Juvenile delinquency

Juvenile delinquency refers to the participation of minors in illegal behavior or activities. The term is used to describe the actions of children or adolescents who have not reached the age of majority, but commit acts that would be considered criminal if they were adults.

Definition

Juvenile delinquency is a legal term that refers to behavior of children and adolescents, under the legal age, which in many states is 18, that would be considered criminal if committed by an adult. It is also referred to as "juvenile offending", and each state has its own age range for what it considers a juvenile.

Causes

There are numerous causes of juvenile delinquency, including domestic violence, living in areas of poverty and high crime rates, and lack of parental supervision. Other factors that may lead a teenager into juvenile delinquency include poor or low socioeconomic status, poor school readiness/performance and/or failure and peer rejection.

Prevention

Prevention services may include activities such as substance abuse education and counseling, family counseling, mentoring, parenting education, educational support, and youth sheltering. Increasing availability and use of family planning services, including education and contraceptives helps to reduce unintended pregnancy and unwanted births, which are risk factors for delinquency.

Treatment

Treatment of juvenile delinquency can be divided into two types: community treatment and residential treatment. Community treatment involves providing services to youth within their own communities. Residential treatment involves removing juveniles from their homes and placing them in a structured environment that provides a range of services, such as education, psychological services, and life skills development.

See also

• Juvenile court
• Juvenile justice
• Youth detention center