JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.   Term Paper ID:23494 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines theories of juvenile crime, rise in violent offenses, need for systemic reform, role of media & parents, guns & drugs, social aspects.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines theories of juvenile crime, rise in violent offenses, need for systemic reform, role of media & parents, guns & drugs, social aspects. Paper Introduction: The cause, prevention and punishment of juvenile offenders has become the number one concern in America. The public perception that juvenile crime is out of control and becoming more violent is growing throughout the country. Unfortunately, statistics from the FBI and Justice Department agree with the public perception. Youth crime is on the increase and becoming more violent. The number of youths arrested for murder and weapons’ violations has almost doubled over the last 10 years. Criminologists, psychologists, and other behavioral scientists have studied juvenile delinquency extensively, and a number of theories have been developed. One theory suggests that children from the poorest part of society lack opportunities to develop in socially acceptable ways. This lack creates a predilection to delinquency. Another theory is that delinquency Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. With violent acts so vividly reflected in the media, many people no longerbelieve that juvenile crime is a temporary aberration of the society. Juvenile predators, adult victims.Insight, 28-3 . Currently only 5 percent of young people are tried as adults if theyare charged with violent crimes. Somenewspapers name the youth offenders and their gang affiliations: "Ifyou've got another John Dillinger living next door, you're going to want toknow about it" (Case, p. Many of the young people in juvenile courtdo not have families with which to bond, and few families have parentingskills. Discerning whichyouths will become repeat offenders and return to the life of crime andwhich will not is not possible. Juvenile justice: Should violentyouths get tougher punishments? Public systems are designed toserve the public good and welfare. 12). Anothertraditional theory is cultural deviance, in which the delinquent conformsto a set of standards not accepted by a large or more powerful society(Hirschi, 1969, chs. He indicatesthat the perpetrators of crimes in Harrisburg increasingly turn out to beteenagers and preteens. 28). As in many othercommunities, the people in Harrisburg are stunned and outraged about thecrime. Thislack creates a predilection to delinquency. This coincided with an unprecedentedincrease in violent youth crime. This accounts for much of the gang loyalty. Other experts believe the problem is more complex. Increased pressure to sentence juvenilesas adults is building. A dramatic increase of more than 7 percent in thejuvenile heroin and cocaine arrest rate occurred during the 198 s,according to the Justice Department. (1994, October). Although juveniles are usually released to parents or relatives,little if any supervision is provided to ensure that children do not repeatthe criminal behavior. (1993, June). Glazer, S. Juvenile crime is a serious social problem, and now is time torethink the implications for the future if workable solutions are not foundsoon. Experts are divided on thebest prevention strategy. 173-175). The victims wereshot and killed at point-blank range without provocation during robberies.In these cases, the victims had handed over the money and had not resistedthe gunmen. References Albanese, J. In the last seven years, the local districtattorney's caseload of violent crimes committed by teenagers has more thanquadrupled (Sarracino, 1996 p. When asked whatmakes particular groups newsworthy, the reporters answered, "Unfortunately,their killing records" (Glazer, 1994, p. Guns are readily available in most communities, and youth areusing them more frequently. Congressional Quarterly, 4, 171-188. Several television news managers indicate that they minimize suchnews because it gives attention to the perpetrator and does little tobenefit the public. Many states donot have the facilities to handle violent juveniles unless they put theminto the adult prisons. Perhaps what is needed is not a new approach, but an old one. The legal and socialimplications of juvenile crime are complex and affect every aspect of thecommunities in which people live. Thedescription of one violent youth offender fits the child living next doorto him who is not. A number of state legislatures are considering proposals to giveyoung people adult sentences for violent crimes, outlaw gun possession andenforce more stringent remedies. New York: Knopf. Otherexperts say increased support for juveniles is essential. Violent crimes are defined as murder,rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Revamping the juvenile justice system is a major priority. The third theorysuggested that labels by authorities made adjustment to a noncriminal lifemore difficult. It is failing thechildren subjected to its processes as well as the citizenry. Physical andsexual abuse from parents and other care givers, poor economic conditions,violent neighborhoods, and lack of familial support can be contributingfactors. Sarracino, C. The evidence indicates that the juvenile justice system is notdesigned to deal with today's violent youth. Larry Mays, a professor of criminal justice at NewMexico State University and a former police officer, says that the chronicviolent youths are a very small population and that whatever is done withthose kids will not substantially impact the crime rate in this country:"It's clearly a movement towards retribution: Let's just punish them,whether we rehabilitate them or not" (Glazer, 1994, pp. Glazer (1994) points out that, in most states, youths who aresentenced as adults are sent to adult prisons. Traditional studies indicate that juvenile criminals bond to eachother rather than to their families and, through the family, to the greatersociety. Hirschi, T. Criminologists, psychologists, and other behavioral scientists havestudied juvenile delinquency extensively, and a number of theories havebeen developed. In thesame period, murders committed by juveniles increased 6 percent" (p. Treated as children,teenage criminals are remanded to a juvenile detention center for a fewweeks. Representatives of the press, news managers, andpublic officials met to discuss how the media cover youth crime at aconference of the Society of Professional Journalists in September 1994.News professionals are divided on how to cover juvenile crime, also. Between 1987 and 1991,according to the FBI, the number of youth under 18 arrested for violentcrimes increased by 5 percent. The experiences Sarracino reports in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania aretypical of those occurring in other parts of the country. Combining the theories and studies can create anapproach to assist law enforcement and the judiciary in applying what hasbeen learned to the children who are committing violent adult crimes,including murder. G. Thetheories which explain why children become criminals are incomplete. According to law enforcement officials,identifying criminal juveniles hinders crime fighting and encourages gangs. The cause, prevention and punishment of juvenile offenders has becomethe number one concern in America. In the absence of families,children will find other groups to meet this need. As a result, thejuvenile justice system teaches young people that their criminal behaviorhas no real consequences. Lipsey, director of the Centerfor Crime and Justice Policy Studies at Vanderbilt University, ran a studyanalyzing more than 4 rehabilitation programs. Across the country, as violent crime among juvenile offenders hasincreased, public opinion has shifted. Violent crime: Changes that could reversethe rise in juvenile crime. Some claim the easy availability of guns anddrugs should be targeted if decreasing crime is the objective. Forbes, S. Legislators and some law enforcement officials want strictersentencing guidelines for violent juveniles. One theory suggests that children from the poorest part ofsociety lack opportunities to develop in socially acceptable ways. These findings support those reformists who areagainst putting juveniles in with adult criminals. Covering youth gangs: Panelists discusswhether or not newspapers should identify the gang and name its members ina crime story. Traditional researchers have attributed delinquency to a number ofpsychological and behavioral theories. With crime as their most importantconcern, many people find the sentencing for youths who commit violentcrimes too short and too soft. Thesystem is in crisis and unprepared for the new juvenile offender. Unfortunately, statistics from the FBI and Justice Departmentagree with the public perception. Another theory points tolearned criminal behavior. Some experts blame the increase in violent juvenile crime on guns andthe drug trade. However, communities across the nation are coming to terms with theconsequences of treating such criminals as children. 172). Alternative programs, such as the one at Paint Creek YouthCenter in Ohio, do not experience significantly higher success rates thantraditional intervention programs. Forbes projects the situation willget worse as the number of 1 - to-17-year-olds increases significantlyduring the 199 s (Forbes, 1993, p. The current judicial system is highlysubjective. Criminologists indicate that violent repeat offenders are only a tinyfraction of the young people who end up in the juvenile justice system.Most juveniles who are arrested once do not go on to become repeatoffenders. Other newspapers cooperate with police wishes bynever reporting the names. 28).Steve Forbes (1993) gives similar statistics. A consensus is growing that states must overhaul their juvenilejustice systems. When violent crimes arereported on the television evening news with accompanying video tape of thecrime scene and often a picture of the alleged criminal, public awarenessis heightened.Media coverage of youth gangs and violent crimes is handled differently ineach news organization. On average, hisfindings indicated that rehabilitation programs reduce recidivism by only percent. (1969). The media are powerful information vehicles. Some think that, rather than rehabilitating youngpeople to return to society reformed, the system appears to be producinghardened criminals. Meanwhile, politiciansand law enforcement officials are doing whatever they can to protect thecitizenry. Statistics dosupport the fact that most young people who are arrested in their teens dostop committing crimes. If the juvenile justice system were abusiness, it would be out of business. (1994, February 25). The experts do not know which childwill be in which group or what forms of intervention would be appropriateand effective. Juvenile offenders are no longer viewed as childrenneeding rehabilitation and protection. Criminologist, psychologist andresearchers theorize that children from the poorest part of society tend tofail to develop in socially acceptable ways. Editor and Publisher, 12-14. They appear to have been shot for no reason. The number of juveniles who committedmurder with guns increased 79 percent during this period (Glazer, 1994, p.171). The juvenile justicesystem is based on the idea that hope exists for the child. In motivationaltheory, the person has legitimate desires but cannot satisfy them. 183). Thisinability forces the person into deviant behavior. The number of youths arrested for murder andweapons' violations has almost doubled over the last 1 years. Unfortunately,the current system offers little hope and a lot of retribution. A study in Florida indicatedthat juveniles sent to adult prisons were more likely than adults to returnto a life of crime after their release from prison (p. They need bettereducation, familial support, and rehabilitation. Public uneasiness with violent juvenile crime is growing. Juvenile delinquency and crime are the most serious problems insociety. The dramatic increases in the violence of assaults by young peopleappear to have caught the system unprepared. The reason for this stop is unknown, however.Other young offenders return to crime. Human beings have aneed to bond and belong to social groups. 1-5). 1-4). In Harrisburg,the district attorney has been attempting to try these teenagers as adultsbut faces some opposition from the community. Youth crime is on the increase andbecoming more violent. Combining these theories can produce a beginning blueprintfrom which to combat juvenile crime. Ten years ago, mostyouth offenses were petty in nature. Media reports of the escalating ratesof crime and violence have inflamed public opinion. If this is true, the current trend to take harsher, morepunitive measures may unfairly target some young people who are amenable torehabilitation. Forbes, 26. Forexample, these included efforts to improve their scholastic performance,increase their job skills or change their anti-social response to peopleand situations (Glazer, 1994, p 18 ). 28). However, in working with the theories, the experts havedivided the field. In many states, even young people convicted ofmurder are automatically released upon reaching the statutory age for thatstate, usually 18 to 25. Mark W. Dealing with delinquency. Unfortunately, law enforcement cannot protect everyone.Despite all the theories, none of the approaches used in the juvenilejustice system has met with any significant success. Corrections officials admitsurprise. The children's code was not writtento address the types of crimes committed by today's youth (Glazer, 1994,pp. Others do not print the names of juveniledelinquents because their editors believe young offenders can berehabilitated and publicity would negatively impact their chances atreform. The focus of these theories hasbeen the reaction of the delinquent to outside factors. Forbes (1993) also states that the criminalrecords of violent youth offenders should not be sealed but should beavailable to the public (p. The call to overhaul the juvenile justice system comes from smalltowns as well as large urban areas. Tougher sentences couldturn some juveniles into career criminals. 27). In a recent article, Carmine Sarracino (1996) quoted FBI reports that"murders committed by adults rose 5.2 percent during the 198 s. Others express sympathy for the children (Sarracino, 1996, p. Violence committed by children has reached everycommunity. Following a hearing with a district judge, youths are usuallyreleased into the custody of a parent, often with a fine. He was attempting to finda statistically reliable pattern of successful approaches. Theywant juvenile crime and violence deterred by any means necessary, includingadult treatment for the juvenile who commits an adult crime. As violent crimes and murder increase among minors, media personneldebate whether or not to give space and airtime to fame-hungry gang membersand juvenile criminals. (1985). Causes of delinquency. Still othertheories stress psychological and biological causes such as mental illness(Albanese, 1985, chs. (1996, May). He did find that the most successful programs were those thattrained juveniles directly to change specific skills or behavior. The public is disenchanted with thejuvenile justice system. 26). Whatever the theory to which one subscribes,juvenile crime is on the increase, and the current juvenile justice systemis unable to stop the rising tide. A thirdexplanation suggests that juveniles who are caught and labeled delinquentby the legal authorities are more likely to continue to break the lawbecause that label makes being law-abiding harder for them. In one city, the major newspaper distinguishes between the establishedgangs and the groups of teenagers who dress alike and commit petty theft,deface public property and commit other minor offenses. Sarracino reported two brutal murder incidents. Whileonly a small minority of the juvenile offenders continue in a life ofcrime, those who do are committing more violent crimes and at a youngerage, according to available data. 172-173). Control or bondingtheories postulate that, since the person's conventional ties have beenbroken, the person feels free to commit delinquent acts. 177). Eachof the theories on the cause of juvenile delinquency contains a familiarthread of familial and community support. Rehabilitation programs havefailed, also. Another theory is thatdelinquency is learned behavior, acquired by associating with people whohave little respect for the law or societal conventions. In its current form, the juvenilejustice system is failing to protect the public. Now the system is in crisis. The public perception that juvenilecrime is out of control and becoming more violent is growing throughout thecountry. Case, T. They affect every person in the country in some way. Reform experts maintainthat, at most prisons, this means either sending them to crime college orhanding them over to adult sexual predators. Berkeley: Universityof California. These groups may not bethe most socially acceptable. Law enforcement officials are faced withthe continuing escalation of violent youth crime. A growingnumber of people are dissatisfied with a juvenile justice system thattreats the violent crimes, including murder, by juveniles so lightly. The courts act as surrogate parents in some instances.Juvenile court judges are expected to analyze a child's criminal tendencyand order treatment or punishment, depending on each person's individualpotential for rehabilitation, in the judge's opinion. After all of the studies, analysis and evaluations of programs,rehabilitation programs and juvenile justice systems, the experts do agreethat "no one's ever been able to show any relationship between the crimerate and corrections philosophy" (Glazer, 1994, p. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.