Delinquency Deterrence: Punishment For Violating The Law
Delinquency Deterrence Punishment for violating the laws can be lenient or they can be harsh, and they can be used to prevent others from committing crimes as well as deterring people from becoming repeat offenders. People assume that juveniles are not rational beings; meaning that they do not know the difference between right and wrong and that they do not understand the consequences following their actions, however that assumption is wrong because juveniles can be deterred from committing delinquent acts by knowing that they may be punished for the act committed.
General deterrence is the belief that if juveniles know how severe the punishment is for committing crimes they will not commit the crime. This form
of prevention refers to the pain one would suffer for breaking the law would outweigh the benefits of partaking in criminal activities (Siegel & Walsh, 2005). An example of general deterrence would be setting mandatory minimum sentences for certain delinquent acts to deter the youth from committing crimes based on the knowledge that a harsher punishment will be imposed for a crime that would not receive such harsh punishments. Specific deterrence refers to juveniles receiving severe punishments for delinquent acts assuming that the experiences will keep them from committing similar acts and prevent them from becoming repeat offenders. An example of specific deterrence is when a juvenile who was caught shoplifting in a specific store can no longer enter that store prevents the juvenile from shopping in a store that they like. That individual may think twice before deciding to steal from a store. Situational crime prevention strategies are designed to make the opportunity to commit delinquent acts extremely difficult resulting in convincing juveniles that the risks for committing such acts are greater than the rewards (Siegel & Walsh, 2005). Examples of this method are neighborhood watch programs and placing theft detecting devices on video games, CDs, DVDs, and beauty products to ensure that those types of products are less likely to get stolen. I personally think that situational crime prevention is the best method used to control juvenile crime. This method works best because these strategies can be controlled and executed by law enforcement as well as manufacturers of products, and stores to ensure that merchandise is paid for and not stolen. Situational crime prevention makes it harder for criminal acts to be committed by people, specifically juveniles. These preventative measures are a new form of security to ensure that children are obeying the laws.
References
Siegel, L. J. & Welsh, B. C. (2005). Juvenile delinquency: The core. (2nd ed.).
Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
General deterrence is the belief that if juveniles know how severe the punishment is for committing crimes they will not commit the crime. This form
of prevention refers to the pain one would suffer for breaking the law would outweigh the benefits of partaking in criminal activities (Siegel & Walsh, 2005). An example of general deterrence would be setting mandatory minimum sentences for certain delinquent acts to deter the youth from committing crimes based on the knowledge that a harsher punishment will be imposed for a crime that would not receive such harsh punishments. Specific deterrence refers to juveniles receiving severe punishments for delinquent acts assuming that the experiences will keep them from committing similar acts and prevent them from becoming repeat offenders. An example of specific deterrence is when a juvenile who was caught shoplifting in a specific store can no longer enter that store prevents the juvenile from shopping in a store that they like. That individual may think twice before deciding to steal from a store. Situational crime prevention strategies are designed to make the opportunity to commit delinquent acts extremely difficult resulting in convincing juveniles that the risks for committing such acts are greater than the rewards (Siegel & Walsh, 2005). Examples of this method are neighborhood watch programs and placing theft detecting devices on video games, CDs, DVDs, and beauty products to ensure that those types of products are less likely to get stolen. I personally think that situational crime prevention is the best method used to control juvenile crime. This method works best because these strategies can be controlled and executed by law enforcement as well as manufacturers of products, and stores to ensure that merchandise is paid for and not stolen. Situational crime prevention makes it harder for criminal acts to be committed by people, specifically juveniles. These preventative measures are a new form of security to ensure that children are obeying the laws.
References
Siegel, L. J. & Welsh, B. C. (2005). Juvenile delinquency: The core. (2nd ed.).
Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.