Overview of

juvenile delinquency

Juvenile delinquency can be defined as "that behavior on the part of children, which may, under the law, subject those children to juvenile court laws." It is the legal invention of the 19th century that did not exist either under the English common law or under early Roman law. Both these legal systems regarded very young children as beyond the reach of the law, and for offenders between the ages of 7 and 14, provisions were made for the determination of the child's responsibility before the law. Once this determination was made, however, the child was either subject to the same criminal law as were adults, or he was beyond its reach. There were no special courts for juveniles.

Despite the enormous amount of study devoted to it, many questions about juvenile delinquency still remain unanswered. The term covers a wide range of legally forbidden acts committed by young people who may be anywhere from 10 to 25 years of age. The highly varied misbehavior of these young people, who differ greatly in personal background, development, experience, and situation, is no homogenous phenomenon. One view is that delinquent behavior develops when a youngster's rewards in terms of money and goods, excitement, fellowship or revenge out weighed the costs of getting caught.

The extent of youthful crime is hard to judge. There is no certainty regarding just how much delinquency there is in the United States or in any other country of the world, or whether the current amount represents an increase or a decrease over the past several decades. Many believe that the rate of juvenile delinquency today is higher than ever. The first juvenile court was established in Cook County, Ill in 1899. However, there is evidence that the rate of juvenile delinquency in the United States in the early 1900's and into the 1920's was as high as it is today (Collier's Encyclopedia).

Since the second World War, a substantial increase in juvenile convictions has been recorded. Between 1957 and 1965 there was a 58 percent increase in juvenile delinquency cases in the US (Collier's Encyclopedia). In 1969 juveniles accounted for more than half the arrests for auto thefts, burglary, and larceny. The first United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders was held in 1955. A second was held in 1960 and a third in 1965. Precise comparison of countries is impossible, but it is clear that juvenile delinquency is a serious problem in all industrialized nations.

As offenders, boys outnumber girls in a ratio of about 10:1. Crimes against property are by far the most frequent type of offense. These include stealing from shops, houses, and cars; and the unauthorized taking of cars, usually for joy riding. Theft seems to be associated more with the younger offender. Crimes against the person (assaults, fighting, robbery with violence), together with sex offenses and, in industrially developed countries, traffic offenses, come next and are more common among those aged from 17 to 21. Narcotic addiction and other types of drug dependence, though not always criminal offenses, are a relatively new and disturbing form of deviance which seems to be increasing rapidly. Under-age drinking and shoplifting are two specific offenses that cost Americans millions each year. Other alarming behaviors include truancy, drug usage, vandalism, bullying and joyriding. Over half cited “to impress others” and boredom as the top two reasons for their actions, followed by lack of money, peer pressure, lack of parental supervision and ability to "get away with it." In 1982, out of 100,000 total convictions and cautions, there were 5,028 male juveniles; in 1992 the figure was 3,764. The fall was greatest among boys between the ages of 10 and 13 (from 2,920 to 1,927). This shows that there has been improvement, but there is still much to do.

BACK to Juvenile Delinquency index page

This page created with Netscape Navigator Gold