Juvenile Justice

Tony Chavira

Abstract

Summarize key points and specifically address the overall decrease in juvenile crime, the increase in drug offenses and the implication for juvenile females and minorities. Conclude with recommendations for the future.

Since the beginning of time there has been crimes and criminal activity dealing with all types of Criminals. There has been much debate on how a criminal is created and much of that debate leads to juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency tends to start with careless behavior. Juvenile delinquency is stated to be a criminal or antisocial behavior of juveniles. Juvenile delinquents are usually considered to be in need of treatment, rehabilitation, Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency works to improve the understanding of serious delinquency, violence, and drug use by examining youth development in the context of family, school, peers, and community. Summarizing and specifically addressing the overall decrease in juvenile crime as well as the increase in drug offenses, assaults and the implications for juvenile females and minorities. Addressing the decrease in juvenile delinquency has been a question through out law enforcement.

There are several answers for the decline in juvenile delinquency the primary reason is the type of crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigations tracks four offenses murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault in its Violent Crime Index. The juvenile arrest rate for each of these offenses has been declining steadily since the mid-1990s; for murder, the rate fell 70% from its 1993 peak through 2001(Snyder 2003). These findings are derived from data reported annually by local law enforcement agencies across the country to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Based on these data, the FBI prepares its annual Crime in the United States report, which summarizes crimes known to the police and arrests made during the reporting calendar year. (Snyder 2003)These four types of crimes have declined yet there is still are the various different crime trends that do not fall in this index. Another reason that juvenile delinquency is at a decline is because of the aging out process. One view is that the relationship is constant: regardless of race, sex, social class, intelligence, or any other social variable, people commit less crime as they age (Snyder 2003). This is referred to as the aging-out process, sometimes called desistance from crime, or spontaneous remission. According to some experts, even the most chronic juvenile offenders will commit less crime as they age. (Snyder, 2003) One type of situational crime prevention effort targets locales that are known to be the scene of repeated delinquent activity. By focusing on a hot spot for example, a shopping mall, Public Park, or housing project law enforcement efforts can be used to crack down on crime and reduce juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency has begun to be linked to a major problem which is drug use and drug offenses. Abusers are particularly crime prone, so as drug use levels increase, so too do crime rates.

As juvenile crime rates rose there was a steady link to drugs. Abusers are particularly prone to crime, so as drug use levels increase, so too do crime rates. There are many reasons that juvenile delinquency is linked to drugs one of the reasons tend to focus on organized crime targeting juveniles. Organized crimes as well as gangs focus on juveniles and target juveniles because they work cheaply, Are immune from heavy criminal penalties, and are daring and willing to take risks. (Snyder 2003) Drugs are also linked to juvenile delinquency because of its availability and