Crime does not occur randomly, it is part of a culture, values, economic, political, social conflicts… in which we are all immersed. Many young people lack plans or vital projects and are considered incapable of adapting to the social environment, which is why they often take delinquency as an alternative path of conduct. In this Psychology-Online article we will address the phenomenon of Juvenile Delinquency. We will see what it is, what are its causes and consequences as well as the types of young delinquents what we can find and how this phenomenon can be prevented. We hope it is useful.
What is juvenile delinquency?
The juvenile delinquency refers to all those crimes committed by children who have not yet reached the age of majority. In the case of Spain and responding to a legal definition, we would focus on the ages between 14 and 18 according to the Minor Responsibility Law. A more criminological definition would cover not only the behaviors that constitute criminal offenses but also others such as alcoholism, drug addiction, school truancy… The age range could even be expanded to include people under 25 years of age, not 18.
For decades this phenomenon has been studied and, above all, what are the causes that can lead a minor to commit crimes, since it is normally a multi-causal phenomenon as we will see later. Almost all countries have specific courts to deal with this type of crime (Juvenile Court) as well as detention centers intended only for minors.
Causes of juvenile delinquency
Within the causes of juvenile delinquency we can find various theories that have tried to explain the phenomenon by bringing together different factors. The theories are divided into:
Psychobiological theories
These theories maintain that the origin of criminal behavior is found in the presence of various genetic, psychobiological and psychophysiological factors that influence, both in isolation and in relation to each other, the impulse towards the individual to commit the criminal act. Some examples: excess aggressiveness, pathological states, genetic anomalies…
Psychomoral theories
Presence of biophysiological, psychological, sociological or moral factors responsible for forming in the individual a personality prone to crime. For example, factors such as egocentrism, aggressiveness, emotional indifference, emotional lability…
Psychosocial theories
These theoretical explanations focus on the fact that crime is the result of the interaction between different individual, social and situational stimuli. Those subjects who lack personal resources suitable individuals will be more vulnerable to committing crimes when presented with the stimulus in question.
Conflict theories
In this case, it is the internal contradictions of modern societies that cause the criminal act to be unleashed. Frustration, social instability of the times in which we live and resentment towards an uncertain future can cause aggression and criminal behavior.
Critical or radical theories
They conceive crime as a mere label that has been socially imposed on the lowest and poorest classes by all those who exercise formal and informal control. Crime would become not something real but artificial.
Consequences of juvenile delinquency
The consequences of juvenile delinquency encompass both administrative, psychological and social issues.
Legal consequences
- Therapeutic confinement
- Day center assistance
- Weekend center stay
- Outpatient treatment
- Benefits for the benefit of the community
- Carrying out socio-educational tasks
- Coexistence with another person, family member or educational group
- Deprivation of driving licenses or the right to have one
- Absolute disqualification
- Banns
Consequences for the individual and for society
The most common consequences that can be found are:
- Mental imbalance
- Family disintegration or deterioration of the family nucleus
- Sexual promiscuity and lack of
- Common sexual diseases
- Premature deaths due to street fights
- Loss of values
Types of crime
Juvenile delinquency can appear in different circumstances. Acts of juvenile delinquency can be classified as follows:
- occasion behaviors: behaviors that young people adopt when they have to get used to social life and rules with which they are not yet familiar. They tend to be the minor criminal behaviors, the low-grade ones.
- Transition behaviors: encompasses more severe criminal behavior in a more limited period of time. They are usually responses to changes at school, in the family…
- condition behaviors: associated with young people who persist in maintaining their antisocial behavior, affecting their lifestyle more seriously and developing what is known as a criminal career.
Types of juvenile delinquents
According to a classification based on cognitive-behavioral that analyzes crime vs. criminal typology, juvenile delinquents have been classified into:
The insolent
It presents a psychological structure and a behavioral pattern conditioned by a disorder of the socializing and educational function of the paternal bond. He is the most common criminal of all and is impulsive, possessing a poor self-concept, poor interpersonal skills, and an oppositional attitude regarding social norms. It is the one that has a greater probability of social reintegration since its resilient processes are stagnant but with the possibility of changing it.
The type of violence does not usually have a fixed motivation or planning, it is rather impulsive and instrumental and often under the effects of drugs or alcohol. Some examples of crimes would be:
- Minor property crimes
- Burglaries in homes
- Theft in commerce
- Vehicle theft
- Scams
- Violations of social regulations
The indolent
It presents a psychological structure and behavioral patterns conditioned by the disorder of the nurturing function “maternal bond.” Shows attachment and empathy disorders which impairs their ability to maintain interpersonal ties over time in addition to being unable to recognize needs and feelings of other people. Low impulse control and can reach high levels of aggressiveness. The possibility of rehabilitation is low because their resilience levels are minimal.
Some examples of crimes they can commit are:
- Major crimes against people
- sexual abuse
- Violations
- Simple homicides
- Robbery with violence
- Attacks with serious injuries
- Kidnappings
The incorrigible
The least common type of all. He has a higher level of violent recidivism and usually acts alone. They are the most dangerous in terms of their expressiveness and criminal potential. The level of psychopathology It is global and usually presents acute disorders both in socializing and educational and nurturing functions. They usually do not feel remorse and exhibit extreme violence coming to enjoy the suffering of others. Their chances of rehabilitation are slim since it is likely that at an early age these individuals have not developed psychological processes associated with empathy and resilience.
Some examples of crimes:
- Felonies and crimes
- Serial rapes
- Kidnappings with torture
- Robbery with homicide
- serial homicides
- Cannibalism
- Attacks with fatal results
Factors that influence juvenile delinquency
In addition to the causes of juvenile delinquency, there are many circumstances that can promote and maintain it or just the opposite. Next we will see these factors:
Risk factor’s
We find, on the one hand, the risk factors. These can negatively affect the development of young people’s behavior and can lead to situations of greater tension, lack of emotional control, criminal behavior…
- Individual factors: low intelligence, difficult temperament in childhood, hyperactivity, low self-control, poor relationships with peers, cognitive traits such as the tendency to attribute responsibility for their behavior to external agents, attribution of hostile behavior at a social level, etc. ..
- Family factors: family stress, abuse, neglect, hostile, critical and punitive parenting style.
- Factors linked to the peer group: membership in a group of peers involved in criminal activities.
- Social or community factors: residing in areas with low community engagement, high unemployment rate, lack of legitimate opportunities, lack of trust in neighbors, and low levels of common participation.
- Socioeconomic and cultural factors: poverty and youth unemployment.
Protection factors
On the other hand, protective factors appear, which are all those variables that attenuate the effect of the risk factors present in individuals, responsible for reducing the probability of developing the aforementioned problems.
- Individual factors: female gender, high intelligence, internal control and resistant temperament.
- Social links: affection, emotional support and good family relationships.
- Healthy Beliefs and Strong Behavior Models: learning solid norms and values, commitment to moral and social values, good reference models.
How to prevent juvenile delinquency?
Experts agree that preventive interventions should be initiated from childhood, they should be offered to all places and populations and also involving not only young people but also the people around them and their immediate environment. All sectors of society must be involved in the prevention of youth crime to obtain more optimal results.
Professionals also emphasize that the most appropriate form of prevention is not primary, from a more general level, but secondary and tertiary because they allow direct changes to be seen in minors. On the other hand, the primary intervention must be constant over time so that it can obtain some type of result.
Regarding important factors to take into account for prevention by the individuals in question: impulse control and the level of self-image and self-concept. Many young people strive to be valued socially with harmful and/or criminal behavior, it is at this point that we must work.
Measures collected by UNICEF
- The prevention of juvenile delinquency is a part essential of crime prevention in society.
- All society must ensure good development of adolescents.
- We must focus on the well-being of young people from early childhood.
- Develop measures that avoid criminalizing and penalizing the child for conduct that does not cause serious harm or harm others.
- The family is the central unit in charge of the social integration of the child. It should be tried preserve family integrity both by governments and by itself…