"Fixing" Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency is not a problem that can 'fixed' with one stiff punishment. It is formed by a series of interpretations that juveniles make of their environment, their surroundings, their peers, their parents and their future. Adolescents are smart. They are observant. The actions that we do today, reflect on us by the actions of our children.

Juveniles have to believe that they have a positive secure future. Studies have shown that juveniles practice disruptive and anti-establishment behavior because they are insecure about their future. Juveniles that do not well in school feel that they have more major hurdles to overcome than the average teenager. This then forms a sense of anxiety about what the future holds. Teenagers in this situation might turn to delinquent behavior in a way to 'escape' their problems. They might feel that they can succeed more through delinquent acts such as drug use, crime and gang behavior.

Juveniles that are brought up in poor family relationships also have a history of delinquency. Teenagers that are feeling neglected by their families, that feel that their emotional needs are not met, or that feel that they cannot communicate with their parents, are prone to join with other peers that might understand their situation. It is a normal situation in that people will form unions with other people that have similar problems. With this being said, if we have numerous teenagers that feel left out of their families or emotionally stranded by their families, then they will find each other. When they do find each other, they might form gangs. These gangs might commit illegal activities such as drug sales, gang violence or sexual abuse. The bottom line in combating gangs, is the establishment of the family and maintaining open communication.