Juvenile Crime In The United States

Among African Americans and Hispanic adolescent boys, homicide is the leading cause of death, 100,000 children bring weapons to school every day in the United States (Hoffman and Summers, 2001). The increasing rates of youth violence appears to be a worldwide phenomenon in industrialized nations. Possible explanations for the increase vary from country to country and include drug trafficking, family breakdown, political turmoil and increased gang activity (Hoffman and Summers, 2001). In the United States, major contributors were the weapons and the violence that accompanies the increase in neighborhood drug markets and the introduction of cocaine during los1980's. Other possible causes include family disintegration and inadequate parental supervision, violence in …show more content…
According to recent polls, about 58 to 65% of Americans are in favor of trying to violent juvenile offenders as adults, and to imprisonment only for the most serious and violent offenders. The young should be treated as an individual, social workers to ensure a scientific assessment of the needs of each child, followed by individualized rehabilitation treatment with keeping children in their homes and communities whenever possible. Today, juvenile court proceedings often lack full due process.
Risk factors include untreated learning disabilities, poor academic performance, alienation from school and truancy. A parent group level, including association with delinquent peers and gang membership. Exposure to violence and drug trafficking and access to firearms are some of the significant risk factors at the community