Essay Sample on Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency

Introduction

Juvenile delinquency is a challenge affecting diverse societies. The rate of juvenile crime activities varies across communities with the respective effects of juvenile crime rates reflected across the communities. According to Pardini (2016), the trajectory followed by juvenile delinquency may reciprocate the normal adolescent development process. This implies that criminal behavior engagement is not random but aligned to onset and transition along with adolescence. Pardini (2016) highlights two types of delinquents based on the onset time with early onset of chronic antisocial behavior in early childhood and coincidental adolescent-onset witnessed at puberty. Positive youth development models address the needs of vulnerable youths. Based on Crawford and Evans (2017), youth development models address adolescents' needs along with the six domains of life, ranging from education, health, work, relationships, community, and creativity. However, the youths' contribution is expected in learning and performance, as well as acceptance and attachment to the development programs. Knowledge of the paths allows stakeholders such as families, communities, and systems to intervene and prevent the emergence of antisocial behavior and involvement in criminal activities.

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Early identification and intervention stop the pipeline of youths to prison in the early stages. The prevention of delinquent behavior at the early stages of the pipeline supports youth resilience and development. Based on Crawford and Evans, K. (2017), many approaches are focused on visible and disruptive behavior. Still, the most appropriate approach is identifying the root cause of delinquent behavior and resolve at the onset level. Prevention efforts can be aligned in education, family, and community programs. Therefore, programs aimed at curbing or preventing crime and suited for developing and building resilience in adolescents during puberty need to be adopted. Emphasizing on early childhood life and holistic approaches can aid in preventing juvenile criminal activities.

Family Programs

Pardini (2016) stated that the most effective approach to curbing juvenile crimes targets the root cause. Significantly, the family's role is emphasized in maintaining a suitable environment for the growth and development of children. Harrowing childhood experiences are linked to the high rates of delinquent behaviors among adolescents. Family and guardians can control the contribution of the early childhood environment. Therefore, intervention strategies should focus on eliminating exposure to violence and child abuse experiences to promote healthy lifespan growth and development. According to Taheri and Welsh (2016), family members' needs and wellbeing should be prioritized in every community. Families provide primary socialization necessitating government and social efforts to promote family integrity. Society has a role in influencing the family to provide care and overall protection from unfavorable conditions that may affect the development process and trigger antisocial behavior. The physical and mental wellbeing of children is vital in eliminating delinquent behavior. Therefore, the family should prioritize children's enrollment in daycares. However, focus on children exposed to the risk factors can help monitor the progress and the influence on character and engagement in childhood activities.

Families can identify potential signs and promote “The Person in Need of Supervision (PINS)” program to closely monitor and guide children through various experiences. Families can be sensitized on available programs providing behavioral intervention sidelining children from criminal activities and the potential triggers to the onset of delinquent traits. Close monitoring of children’s behavior and the source can keep track of the immediate challenges and causes of juvenile crime. Families provide a primary socialization environment, making them imperative in streamlining the immediate environment in which growth and development occur. The effectiveness of family-oriented programs is rooted in effective communication among family members. Good relationships promote interpersonal interaction and communication, facilitating the sharing of information significant in detecting and streamlining risk factors.

Education Programs

The young population is enrolled in education systems vital in promoting growth, instilling skills and expertise in students, and opening up a wide range of opportunities. Education is also used as a sensitization strategy warning adolescent against criminal activities. Education involves academic work and vocational training activities aimed at improving future life. Piquero et al. (2016) stated that education facilities are accommodative, guiding vulnerable youths, and guarantees emotional support. Education programs outline adolescents' safety and health aspects, sex education, sensitization on gangs, and accessibility to weapons. The main role of education programs in preventing juvenile delinquency is creating awareness of the consequences of specific actions. On other accounts, educational programs instill hope, encourage and open opportunities for the development of youths. According to Piquero et al. (2016), classroom and behavior management programs, school organizational programs, and multicomponent classroom-based programs are offered under the educational support in curbing juvenile delinquency.

Educational programs are distributed across communities based on the efficiency and the target population. As indicated before, adolescent crime rates vary from one community to another, which calls for the predesigned models monitoring behavior. On the other hand, promote resilience among teenagers. Educational programs can be focused directly on socialization's primary agents, putting family at the center of the analysis process. According to Taheri and Welsh (2016), parent-child interaction programs are designed for both family and community juvenile crime protection by parents of children aged 2-7. The program is administered over 12 weeks advocating for the accommodative parenting skills targeting the behavioral change by applying interactive approaches. Parents are educated on the response to behavior change, both positive and negative, and connection to deviance behavior. Child challenges such as attention deficit, hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression are risk factors to juvenile delinquency. However, a child-parent training program reports positive results in reducing the challenges experienced by specific individuals (Piquero et al., 2016).

Community Programs

The community constitutes the secondary agents of socialization accounting to direct influence on children’s development progress. Community-based programs are crucial in promoting children's safety, health, and social wellbeing. Religious centers and educational centers define child care and education programs that meet the aligned with the social norms, customs, and beliefs. Early childhood care and education promote preschool activities that shield children from risk factors such as family violence and child abuse (de Vries et al., 2015). Schools are components of the secondary agents of socialization that allow interpersonal interaction required for child development. However, they form a direct link to children and evaluate the social skills that lead to participation in deviant activities. Truancy, emotional stability, and antisocial behavior can be spotted and intervened in the early onset stages giving adolescents control and resilience in countering delinquency risk factors (de Vries et al., 2015). Active involvement in community programs reduces the rate of gangs’ formation and bullying. According to Taheri and Welsh (2016), bullying prevention programs can reduce juvenile delinquency at the community level. However, designing and implementation the programs require stable systems and structures such as schools and vocational training centers. Through social work programs, social workers can facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the living conditions of children in a community and propose relevant approaches that can be used to counter the potential risk factors to criminal activities (Taheri & Welsh, 2016). The integration of community programs to family needs can realize the smooth identification of antisocial behavior and delinquency linked character allowing the timely intervention in the emergency of delinquency risk behavior.

Sensitization programs can relay information to the youths, creating awareness and promoting health and social wellbeing. According to Taheri and Welsh (2016), the age of technology has diversified promotional services with social media and its effects rooted in society. The youths are at the forefront in the use of social media. However, this can be used as an avenue to reach out to youths and the general public on effective management of delinquency risk factors.

Conclusion

Life span growth and development process entail transition in social, behavioral, and psychological perspectives that reflects individual personalities. The social functioning theory relates to the environment and individual behavior linking juvenile delinquency to harsh or early exposure to violent scenes in early childhood. Prevention of juvenile delinquency, therefore, needs to identify the root cause of the behavior. In this case, primary and secondary socialization agents are crucial to the implementation of the intervention strategy. Family-level programs such as child-parent interaction programs are adopted to effect communication and relationships at the family level. Education and community programs are effective in curbing delinquency from the secondary agents of socialization. Education programs aim at suitable modeling mechanisms of prevention and enhancing the transfer of information to diverse populations. Community programs are established through community systems such as religious and education structures.

References

Crawford, A., & Evans, K. (2017). Crime prevention and community safety. https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3012373/

de Vries, S. L., Hoeve, M., Assink, M., Stams, G. J. J., & Asscher, J. J. (2015). Practitioner review: effective ingredients of prevention programs for youth at risk of persistent juvenile delinquency–recommendations for clinical practice. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(2), 108-121. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12320

Pardini, D. (2016). Empirically based strategies for preventing juvenile delinquency. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 25(2), 257-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2015.11.009

Piquero, A. R., Jennings, W. G., Diamond, B., Farrington, D. P., Tremblay, R. E., Welsh, B. C., & Gonzalez, J. M. R. (2016). A meta-analysis update on the effects of early family/parent training programs on antisocial behavior and delinquency. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 12(2), 229-248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-016-9256-0

Taheri, S. A., & Welsh, B. C. (2016). After-school programs for delinquency prevention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Youth violence and juvenile justice, 14(3), 272-290. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1541204014567542