Essay Sample on How to Reduce Recidivism in the Juvenile Delinquency with Behavior Modifications

Juvenile delinquency, criminal acts committed by people under 18/17 years old, has mainly been on the rise. One in four previously convicted juvenile offenders move freely about the country, with the looming risk that they may commit yet another crime. Recidivism, the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend, is a worrying statistic to the justice advocates. Notably, juveniles are far more likely than adults to re-offend after release. The numbers are equally high when juvenile offenders reach adult age. The perturbing trend of increase in recidivism among juvenile delinquents elicits an investigation into the factors that increase susceptibility to juvenile crime, elements that fuel juvenile recidivism, and the behavior modifications that can reduce juvenile offense recidivism. Besides, the efficacy of such behavior modifications are determined quantitatively (Brame et al., 2018; Young et al., 2017)

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Certain factors predispose individuals to juvenile criminal behavior. Children brought up in families with constant struggles, for instance, are more prone to developing criminal behavior than those with peaceful family backgrounds. Additionally, juvenile crime fosters in families with a criminal history. Other family problems, such as parental negligence, alongside sexually or physically abusive families, promote adolescent criminal behavior. Typically, such families lack control over the children's behavior, predisposing the children to crime. Chronic failure in school that manifests itself at an early age is also a common juvenile crime risk factor. School failure, such as poor academic performance, low attendance, or dropping out of school, reduces the chances of the given juveniles developing social skills gained at school. Such a lack of social control increases a juvenile's susceptibility to criminal behavior (Young et al., 2017)

Substance abuse, including alcohol and drug possession, or sale, and the excessive consumption of drugs, trigger juvenile criminal behavior. Abusing drugs at an early age typically hinders an individual's inhibitions. Thus the individual quickly engages in criminal acts. Additionally, excessive drug abuse and dependency at an early age, alongside the financial incapability due to the tender age, spark property theft to finance the drug habits. Finally, juveniles with conduct problems are highly likely to develop criminal behavior. Patterned behavior such as chronic theft or running away from home is characteristic of juveniles who have not outgrown the aggressiveness associated with adolescence. Such lack of proper individual conduct increases the susceptibility to juvenile criminal behavior (Young et al., 2017)

One of the biggest challenges facing the criminal justice system is the repeat criminal offenses by minors, juvenile recidivism. Various studies have attempted to solve the mystery behind repeat crime among previously discharged juveniles. Cumulatively, the studies bring forth such elements as mental illnesses, among others. Almost 70% of juvenile delinquents are diagnosed with a particular mental disorder. The mentally ill have a decreased ability to discern between right and wrong hence easily offend.

Additionally, mental illnesses, especially those developed during jail term, evoke nostalgic feelings on the offenders such that they are willing to commit more crime to serve more jail term. Social contributory elements such as the presence of gangs in neighborhoods are a significant cause of juvenile recidivism. Juvenile delinquents who live in areas littered with bands who possess drugs and guns recommit criminal acts as a result of the peer pressure to join such gangs' activities (Brame et al., 2018)

Another reason behind juvenile recidivism is father criminality. The likelihood that a juvenile will commit a repeat crime is increased when their father was also involved in criminal behavior. Such young offenders learn criminal behavior from their parents, who modeled the behaviors through punishments, humiliation, and aggressive behavior. Additionally, fathers' criminalization stigma can accelerate family downward trajectories with lasting harmful effects. Thus if a father continuously offends, the trend is likely to be manifested in their children. Juvenile delinquents who come from economically disadvantaged families are highly likely to be involved in repeat crimes such as robbery. Such individuals often get involved in criminal offenses as a means of livelihood, typical to street families and children born to single mothers in slums (Brame et al., 2018).

Juvenile Delinquency Prevention

Juvenile delinquency prevention is an important step in the community. Perhaps the best and most effective way of preventing juvenile delinquency is mainly assisting the children and their families. There numerous state programs that have been developed to attempt an early intervention, and the most effective strategies for juvenile delinquency prevention are:

Education: the state and federal governments have created education programs that help students adapt back to the community easily. These educational programs provide information to both the children and their families. Primarily, some of the programs inform help parents how to raise healthy children, teach teenagers the effect of weapons, sex, gangs, and drugs. Moreover, others mainly aim at helping the children understand the benefits of avoiding crimes and living and safe society. Consequently, they create awareness that the actions of the children have consequences.

Recreation: keeping the youth busy is one of the best ways of making sure that they stay away from crime. The immediate benefits of recreational activities are that they fall under unsupervised hours mainly after school. The youths are likely to commit crime mainly between 2 P.M and 8 P.M. Through the recreation programs the youths will allow the youths connect with other children and adults in the community. Moreover, the programs are mainly designed suit the children skills and personalities of different children and it may include sports, rock climbing, karate, music, dancing, and bowling among other activities.

Community involvement: the volunteer groups, boys’ scouts, girls’ scouts, and church youth groups all involve the youth within a community. Such involvement within a community provide an opportunity for the children to interact and create a safe social environment.

Parent-child interaction training program: the programs take the children and parents about 12 weeks to complete. It is mainly designed to teach the parents parenting skills. Primarily, the program is taking that children and parents in interactive situations. A therapist takes charge and educates the parents on how they can best respond to their children behaviors, whether negative or positive. The program has been important in reducing attention deficit, hyperactivity, aggression, and anxious behavior among children.

Bullying prevention program: this program is mainly implemented at the elementary and junior high school setting. This program is important as it helps the students understand how bullying affects them and their fellow students and how they can prevent it. Importantly, the program mainly succeeds mainly in creating a safer and a less hostile environment for the children. This program requires the corporation of children, teachers, the community, institution, and the parents for it to succeed.

Prevention programs within the juvenile justice system: primarily, a student or a youth entering the juvenile justice system has the chance of receiving intervention assistance form the state. Primarily, programs within the juvenile justice system offer drug rehabilitation assistance, educational opportunities, and counseling. Moreover, the success of the juvenile system is mainly determined by how well the system prepares the children to re-enter the society. Importantly, all juvenile detentions helps the children with education, job training, provide experience on safe living, assistance to break harmful habits, and stable environment.

References

Brame, R., Mulvey, E. P., Schubert, C. A., & Piquero, A. R. (2018). Recidivism in a sample of serious adolescent offenders. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 34(1), 167-187. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10940-016-9329-2

Young, S., Greer, B., & Church, R. (2017). Juvenile delinquency, welfare, justice, and therapeutic interventions: a global perspective. BJ

Psych Bulletin, 41(1), 21-29. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-bulletin/article/juvenile-delinquency-welfare-justice-and-therapeutic-interventions-a-global-perspective/EC2354DA185D34599D131E4B0A003CF5