Juvenile Crime

Juvenile Crime

Juvenile Crime is definitely a major problem in the United States. Juvenile Crime is the term used for

describing offenses committed by children under the age of 18. It is also referred to as Juvenile

Delinquency. Delinquent acts committed by children, would be considered crimes if committed by adults.

The more serious the crime of the juvenile, the more likely they will be tried as adults and receive prison

sentences. Under Anglo-American Law, a crime is an illegal act committed by a person who has criminal

intent. For a long time, it was presumed that children under 14 were unlikely to have criminal intent, but

that is starting to change. In a recent U.S. News article, Ted Gest notes “ The Massachusetts House of

Representatives has voted to require that accused murderers as young as 14 be tried as adults,...Oregon, last

year lowered it’s minimum age from 14 to 12, and Wisconsin put it’s at 10”(Gest 30). Many Juvenile

Courts have now discarded of this defense and hav!

e found that delinquent acts can be committed by children of any age.

The number of teenage arrests and crime as a whole is devastating. “One fifth of all persons arrested

for crimes are under 18 years of age,...grossly underreported common offenses include vandalism,

shoplifting, underage drinking, and using marijuana”(Streib 285). Most Juvenile Crime is a group or gang

activity. “Gangs are developed to carry out criminal acts, such as petty thievery and mugging”(Streib 285).

Now, the question is why