Juvenile Delinquency: A Socio-Economic Evil

The report discusses the major issues faced by the Juvenile Justice System along with the burning social issue of Juvenile Delinquency. The study strives to examine the economic aspect as one of the major influencing agent of delinquent behavior among juveniles along with the ever-present social evils like poverty, illiteracy and broken home.

Running head: JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
Juvenile Delinquency: A Socio-Economic Evil
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
Executive Summary
The report discusses the major issues faced by the Juvenile Justice System along with the
burning social issue of Juvenile Delinquency. The study strives to examine the economic aspect
as one of the major influencing agent of delinquent behavior among juveniles along with the
ever-present social evils like poverty, illiteracy and broken home. Data and statistical evidences
show that socio-economic issues contextualize other relative factors like parental involvement,
sibling rivalry, peer pressure, etcetera for transforming a minor into an offender. The paper
discusses the prevalent researches on this matter and their significance. It tries to find out
whether the issues regarding a faulty judicial system concerning minors are amended or not. The
study concludes along with certain recommendations that would bring some change in the toxic
situation and aid for protection of children who are the future.

2JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................3
Socio-economic factors influencing Juvenile Delinquency........................................................3
Current relevant researches..........................................................................................................5
Issues addressed...........................................................................................................................6
Recommendation.............................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9

3JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
Introduction
Juvenile Delinquency is a social evil that affects the minor and the society. Most of the
times the child is influenced by social issues like poverty, illiteracy and ignorance of parents that
lead him to commit a crime (Nisar et al. (2015). A child or a teenager below the age of eighteen
comes under the purview of Juvenile Justice System (JJS). Most modern countries have a
separate justice system that focuses on juvenile offense, like Juvenile Detention Centers and
Juvenile Courts. Juveniles are kept separate from the adult prisoners; they are made to go
through rehabilitation programs so that they learn the sheer difference between right and wrong,
and can go back to society with a clean mind (Bazemore and Schiff, 2013). However, these
facilities still falter to safeguard minors from committing crimes. There are clear judicial
loopholes in the JJS that swing both ways: delaying justice deserved by an innocent minor or
acquitting a serious minor offender who requires special attention. The paper attempts to discuss
the socio-economic factors affecting minors and influencing them to commit a crime and the
present relevant researches on the matter. This paper would throw light on the doubt whether the
issues of Juvenile Justice System has been addressed. A recommendation would also be added
along with it.
Discussion:
Socio-economic factors influencing Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Delinquency major depends upon the social, economic and cultural condition in
which a minor is brought up. Majorly, decline in economic condition, especially in developing
countries, is a factor influencing minors to commit crimes whose consequences are unknown to

4JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
them. Whereas, in developed countries, issues like ignorant parents and broken home problems
appear as a stimulant to juvenile delinquency. To understand the socio-economic factor, it needs
to be categorized into high socio-economic status and low socio-economic status. In high
economic-status signifies the prevalence of wealth and education in a family while low-
economic status speaks of poverty and un-education in the family. Both high and low socio-
economic groups of families produce minor offenders, the former facilitates its children with
excess freedom and money to spend which results in negligent and rowdy behavior while the
latter fails to provide its children with basic amenities, which compels them to steal or rob. The
components controlling socio-economic conditions of a family or a group include education,
earnings of a family and parental involvement with their children which are discussed below.
Education:
Illiteracy and lack of proper education is one of major causes affecting children coming
from low socio-economic strata. Illiterate or uneducated parents are mostly unaware of the
various social dangers and hence unintentionally make their children exposed to such dangers. A
little speck of education leads to a safe and secured life style. Proper education or any particular
job skill helps in earning a regular livelihood which acts as a secured monetary stability that
facilitates parents to raise their children in a better environment.
Family income:
Poverty is another substantial reason that influences juveniles to indulge into committing
crimes. Most of the times, children from poor background suffer from extreme inferiority
complex seeing the opulent lifestyle of rich kids along with the need of basic living

5JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
requirements, namely food, shelter, and clothing. Such adverse life situations compel these poor
children to commit crime in order to earn money and sometimes respect. In other hand, a child
belonging to wealthy family loses moral ground being dazzled by the glamour and comfort of
money and influential supports; indulges into unscrupulous activities.
Parenting:
Parental involvement and strict guidance is a strong factor that has the ability to keep
children away from committing wrongs whose outcome they do not know. In scenarios where a
child is subject to facing the hardship of a broken home or substance addict parents, it is evident
that the child is prone to get carried away to the path of darkness and wrong-doings. In low
socio-economic status, parents fail to provide their children with basic human amenities like
food, clothing and shelter that induce wrong judgment in those children’s mind such as theft or
burglary or even murder. Whereas, high socio-economic homes, rich parents spoil their children
with exorbitant independence and monetary freedom that blinds their ethical values and involve
them into immoral activities like drug addiction, and drinking and driving among the lot.
Current relevant researches
There are quite a few researches on juvenile delinquency available over a period of time.
Some discusses about the social factors while some reflects light on economic issues. While few
researches are available that elaborates on the outdated and ambiguous Juvenile Judicial System
that is incapable of awarding justice to the much-deserved juveniles (Miller, 2014). Stokes et al.,
(2015) discussed about the social and cultural values of children under different societal and
regional setup. There are few studies that support their argument with sufficient data that says

6JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
minor girl face different challenges and issues that of minor boys and hence they require gender-
specific intervention, which would yield better reformative results than the conventional ones
(Leve, Chamberlain and Kim, 2015). Research have found out that juvenile detention have
worsen the behavioral problem of teenagers. In comparison to other kids with delinquency
history, those who went through JJS were more prone to be arrested again for crimes as an adult
(Ezell et al., 2018)
Issues addressed
It is often discussed that the statistical record showing poor children becoming delinquent
more often than rich kids is extremely misleading as favoritism and preferential treatment
enables the privileged class to escape the hand of fair justice. Justice system has deep-rooted
vices alike any other authority. Moreover, the Juvenile Justice System (JJS) is old and
outdated in most modern country where laws have been framed long time ago. Those
enactments needs immediate amendment, like the USA struck down death sentence for juveniles
and removed life imprisonment sentences for offences below first-degree murder (Ogletree,
(2015). The courts says that minors are still immature and naïve and are hence they require
rehabilitation and reformation instead of imprisonment and sentencing. Therefore, the lower
courts are directed to settle down these matters by mitigation and alternative resolutions when
sentencing minor offenders regarding both non-homicidal and homicidal offences. It is advised
to decide on a case-by-case basis and not wholly as every child is unique and special. To address
an outdated JJS, the corporal punishment has been banned in school even though resistance
has been shown against it. It has been argued that removal of corporal punishment would
increase incidences of student aggression and offensive activities among the teenagers (Gershoff,

7JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
Purtell and Holas, 2015). Stokes et al., (2015) point out that minors are more prone to self-harm
and attempting suicides in the JJS due to the cruel and grueling treatments in the system.
Nothing has been addressed or suitable solutions has not been provided for such matters. Mental
health issues, as trauma, mental and sexual abuses, depression in juvenile detention is still an
unaddressed area.
Recommendation
From the above thorough study, certain recommendations can be prescribed which are as
follows:
 Minors require treatment and not imprisonment as most of the time they commit crimes
about which they do not have knowledge. They generally do not have the idea about the
consequences of the wrongful act they commit. They are only a victim of the degrading
socio-economic backdrop for which they are not responsible. Therefore, they should be
treated as seasoned criminals.
 It is recommended to the parents to be more conscious and involved in their children’s
activities and keep a regular tab about the behavioral pattern. It advised to keep their
children away from conjugal problems like divorce and custody battles. Such legal
turmoil baffles a child’s mind and leads it to depression and trauma. In such situations,
parents should be recommended counseling, media awareness and peer advices. In
addition, families should check on their children’s peer group from time-to-time as well.
 It is evident that lack of education leads to ignorance, which is a major factor influencing
juvenile offences. Therefore, every child must be provided with elementary education by

8JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
his parent or guardian. Government should facilitate the citizens with free schools for low
socio-economic groups. Additionally, rehabilitation and prison facilities should provide
mandatory education system for the minor, which would help them to elevate their living
conditions after release.
 Financial support in the initial days is essential for the juveniles after they are released
from detention. They should not feel the need to commit another crime to earn money.
Certain poverty alleviating programs need to be taken into consideration by the state
authorities. Programs concerning monetary incomes can also introduced in the prison so
that the juvenile offenders can earn a few bucks before going back into the society.
 The law enforcement authority and the government of the country should pay more
attention to the syndicate groups that make use of children and teenagers to commit crime
on
 It is time that the traditional means of investigation of juvenile matters by trail courts that
take a lengthy amount of time should be discarded. Special investigation centers should
be set up, minor offences should be considered as probation.
 Lastly, the schools need to come out with various engaging programs and activities that
would keep the children and minors busy in the school. It would keep their minds
occupied, thus blocking them away from committing wrongful offences (Morgan, 2014).
Conclusion
Juvenile delinquency is gradually growing in number every year and hence it requires
special consideration from the Legislative authority, law-enforcement department and from the
general people at large. The Government and the non-governmental agencies must deal with

9JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
Socio-economic issues. Poverty, Parenting issue and lack of education: the three major evils
must be contemplated to avoid not only juvenile delinquency but many other social problems
also. Juvenile Justice System (JJS) needs a thorough review for it is outdated and sluggish, and
often puts a child’s future in jeopardy. Children is the future of today, hence they must be
safeguarded for a better tomorrow.

10JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
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11JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIL
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