Juvenile Delinquency
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY:
CRIMINALIZATION IN BLACK YOUTH
Juvenile delinquency is regarded as a serious social problem in the United States and many other countries. It has caused increasing public concern, but it is by no means a new problem. Young people formed violent street gangs in American cities during the 1800 's, and delinquency rates were reported rising during the early 1900 's. Delinquency is found in all nations and is particularly widespread in highly industrialized nations that have large cities. The legal age at which a person is considered to be a juvenile varies from place to place. Most states in the United States define anyone less than 18 years of age as a juvenile. New York considers anyone under 17 a juvenile. In Canada, juveniles may be those under the age of 16. Most states allow youngsters who are young enough for juvenile-court handling to be tried by regular criminal courts under certain circumstances. http://www.worldbookonline.com Explaining crime and delinquency is a complex task. A multitude of factors exist that contribute to the understanding of what leads someone to engage in delinquent behavior. While biological and psychological factors hold their own merit when explaining crime and delinquency, perhaps social factors can best explain juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency is a massive and growing problem in America. The social causes of juvenile delinquency encompass a wide array of theories that have been set forth by criminologists and sociologists. Some theorists view delinquency as a function of the individual while others view delinquency as a macro level function of society. Many of the theories that will be presented will be applicable to at least some instances of crime and delinquency in society. Crime is such a diverse topic, that the explanation of this social problem is just as diverse. It is important to note the distinction between crime and delinquency. Where as a crime is an act that breaks criminal
CRIMINALIZATION IN BLACK YOUTH
Juvenile delinquency is regarded as a serious social problem in the United States and many other countries. It has caused increasing public concern, but it is by no means a new problem. Young people formed violent street gangs in American cities during the 1800 's, and delinquency rates were reported rising during the early 1900 's. Delinquency is found in all nations and is particularly widespread in highly industrialized nations that have large cities. The legal age at which a person is considered to be a juvenile varies from place to place. Most states in the United States define anyone less than 18 years of age as a juvenile. New York considers anyone under 17 a juvenile. In Canada, juveniles may be those under the age of 16. Most states allow youngsters who are young enough for juvenile-court handling to be tried by regular criminal courts under certain circumstances. http://www.worldbookonline.com Explaining crime and delinquency is a complex task. A multitude of factors exist that contribute to the understanding of what leads someone to engage in delinquent behavior. While biological and psychological factors hold their own merit when explaining crime and delinquency, perhaps social factors can best explain juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency is a massive and growing problem in America. The social causes of juvenile delinquency encompass a wide array of theories that have been set forth by criminologists and sociologists. Some theorists view delinquency as a function of the individual while others view delinquency as a macro level function of society. Many of the theories that will be presented will be applicable to at least some instances of crime and delinquency in society. Crime is such a diverse topic, that the explanation of this social problem is just as diverse. It is important to note the distinction between crime and delinquency. Where as a crime is an act that breaks criminal
Cited: LOGAN, SADYE L. M. THE BLACK FAMILY. UNITED STATES: WESTVIEW PRESS, INC, 2001. GIBBONS, DON C. "JUVENILE DELINQUENCY." WORLD BOOK ONLINE REFERENCE CENTER. 2007. ONLINE. INTERNET. 26 NOV. 2007 http://www.worldbookonline.com http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org http://www.eric.ed.gov