Introduction
Any criminal activity should be handled with the urgency that it deserves to create a conducive environment for a better stay. This paper seeks to investigate the reason why juvenile delinquency is on the rise and how drugs influence the criminal activities in the juvenile.
Why the juvenile delinquency system has failed
Despite the efforts to exercise juvenile justice in the past century through rehabilitation and courts involvement in America, it has been of low significance due to the failure to acknowledge that most of the juvenile cases are a result of other factors, for example, peer influence, low self-control, and failure of carrying out a mental check (Weakley, 2010). Additionally, parents are the ones who know the strengths and weaknesses of the children since they spend most of their time together, their suggestions and views towards the crime committed should be handled with a lot of concern to help in determining the best cause of action to restore the convicted criminal to normalcy. Otherwise, the juvenile will try as much as possible just to realize that the same problem reappears despite the corrective measures put in place (Wolcott, 2003 ). The adults stay with the children most of the time and can monitor them well, however, the children in America being aware of the laws that protect them from harassment and punishment from parents enables them to deliberately indulge in all sorts of things including drug abuse of which affects their way of life now and in future. Referencing from the bible “Exodus 20:12,” it is written that children should obey their parents, how comes a youth/ child can take the parent to court instead of discussing the problem to find a solution. Above all the corrective measures that youth should face, the determinant is either the parents or the guardian who have much of the history and the traits that would help shape or restore the ethical behavior of the child (Whitehead et al., 2010).
Suitable punishment for violent offenders
Most of the time the juvenile offenders are heavily punished for petty offenses which are a result of emotional reactions due to low self-control, while the adults who commit terrible and brutal offenses are lightly punished. However, the parents’ failure to punish the children during their upbringing would lead to then corporal punishment. Before the juvenile offenders are punished, it would be better that they undergo medical tests to confirm their mental status, this would help to determine if the crime may have been a result of a mental disorder (Weakley, 2010).). The juvenile offenders in most cases are not responsible for the offenses they commit, under such cases it would be needless to administer corporal punishment, and instead the cause of the offense should be resolved. Through organizing for social counseling groups, the juvenile offenders who are not frequent frequently in and out of jail should be counseled and allowed to resume their daily chores with close administration from the selected counselors to ascertain the total character change.
Additionally, they should be allowed to join anti-drug campaign groups to model their character and perception towards drug use. The development argument at present rejects punishment administered to the children being that the children have the right to report abuse and punishment in America, the situation is seemingly worsening due to the fear of parents to exercise their duty in the child upbringing (Whitehead et al., 2010). It is the parents who know the characters of their children and are likewise able to correct them where they are wrong. The potion of illegalizing punishment administered to the youths and the children due to the development is not in order.
Police officers role as street social workers
Due to the latest technology, criminal activities have also advanced in a way that criminals can influence the youths with drugs to allow them to commit a crime. However, the police force had to undergo along with term specialization and professionalism to shape the approach and interaction with the youths and children. This was enhanced through the recruitment of more and better-educated police officers and the introduction of police refresher training to update and create more specialization areas (Watley, 2010). This was sought in the quest to shift the police function to encourage greater centralization in the provision of social services compared to the social workers who are mostly not available within the central business district, this is in favor of further proficient crime control.
The police officer just like the parents does understand that some of the behaviors that lead to delinquency are a result of peer influence, and the youths being of low self-esteem are prone to influence (Mackrow, 2008). The only way is to understand the cause of the drug use. Taking for
example in a home setup, when a parent realizes that one of the daughters or sons is under influence of drugs, it would be difficult to correct the wrong habit at the same time unless the affected is sober (Lype, 2009). In the past, the police have helped the youth’s a great deal, for example; the lost, bobbed and the stranded youths in the streets taking them to the recreation centers, safeguarding them from the traffic due to the complexity of road network systems in the US and at times referring them to the social agencies. These situations lead to professionalism in the line of duty and personal attributes hitherto, the police in the US are perceived to be guiding, assisting, and working together with the citizens to make America a better place to belong hence the police officer must play the role of the street social workers (Holier, 2010).
Impact of drugs on juvenile delinquency
The research carried out in America shows that the recent trend in the use of drugs by the youth is on the decline. However, the number of youths under influence of drugs remains high. Abuse of drugs does not only lead to delinquent behavior, it can also lead to anti-social attitudes and health-related problems which do not only affect the individual and the family, also the community and society respectively (Frontline, 1999). Youths under influence of drugs are a threat to the society, having limited sources of obtaining funds to sustain the vise often leads to the urge to obtain financial support through other dubious means for example; robbery, stealing from the parents and any other person, mismanaging the properties and business finance for selfish gain or dropping from college and other academic institutions as a result of frustrations and poor performance.
Anxiety and luck of self esteem among the addicts at times would lower the ability to exercise self control leading to frequent petty offences that would have been controlled if it were not for the drugs (Brian Brown, 2010).).
The use of hard drugs like cocaine, marijuana and other nicotinic drugs by the youths would lead to sexual activeness hitherto having a positive feeling towards the opposite sex, most of the youths especially boys and young men find involve themselves in rape cases leading to delinquency. Some of the offences that the youths commit under influence of drugs are petty hence require minor corrections (Chuck, 2010).). However, having been under influence of drugs, they get difficulties in admitting the offence leading necessitating their longer stay in the delinquency. Unlike the adults, who may flash back on the pending projects due to the drug use, the youths are un able to understand the problems that may arise due to the frequent delinquency cases being that they entirely depends on the support from the parents, it then only few of them have responsibilities that awaits (Whitehead et al., 2010). Therefore it is with content to affirm that dugs create an impact on juvenile delinquency.
Conclusion
Juvenile delinquency can be controlled through the parental involvement in the issues regarding their children; this will also lower the chances of the children being involved in the use of drugs at tender age. However, authorizing the children to convict their parents in a court of law however much they are offended should not be the case in America; this will lead to more cases of criminal activities as the children will not obey the instructions from the parents anymore.
References
Brian Brown (2010). Juvenile Offenders. Web.
Chuck, H (2010). Justice & Juvenile Justice Systems. Web.
Frontline (1999). Juvenile Vs. Adult Justice: A century of change. Web.
Holier, J (2010). Criminal Justice Advice. Web.
Lype, M (2009). Criminal Justice makes bad boys worse: Study.
Mackrow, J (2008). Criminology and Criminal Juvenile Offenders. Web.
Watley, J (2010). How to become a Juvenile Probation Counselor. Web.
Weakley, T (2010). What is the national Juvenile Recidivism Rate? Web.
Whitehead, J.T. & Lab, S.P. (2010). 6th Edi. Juvenile Justice. New York: Academic Books.