal for a child (Gearhart & Tucker, 2020). Most adolescents who experience inappropriate behaviors have a high risk of being aggressive or becoming abusers (Jacobsen & Zaatut, 2020). They become offenders and even make their lifestyle more criminal-oriented, while the drug-addicted parents have no time and resources to work with their children.
Crime and Families
Analyzing the problem of juvenile delinquency from the family perspective, there is a necessity to delve into current trends. Jacobsen and Zaatut (2020) outline the correlation between the existence of family members with criminal records and the frequency of crime commitment among children. In some instances, the authority of a parent might expose children to more crimes and create norms of taking high-risk crimes that might lead to their death or being injured (Jacobsen & Zaatut, 2020). It becomes a nagging problem for the given sphere. It also means that specialists need to address this problem, trying to find a solution to the issue.
Social Structure and Processes
The existence of factors mentioned above demonstrates some problematic issues in the current social structure and processes. Family as the central institution responsible for preparing a new generation fails to perform its leading function because of multiple reasons. These also include diverse social processes, such as the rise of violence, crime, drug addiction, and poor life quality (Liu & Miller, 2020). It means that the reconsideration of the approach to the problem demands structural social change affecting various institutions and promoting the stronger families’ impact on the sphere of juvenile delinquency.
Prevention Programs
Crime prevention incentives play a fundamental role in the development and management of juvenile delinquency programs as they help to mitigate the negative influence of a family and reduce the risk of becoming an offender. Today, adolescents under 20 can commit serious crimes and become punished; however, such campaigns supported by information about current family affairs can give young people a chance (Liu & Miller, 2020). However, it is vital to consider the fact that families should be taken as one of the major factors that should be analyzed to find a practical solution to the problem.
Conclusion
Altogether, it is vital to delve into the role families play in the juvenile delinquency sphere. This social institution has a strong effect on children and might promote either positive or adverse influences. For this reason, it is vital to address the issues affecting households to improve their functioning and guarantee they can perform the central function of preparing the next generation that can succeed in communities and contribute to their evolution.
Annotated Bibliography
The family might have a negative impact on young people’s behaviors and promote increased crime rates, that is why its role in the juvenile delinquency sphere should be investigated.
Gearhart, M. C., & Tucker, R. (2020). Criminogenic risk, criminogenic need, collective efficacy, and juvenile delinquency. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 47(9), 1116-1135.
The article focuses on factors influencing juvenile delinquency and ways to struggle with it. This study establishes an efficiency theory for predictors of self-made juvenile delinquency from insecure families. The link between juvenile delinquency and collective efficiency is limited. There is a need to address personal needs when implementing community intervention policies preventing delinquency. Otherwise, it is possible to observe the defacement of juvenile delinquency instead of giving youths support to seize from delinquent behavior. The article states that criminal justice and behavior should be moderated through the establishment of criminogenic risks and collective efficacy to reduce instances of juvenile delinquency. Children should be guided on how to grow up being responsible. There is a need to put emphasis on the importance of contributing positively to society, participating in events that promote cohesion and unity among the society members, such as helping the elderly, promoting cultural awareness, and other meaningful activities.
Jacobsen, S. K., & Zaatut, A. (2020). Quantity or quality: Assessing the role of household structure and parent-child relationship in juvenile delinquency. Deviant Behavior, 42(4), 1-14.
Contrary to prior versions, it is not likely to find that juveniles who have single parental experience have greatly affected by delinquent as compared to those from step parental family setups. A significant number of parents do not support engagement with delinquency resulting in poor quality parental relationships. The parent-child relationship is a very important bond; it plays a vital role in behavior growth among kids lowering delinquent behaviors among minors. In the study, the significance of recognizing various kinds of misconduct and family structures was investigated. The rate of crimes committed by young people has significantly increased in recent years. This factor has led to a serious decrease in the speed of society’s evolution. These factors have resulted in the development of juvenile delinquency which plays a great role in observing peer behavior. Facilities such as rehabilitation centers have been developed to reduce or manage factors resulting in crime development. These factors could result from the social and psychological events that minors encounter in their early life stages.
Liu, L., & Miller, S. L. (2020). Protective factors against juvenile delinquency: Exploring gender with a nationally representative sample of youth. Social Science Research, 86(5), 102376.
Minor’s relationship with a conventional institution such as family and the compatibility with the parental management policies represent a vital demission that works in the long run fighting against improper juvenile delinquency. This paper establishes the relationship between non-aggressive and aggressive forms that affect the issue on minor gender matters. Society and parents have a responsibility of helping the government in the management of criminal activities among children. Parents are supposed to give a good moral example to their families by providing the best family morals. Society through an institution such as schools and sports facilities should promote activities that set up a good image that can be imitated by youth in their growth which might include being ambitious to be successful. Corrective facilities or juvenile centers might function to observe the major regulations devoted to the problem needed to ensure that all children are protected by laws and their rights are not violated.
van der Put, C. E., Boekhout van Solinge, N. F., Stams, G. J., Hoeve, M., & Assink, M. (2021). Effects of awareness programs on juvenile delinquency: A three-level meta-analysis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 65(1), 68–91.
Programs are set to create awareness among parents, children, and society at large. Help in the prevention of crime engagement among minors has reduced the rate of criminal activities. The objective of these studies is to examine the program components that facilitate or creates efficiency. The establishment of numerous juvenile programs is viewed as a beneficial option needed to attain significant improvement and ensure that the problem is addressed correctly. No critical arbitrator impacts were found for program parts. The mediator examinations uncovered that adolescent mindfulness programs are successful in decreasing solitary perspectives, which has not been meta-scientifically concentrated previously. Moreover, more significant impacts were found as follow-up length expanded. These outcomes show a more nuanced see on the viability of adolescent mindfulness programs is essential. In such a way, the given study promotes a better understanding of how awareness programs might facilitate the improvement of the situation and help to resolve the problem.
References
Gearhart, M. C., & Tucker, R. (2020). Criminogenic risk, criminogenic need, collective efficacy, and juvenile delinquency. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 47(9), 1116-1135.
Jacobsen, S. K., & Zaatut, A. (2020). Quantity or quality: Assessing the role of household structure and parent-child relationship in juvenile delinquency. Deviant Behavior, 1-14.
Lee, L. F., Liu, X., Patacchini, E., & Zenou, Y. (2020). Who is the key player? A network analysis of juvenile delinquency. Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, 1-9.
Liu, L., & Miller, S. L. (2020). Protective factors against juvenile delinquency: Exploring gender with a nationally representative sample of youth. Social Science Research, 86, 102376.
van der Put, C. E., Boekhout van Solinge, N. F., Stams, G. J., Hoeve, M., & Assink, M. (2021). Effects of awareness programs on juvenile delinquency: A three-level meta-analysis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 65(1), 68–91.