| Juvenile delinquency is a term given to juveniles who | | | | factors that may eventually lead to juvenile |
| commit criminal acts. Juveniles are defined as those | | | | delinquency. A lot of these are linked to nature/nurture |
| who are under the age of eighteen or those who | | | | principles. This is anchored on the fact that juveniles |
| haven’t reached the age of adulthood. What | | | | who are abused and neglected are more likely to fall |
| defines adulthood in court may be proposed by law, | | | | into delinquency patterns. However, despite of its |
| particularly for minor offenses. Juveniles who commit | | | | statistical relevance, such notion does not take into |
| major crimes may compel the courts to try them as | | | | account the delinquency of those who have good |
| adults. This is a crucial distinction because the ensuing | | | | family background and support. |
| verdict can mean not just spending adolescence, but a | | | | Genetics has also been implicated to play a role in |
| lifetime behind bars. Delinquency is generally defined as | | | | juvenile delinquency; however, experts argue that it |
| performing acts deemed illegal by the state. As such, | | | | can only constitute a predisposition toward a certain |
| juvenile delinquency can cover anything from minor | | | | behavior. Then again nurturance or the lack of which |
| crimes to the more serious ones such as theft, felony | | | | may provide the necessary circumstances to cause |
| and murder. | | | | the behavior. In addition, awareness of the early onset |
| In case anyone under the age of eighteen commits a | | | | of a mental disorder is crucial in identifying the |
| crime, most often they are tried and judged through a | | | | appropriate rehabilitative efforts for juvenile delinquents. |
| legal system distinct from that which tries adults. In the | | | | Once the primary factors that lead to delinquency |
| event that they have been proven to have committed | | | | have been established, juveniles can be given |
| a grievous offense, they may be sent to confinement | | | | consideration as to their ability to control their behavior. |
| centers or juvenile detention centers that are | | | | The single, most significant way to determine the best |
| specifically designed for juveniles who commit serious | | | | rehabilitation in juvenile delinquency trials is the pursuit to |
| crimes. | | | | identify and understand the cause/s of the child’s |
| In most instances, the case is left to the court’s | | | | erratic behavior, and what specific instances |
| discretion to decide the degree of risk the juvenile | | | | contributed to this delinquency. |
| poses to society as well as the potential benefits that | | | | Another popular approach to tackle the problem is to |
| can be incurred by confinement. Juvenile court judges | | | | conceptualize programs that help deter juveniles from |
| are more qualified to handle cases especially those | | | | committing crimes. Such programs typically focus on |
| involving young children. They often have the | | | | preventing drug use or may concentrate on early |
| responsibility to look for alternative means of | | | | education or assistance to the impoverished. Without a |
| rehabilitating a juvenile and preventing future | | | | single identifiable cause of juvenile delinquency, these |
| delinquency. They can also endorse court approved | | | | programs may provide some success. Though |
| therapy, house arrest, or other measures short of | | | | society’s efforts to curb juvenile delinquency are |
| imprisonment. In most cases, the criminal records of | | | | commendable, it is important to note that they are not |
| juveniles are effaced when they reach eighteen, | | | | universally successful. Nonetheless, the mere act of |
| especially if they haven’t committed any other | | | | preventing juvenile delinquency through intervention is |
| crime. | | | | better than just allowing it to occur. |
| There are a multitude of theories as to the contributing | | | | |