Juvenile delinquency can be defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment. In many states a juvenile is anyone under the age of 18, however there are a few exceptions and often depends on the severity of the crime committed. There are several theories about the root causes of young people committing crime but there isn’t one correct answer. Many factors contribute to juvenile delinquency and can vary from family issues to simply not doing well in school. Juvenile delinquency is rising more and more every year and researchers are avidly trying to find out why.
One theory about why juveniles commit crimes is the influence of family. How a child is …show more content…
When a teen commits a crime they are automatically labeled as a criminal, regardless of what the crime is or the reason for committing it. Once they are labeled as a criminal or a bad person they start to believe that they have to live up to that label. Sociologist Frank Tannenbaum explained labeling as, “transforming the offender’s identity from a doer of evil to an evil person.” Labels tend to subjugate a person’s identity, leaving them filled with insecurity. Being called a delinquent at a young age and being treated as one can have an everlasting effect on someone’s life. According to Lee Bryant, “once someone has been successfully labeled as a criminal or deviant, the label attached may become the dominant label or ‘master status’ which is seen as more important than all the other aspects of the person…. labeling can also mold the way someone behaves in their lives especially if they cannot shake off that …show more content…
In 2013, the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission found that twenty percent of juvenile delinquents reoffend within two years of being released. The number of males who reoffended was three times higher than that of females and twenty-five percent of reoffenders were African-American. There is no right way to control recidivism, however there are several studies being done to figure out a way to lessen the number of reoffenders.
All in all, juvenile delinquency is controlled by numerous factors. A family’s situation and lifestyle can lead or detour a juvenile from committing a crime. Constant pressure to do well in school can also push them to commit crimes. Their feeling of not being good enough is a strong enough feeling to make them think that crime is the answer. Committing crimes leads juveniles to being labeled which causes them to feel like less of a person and like they have to live up to what the label entails. Labeling can also contribute to a delinquent’s chances of recidivating in a three year
One theory about why juveniles commit crimes is the influence of family. How a child is …show more content…
When a teen commits a crime they are automatically labeled as a criminal, regardless of what the crime is or the reason for committing it. Once they are labeled as a criminal or a bad person they start to believe that they have to live up to that label. Sociologist Frank Tannenbaum explained labeling as, “transforming the offender’s identity from a doer of evil to an evil person.” Labels tend to subjugate a person’s identity, leaving them filled with insecurity. Being called a delinquent at a young age and being treated as one can have an everlasting effect on someone’s life. According to Lee Bryant, “once someone has been successfully labeled as a criminal or deviant, the label attached may become the dominant label or ‘master status’ which is seen as more important than all the other aspects of the person…. labeling can also mold the way someone behaves in their lives especially if they cannot shake off that …show more content…
In 2013, the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission found that twenty percent of juvenile delinquents reoffend within two years of being released. The number of males who reoffended was three times higher than that of females and twenty-five percent of reoffenders were African-American. There is no right way to control recidivism, however there are several studies being done to figure out a way to lessen the number of reoffenders.
All in all, juvenile delinquency is controlled by numerous factors. A family’s situation and lifestyle can lead or detour a juvenile from committing a crime. Constant pressure to do well in school can also push them to commit crimes. Their feeling of not being good enough is a strong enough feeling to make them think that crime is the answer. Committing crimes leads juveniles to being labeled which causes them to feel like less of a person and like they have to live up to what the label entails. Labeling can also contribute to a delinquent’s chances of recidivating in a three year