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Juvenile Delinquency: Cause and Effect
By Ray E. Bilderaya
Published: 01/17/2005
There is little doubt juvenile violence is currently a prevalent issue and concern in the
criminal justice field and there is a vital need for improvement in the effectiveness of
rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders. The age at which a juvenile can be labeled
a delinquent may be from 6 to 12 years of age, but studies have shown that in the
preschool years, early problem behaviors such as serious aggression and chronic
violations of rules have been linked to later delinquent behavior.
Other signs in very young children that have shown to be possible predictors of later
delinquent behavior are the lack of normal development in basic skills like language. Of
course, not all children are appropriately labeled. What is considered normal behavior in
a very young child can fit into any one of the categories mentioned in this article.
Incidents of violence among juveniles has been rising steadily in the past 20 years and in
the wake of significant increases in the severity of juvenile crime, we find that despite
efforts at rehabilitation, recidivism among juvenile offenders is very high. Studies have
shown that as many as 69 % of juvenile delinquent parolees are rearrested for serious
crimes within six years of their release. Roughly half of all youth arrests are made on
account of theft, simple assault and drug abuse.
In 1995 approximately 69 million people in the United States were under the age of 18.
The projected juvenile population is expected to reach 74 million by the year 2010. This
population growth may lead to an increase in the number of victims of crime by juveniles
and an increased caseload in the juvenile justice system.
The juvenile population in 2010 will include a greater number of older juveniles and a
greater proportion of minority issues related to juvenile violence. Demographic and
environmental factors will be an important element to be monitored if current trends
continue.
In major cities, a substantial number of 6th to 12th grade students have reported violence,
crime, weapons and gang related activity in their schools.
Crimes of violence among youth can include fighting, rape and robbery. Juveniles
between the ages of 12 and 17 are most likely to be victims of these, being significantly
correlated with low grades, younger age of onset of sexual activity and a high desire for
acceptance from peers. Exposure to violence and victimization has also been attributed to
the cause of perpetration of violent crime by youth.
Youth on youth violence mainly involves assaults. People between the ages of 12 to 19
are most likely to be victims of assaults by people in the same age group. Reports of

victims under age 12 are not normally considered in the National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS). If they were, this figure would be substantially higher.
Risk factors associated with youth violence can be environmentally related. Individual
social and environmental risk factors should be taken into account as well. The causal
status of known risk factors remains to be clarified, and no single risk factor can explain
juvenile delinquency. Obviously, the more risk factors that are identified, the more likely
a juvenile will exhibit delinquent behavior.
Social and community related risk factors include; the availability of drugs and firearms,
community disorganization, and economic depravation.
Certain demographic and environmental factors are taken into consideration when
gathering information for statistical purposes. For example, studies have shown the
majority of juvenile offenders come from families living in poverty, the highest percent
being people of color or minority groups.
Two specific aspects of the family environment and structure seem to recur in the
literature on delinquency. These may best be characterized as family type and family
status. Family type refers to the way the family interacts with one another, that is, levels
of adaptability, cohesiveness, and communication between family members.
Cohesion refers to the emotional attachment or bond among family members. There are
four levels to the cohesion element: disengaged, separated, connected, and enmeshed.
Families that are disengaged lack loyalty or closeness and are characterized by high
levels of independence. On the other end of the scale is the enmeshed element, which is
characterized by very high levels of closeness and dependency.
Family status refers to the composition of the family. Studies have shown that children
from single parent and reconstituted families are more prone to problems than are
children from traditional families.
Family related risk factors include a family history of problem behavior, family conflict,
and inadequate problem solving skills. Studies have shown that children of physically
abusive parents are more likely to grow into abusive adults, coining the term, "cycle of
violence".
Parents that participate in criminal behavior are more likely to produce children that
commit criminal acts. Studies have also shown that a child's delinquent behavior has
been associated with the arrest(s) of one or both of the parents.
School related factors include low academic success and early, persistent antisocial
behaviors. The most obvious indicators of potential violent behavior are the individual
related risk factors. The most notable acts of violence are shootings in schools. The youth
that have committed these violent acts had most, if not all the individual and peer related
risk factors. Alienation, poor peer relations, impaired cognitive thinking ability and

association with friends who engaged in problem behavior were the associated risk
factors present.
Because of acts of violence in schools across America, many states have adopted a zero
tolerance approach to gun control, but that alone may not eliminate acts of violence from
occurring.
Not all juveniles exposed to the noted risk factors become delinquents, school drop-outs,
or teenage parents. In contrast to the risk factors, other factors play an important part in
the development of a child. Certain protective factors can reduce the impact of risks or
change the way a person responds to them.
Protective factors include: individual characteristics such as having positive social
interaction and orientation, affectionate relationships with family members, teachers or
other adults, and association with peer groups that harbor healthy beliefs and set clear
standards and goals.
Social and economic factors are also taken into account when determining the potential
for violent or delinquent behavior. Social structure theorists hold the belief that people
do not behave on their own. Instead, behavior is a result of participation in certain
groups. For example, youth gang members participate in deviant behavior in order to be
accepted. Traditional criminological and sociological approaches view juvenile
delinquency results from dysfunctional environmental conditions and hold that if youth
are removed from this problematic environment, they will be better able to refrain from
criminal activity.
Psychological factors that can contribute to or be related to impulsive, acting-out
behaviors include certain mental illnesses, which have been directly correlated with
criminal activity. Bipolar Disorder is associated with severe mood swings that cause an
individual to act out during elevated or depressed periods in relation to others perspective
of him/her. Another disorder is a substance related disorder, which is closely related to
Antisocial Personality Disorder. This disorder is associated with the abuse of drugs, both
over-the-counter and nonprescription. Conduct Disorder can be both aggressive, where
physical harm is caused or non-aggressive which results in property damage or loss.
Violence in itself is not a disorder. It can be one of a number of behaviors used to
diagnose mental illness based upon severity and circumstance.
Programs have been established to aid in protective measures and assist families and
children to learn methods of problem solving and to diminish delinquent behavior in
youth. Programs involve education, recreation, and community involvement.
Model educational programs have assisted families and children by providing them with
information that informs parent on how to raise healthy children and teach children about
the effects of drugs, gang involvement, sex, and weapons. These programs seek to instill

young people with an awareness that will allow them to exercise discretion in decision
making.
Recreational programs offer a way to fill unsupervised after school hours by allowing
young people to interact with other adults and children. The Department of Education
reports that youth are most likely to commit crimes between 2 pm and 8 pm. Youth
recreation programs are designed to fit the personalities and skills of different children
and may include sports, dancing, rock climbing, drama clubs, and others.
Community involvement programs include Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and church youth
group activities. These programs helps to stop the feeling of alienation many teenagers
have and ties them to the community they are a part of.
Visits by nurses in homes of families with infants have shown to be effective. Studies
have shown that mothers and children involved in the program had a 79 % lower child
abuse rate, a 56 % lower child runway rate and a 56 % lower child arrest rate.
Preventive programs that come in the form of therapy range from individual to family
sessions. Many therapists and program analysts hold that positive behavior should be
taught at an early age in the home.
A program identified by the Surgeon General as being effective at preventing juvenile
delinquency early on is the Parent-Child Interaction Training Program. This program
takes parents and children approximately 12 weeks to complete and incorporates a
therapy model. It is designed to teach parenting skills to parents of children age two to
seven who exhibit major behavioral problems. A therapist guides the parents and educates
them as to how best to respond to their child's behavior, whether negative or positive. The
program has been shown to reduce hyperactivity, attention deficit, aggression, and
anxious behavior in children.
Some programs focus on elements in all aspects of a child's life--school, home, and
parents whereby training is given to all three to build strong skills in order to motivate,
encourage, and promote alternative thinking strategies.
A program put into place in schools is the Bullying Prevention Program. Sparked by the
suicide of three young boys in Norway, this program has since been implemented in the
United States. Bullying causes young people to act out in retaliation because of
humiliation or fear. The major goal of the program is directed at improving peer relations
and making school a pleasant environment. The program focuses on three elements:
education, classroom environment, and individuals. School staff holds meetings with
bullies, victims, and parents to ensure that the behavior stops. In Norway, bullying has
been reduced by 50 % or more in the two years following the start of the program.
Big Brothers and Sisters of America (BBSA), began early in the twentieth century as a
means to provide firm, positive guidance to youth in need. The obstacles of this program,

however, are the committed number of adults available to serve as positive role models
and the lack of resources.
When a youth enters the Juvenile Justice System, he / she have the opportunity to receive
assistance from the state. In the care of the state, a youth may receive drug rehabilitation
assistance, counseling and educational opportunities. The success of the Juvenile Justice
System is measured by how well it prepares the youth to re-enter the community without
committing other crimes.
The Nebraska Youth Correctional Facility (NYCF) is an example of a successful juvenile
detention facility that gears its programs toward restoring delinquent youth. The facility
holds young adult violent offenders and juvenile delinquent youth, the youngest being
15and the oldest 21 and 10 months. While in the facility, each inmate has the opportunity
to obtain a General Education Diploma (GED) and take community college courses.
Parents may follow the progress of their child through communication with the staff. The
inmates at NYCF are also given the opportunity to work as teacher assistants, recreational
leaders and kitchen staff.
Currently, Americans are steering away from hard core scare tactics such as "Scared
Straight" and Boot Camp facilities. The "get tough on crime" philosophy of the 1990's
seems to have gotten lost in the last ten years with a shift toward therapy or group based
rehabilitation systems. The surgeon General reported that boots camps and other hard
core disciplinary structured systems did not produce the desired results.
Information about child delinquency is inadequate at best because of underreported and a
child going unnoticed until it is too late. Information and recognition of problematic
behavior early on is crucial.
Children need to be taught rules, limits, and expectations early in order to live a healthy,
productive life. This includes discipline with consistency. A parent must be willing to
put forth the effort to learn the skills necessary and properly apply these skills to produce
a non-delinquent child.
Most of the issues with youth today stem from a lack of structure, love, and support. This
is not to state that these elements should be part of a behavioral management program.
Instead, they should be the core of families across the nation.
About the Author:
Bilderaya lives in Colorado, has completed a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration and
is working on an MBA. He has worked in Corrections for 11 1/2 years and has served in
many capacities during that time. During most of those years he has worked in Security
and reached the level of Security Support Supervisor (Lt.) He has recently assumed the
duties of a Case Manager (Lt.)
References:

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http://www.cdc.gov/ad/oc/media/fact/violence.htm
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