DEFINITION:When a minor violates anything under the law or participates in an illegal behavior, is called as juvenile delinquency (Wheeler, 1968).

Paul Tappan (1949), on the other hand, classifies juvenile delinquency as a normal behavior. ... Many experts argue on what should be the concrete definition of juvenile delinquency. ... Having no precise definition does not hinders anyone to know and have enough knowledge about juvenile delinquency (Robinson, 1970).

WHO SHOULD BE BLAME:People that don't agree with juvenile delinquents being tried as adult blame the parents of the juvenile that committed the crime. They also blame the environment in which the child was race. They said that most of the juvenile delinquents come from broken up families. They also said that the juvenile delinquents most of the time come from poor neighborhood in which delinquency is the only way to get around. When those who opposed juvenile delinquents being tried as adult say that most delinquents come from broken families they mean to say that in the juvenile house hold one of the parents is missing. Consequently the other parent needs to take responsibility for both the missing parent and him or herself. Most of the time the parent that is left home with the child needs to go out in the street to work double shift jobs and is force to leave the juvenile on attended.

Why is there a Rise in Child Delinquency Today?

It has become apparent in my generation that the rate of teenage and even younger children becoming juveniles is growing each and every year. So much has changed over the past few decades, but what has caused our families to be torn apart by those who are half of our age and have not even graduated high school yet? In my lifetime alone, I have seen the rate of juvenile delinquency skyrocket and it continues to threaten all innocent people as they go about their daily routines that life gives them. Could it be the familys fault that they did not care for their child or did not pay enough attention to him or her? Does divorce or separation of the childs parents have an impact on the childs behavior? Not to mention, how much pressure does a group of friends really have on a teenagers actions? It is real, and it is happening every where around us, but the only question is why?

It is a common assumption that children get their behaviors from their family and their friends. What many parents do not realize is that, from the minute of birth, all children have a natural attraction to their parents. As the children grow up, often times the parents are too busy to pay any attention to them, basically allowing them to do whatever they want and to be with whomever they please. The next thing they know, their baby boy is on the cover of the local newspaper for selling drugs or shooting the older man down the street. Often times, the crimes are now that severe but are usually juvenile acts such as vandalism, abuse, or breaking into anothers house. So, all of this stems from the parents not paying enough attention to their children, some may be asking themselves? Sometimes this is true; however, the biggest influence on childrens behavior is yet to come. By definition, parenting is the rearing of a child or children, especially the care, love, and guidance given by a parent.

Juvenile Delinquency Prevention

Education

Model programs have assisted families and children by providing them with information. Some programs inform parents on how to raise healthy children; some teach children about the effects of drugs, gangs, sex, and weapons; and others aim to express to youth the innate worth they and all others have. All of these programs provide youths with the awareness that their actions have consequences. This is particularly important in an era where youth are barraged with sexual and violent images. Educational programs have the underlying intent of encouraging hope and opening up opportunities for young people. Recreation One of the immediate benefits of recreational activities is that they fill unsupervised after-school hours. The Department of Education has reported that youths are most likely to commit crimes between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., with crime rates peaking at 3 p.m. Recreation programs allow youths to connect with other adults and children in the community. Such positive friendships may assist children in later years. Youth programs are designed to fit the personalities and skills of different children and may include sports, dancing, music, rock climbing, drama, karate, bowling, art, and other activities. Community Involvement Girl scouts, boy scouts, church youth groups, and volunteer groups all involve youth within a community. Involvement in community groups provide youth with an opportunity to interact in a safe social environment.

Society places a heavy burden on families by assigning responsibility for childrearing to parents. Families must transmit values so as to lead children to accept rules that they are likely to perceive as arbitrary. It should be no surprise, therefore, to find that family life bears a strong relation to juvenile delinquency.

Family life can be viewed from three general perspectives. The first is structure: Who lives within a household? The second is interaction: How do the family members treat one another? And the third is social setting: What is the nature of the community in which the family can be found? Each of these perspectives contributes information relevant to understanding the impact of family life on juvenile delinquency.

Juvenile delinquency is defined differently in different cultures, and responses to juvenile delinquents differ also.