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Delinquency Factors Tina Tompkins Liberty University Dr. Isaacson 01/25/2024

Abstract The juvenile justice system is responsible for punishing juvenile offenders within the criminal justice system. Like adult offenders, juvenile offenders commit crimes for various reasons. Juveniles are much more impressionable than adults due to their brain development not being complete. There are many factors that impact a juvenile’s probability of committing crimes and these factors may have a larger impact on youth than they would have on adults. These factors include education, family structure, abuse, drug use, economic status, racial disparities and even the neighborhoods in which these individuals reside. Though these factors do not directly cause criminal activity, these factors can lead to a higher chance of an individual committing various crimes. It is important that these factors are addressed and juvenile offenders receive the proper rehabilitation for the factors that led to their criminal activity occurring to prevent future recidivism and further crimes occurring as they become adults.

Delinquency Factors Introduction As with many actions that are committed throughout life, criminal activity occurs for various reasons. There are many variables as to what drives individuals to commit certain crimes. Throughout the history of criminal justice, many theorists have attempted to explain why individuals commit crimes and many of these theories are utilized today to help explain why crime occurs as well as to aid in the prevention of crime. Factors that impact an individual’s decision to commit crimes include their economic status, personal relationships, family background, culture and the neighborhoods in which they reside (Groeneveld & Breetzke, 2022). These factors that impact crime rates are not limited to affecting adult offenders, juvenile offenders are often influenced by the same factors as well. Though an individual exposed to these factors is not guaranteed to become a criminal, they may be more predisposed to having tendencies that may make them more likely to engage in criminal activity than those not exposed to the same factors. Factors Factors that impact delinquency can vary but can be unearthed when assessing juveniles after they have committed a crime. Family structure can impact a juvenile’s life choices greatly. Family relationships can impact a child in many ways that some may not understand. Juveniles from divorced, single-parent, or abusive families may be more likely to commit crimes. Children raised in single-parent or divorced households often receive less support and guidance than those raised in a healthy two-parent household. Outside influences leading to delinquent behavior are much more difficult to mitigate when both parents are not available to provide support and guidance for their children (Scott & Goulette, 2022). Abusive households can also have a

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substantial impact on juvenile delinquency as well. Childhood abuse can lead to many negative psychological impacts that can contribute to juvenile criminal activity (Wilkinson & Lantos, 2019). Mental illnesses and social disorders stemming from childhood abuse are risk factors for increased criminal activity for juveniles who have experienced abuse. Ensuring that juveniles receive proper mental healthcare when being processed through the justice system is an important aspect of successfully rehabilitating offenders who have been impacted by a negative family structure. Similarly to mental illness, substance abuse can also influence a juvenile’s behavior and increase the chances of them committing crimes. Juveniles are more likely to be peer pressured into trying drugs and other substances due to their lack of brain development and ability to make rational choices. Drug abuse does not directly cause a juvenile to commit crimes, but it does increase the probability of the individual committing crimes. This is similar to what is experienced with adult offenders. Individuals attempting to obtain money for drugs and having impaired judgment are more likely to commit criminal offenses than those who do not have a substance abuse issue (Sharma & Su, 2020). Drugs can also alter the behavior of individuals as well, leading to more violent outbursts, delusions and even sexually deviant behavior. Substance abuse resources are necessary to prevent further drug abuse-related crimes from occurring once a juvenile has been arrested. Education can greatly impact a juvenile’s decision to commit crimes. Poor academic performance has been associated with higher rates of juvenile delinquency. Juveniles that have been incarcerated are more likely to perform at a lower academic level than their peers. This can be due to unaddressed learning disabilities, lack of educational foundation from their families and even higher rates of dropping out of school (OJJDP, 2019). Due to the large impact

education can have on juveniles, the juvenile justice system focuses on providing educational resources while attempting to rehabilitate offenders. The reason for an educational focus on rehabilitation is to prevent recidivism based on poor choices stemming from a lack of proper education (Cox, Allen, Hanser & Conrad, 2021). Poor education can lead to other factors for delinquency including an individual’s social class and higher rates of criminal activity in the future. Geography can also impact the likelihood of a juvenile committing criminal offenses. Children raised in violent neighborhoods are more likely to commit crimes. This is because criminal behavior is abundant and often normalized as a part of everyday life in these areas. If these criminal behaviors are normalized, children are often more likely to partake as it is a way of life for many in violent neighborhoods. When criminal behavior is normalized and even reinforced by the individuals surrounding juveniles, the behavior is more likely to be replicated by young offenders. In comparison to youth from neighborhoods with significantly less criminal activity, those from violent and crime-ridden neighborhoods are more likely to commit crimes (Cox, Allen, Hanser & Conrad, 2021). The circle of violence is often repeated within these neighborhoods, creating the need for proper resources to prevent children from becoming a product of the environment in which they reside. Oftentimes, these more violent neighborhoods have a lower household economic status as well. Poor neighborhoods are more susceptible to crime as poverty leads to more crime occurring. Individuals are more likely to feel the need to commit crimes to make ends meet, through dealing drugs, stealing and even committing violent crimes like robbery and gang activity. Education within poor neighborhoods is also lacking as graduation rates are lower than in higher-class neighborhoods, leading to educational-related crime factors (Quednau, 2021).

Resources within poor neighborhoods are also lacking when compared to wealthier neighborhoods due to the lack of funding available to provide necessary resources. Without proper resources for individuals to obtain mental healthcare and substance abuse care crime rates may remain high. Racial factors also have a large influence on juvenile crime. Like other aspects of the criminal justice system, racial disparities are evident within the juvenile justice system. Though juveniles of all races can become juvenile offenders, within the United States African American youth are over four times more likely to be processed through the juvenile justice system. This is largely due to the socioeconomic status of African American youth. These juveniles are more likely to reside in violent neighborhoods that normalize crime and also have higher rates of social factors that lead to criminal activity (Rovner, 2023). It is important that racial disparities within the criminal justice system are addressed and all youth, regardless of race are provided with the same resources and opportunities as their white peers. If the same resources and considerations were made available for all youth, these racial disparities within the juvenile justice system may be reduced. Conclusion The rates at which juvenile offenders commit crimes are heavily impacted by various factors. These factors include drug use, family structure, educational resources, economic status, neighborhood influences and even racial disparities. Though these factors do not directly cause juveniles to commit criminal offenses, they can lead to a higher probability of crime occurring when compared to juveniles who have not been exposed to these factors. Rehabilitation is an important aspect of juvenile justice. Providing resources for juveniles who have been processed through the juvenile justice system is an important aspect of rehabilitating these young offenders

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and preventing recidivism. Without proper resources, juvenile offenders may become adult offenders and may commit more serious crimes if rehabilitation is not successful.

References Groeneveld, G., & Breetzke, G. D. (2022). The vagaries of variables: Towards a standardised approach for variable selection in Spatial Crime Research. Methodological Innovations , 15 (2), 152–162. https://doi.org/10.1177/20597991221091513 OJJDP. (2019). Education for Youth Under Formal Supervision of the Juvenile Justice System . OJJDP.gov. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/model-programs-guide/literature-reviews/education_for_youth_under_form al_supervision_of_the_juvenile_justice_system.pdf Quednau, J. (2021). How are violent crime r e violent crime rates in U.S. cities aff ates in U.S. cities affected b ected by poverty? . IWU. https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1530&context=parkplace Rovner, J. (2023). Black disparities in youth incarceration . The Sentencing Project. https://www.sentencingproject.org/fact-sheet/black-disparities-in-youth-incarceration/ Scott, D., Goulette, N., & Carson, S. (2022). Primary Caregiver Influence on Youth Correctional Misconduct. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31 (12), 3314-3325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826- 022-02412-z Sharma, Manoj, MBBS,PhD.M.C.H.E.S®, & Su, X., PhD. (2020). Association Between Alcohol and Drugs and Juvenile Delinquency: Implications for Alcohol and Drug Education. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 64 (2), 3-7. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly- journals/association-between-alcohol-drugs-juvenile/docview/2507258614/se-2

Wilkinson, A., Lantos, H., McDaniel, T., & Winslow, H. (2019). Disrupting the link between maltreatment and delinquency: How school, family, and community factors can be protective. BMC Public Health , 19 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6906-y

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