Juvenile Crime 2 Essay Research Paper Juvenile

Juvenile Crime 2 Essay, Research Paper

Juvenile Crime

Every night when the news comes on, Americans are constantly reminded of the rise in overall crime occurring in our country. The most astounding fact is that most of these crimes being committed are by mere children. They are kids under the age of eighteen whom, for some reason get a rush out of stealing, beating, and even killing other people in their communities. Juvenile crime is one of the most important problems in the United States today.

The facts are out there and they are not good at all. Just knowing the facts is not enough, though. To be able to do something about juvenile crime it is important to know when, why and how the youths started committing crimes. From this, the judiciary system needs to figure what can be done with the juvenile offenders and how much it will cost to do so. If these nearly impossible steps can be taken on, the United States will be able to bring back its most important resource for the future, its youth.

No one will ever be able to tell an exact date of when juvenile crime started because, since the beginning of man, there has always been someone out there to break the rules. Who says there could not have been children doing the same. Throughout all of ancient civilizations and medieval times there have been some kind of rules in place to keep the criminals off of the streets. They were for anyone, including youths, who were caught doing something that was considered against the law. This proves that juvenile crime has been in existence for as long as rules have been made. Yet, juvenile crime has not come to the attention of most people as a major problem since the last thirty years.

It has been during our current thirty year crime wave that we have seen the number of juveniles incarcerated, on probation or parole or in alternative programs like wilderness and boot camps, community based school or work release programs increase to nearly one million under supervision (Abruzzese 1). The most recent statistics for juvenile crime are always two years out of date, which makes it tough to see the results of short-term changes in the system. In a report made last year, the FBI stated between 1965 and 1992 law enforcement agencies reported a 423 percent increase in the number of assaults, robberies, rapes, and homicides by juveniles. It is important to note that the majority of juveniles arrested in America are arrested for property crimes and other less serious offenses-not crimes of violence (Sadler 26). This same report attempts to soften the blow by including that from 1983 to 1992 it only increased by 54 percent. On the surface this seems to indicate an improvement, but in fact the numbers add up to the 150,000 juveniles in public and private facilities and the other 800,000 under some kind of non-incarceration supervision (Abruzzese 2).

Before we get into the deeper problems of juvenile crime, a more precise definition of what exactly juvenile crime is needs to be made. A crime, in its simplest definition, is any specific act prohibited by law for which society has provided a formally sanctioned punishment. This can also include the failure of a person to perform an act specifically required by law. Crimes, whether committed by adults or juveniles, are classified by the seriousness of the offense (Outlook Part I, 2). A felony is the most serious offense, punishable by a sentence to a state institution. Felonies usually include violent crimes, sex offenses, and many types of drug and property violations. A misdemeanor is a less serious offense for which the offender may be sentenced to probation, county detention, a fine, or some combination of the three. Misdemeanors generally include crimes such as assault and battery, petty theft, and public drunkenness. An infraction is the least serious offense and generally is punishable by a fine. Many motor vehicle violations are considered infractions (Outlook Part I, 2).

When it all comes down to it, the one question that needs to be asked is, Why are juveniles committing these crimes. There are many different ways this question can be answered and most of the time it is a combination of several different factors in the youth s life. The path of juvenile crime usually begins with problems within the family. Reports show that most juvenile offenders come from single parent homes with low-income levels. These are both common characteristics of the black community, which explains why African Americans were most disproportionately involved in arrests for violent crimes such as murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault (Sickmund 17). Whites made up of about sixty nine percent of the total arrests in 1995, followed by blacks with twenty eight percent, Asians with two percent and Native Americans with one percent. Facts such as these show us why the presence of a good family structure is so important in the lives of children. Without good parenting in a child s life, he or she has a much higher chance to become one of the previously mentioned statistics.

One of the other key reasons why children may turn to a life of crime is merely the people they hang around with. Crime can start at a very young age, as young as third grade, when kids feel the need for attention. Something as simple as stealing a candy bar

from the store can eventually lead a child to possibly steali