Juvenile delinquency is a societal problem since it threatens many families and communities in general. Due to the recent trends, there is a need to develop intervention for both the youth and their families.
There are so many causes of delinquency behaviors. It is only after assessing them, that preventive measures can be attained and subsequently, reduction of the already scarily trend which is in existence today.
Family factors are particularly the most important factors that can be helpful in creating intervention for youths. To start with, even some of the individual factors that cause incidences of delinquency behaviors are primarily caused by family problems that are in existence.
Abuses by the parent are the main causes of aggression that exists with the children and in turn, what promotes them to engage in delinquency behaviors. It is usually the failures of the families to instill good morals, which are likely to cause the children to engage in violent activities (Siegel, 2008).
A good relationship between the child and the parent can go a long way in avoiding such incidences as children get to share with their parents what they may be troubled about in their lives. The performance of the child in school is one of the individual factors that are likely to cause the child to get involved in violent behaviors.
This can easily be solved especially when the family is committed since they can even hire a tutor that would help out the child in his/her studies. Children develop aggression qualities from the lack of involvement of the parents in their lives; this is one of the individual factors that are most likely to cause the child to be involved in violent behavior (Rouček, 1970).
A commitment by the parents where they are always in knowledge of the activities that children are involved in, would be a quality solution in ensuring that children are not violent. It is also notable that family may seek help for the child, if they find the child with an urge to get involved in violent behaviors and this would in turn minimize the risk of the child being violent.
The best way to intervene in preventing delinquency behavior among the youths is first accessing the risk factors that cause the youth in the first place to be involved in these behaviors. In this case, the family intervention would be the best way to go about it.
The fact that parenting may not be in its best, calls for the parents to get to be taught on the best way of parenting, for the benefit of their children and how well to provide family support. Having a well-established family setup can be a good way of ensuring that children are well focused on doing what is right and they have a lower risk of not getting involved in violent behaviors.
Other ways that children can get is being enrolled in bad behaviors such as getting involved in drugs. This would also be minimized when the youth are brought up in a family with strong family relations (Headman, 2008).
However, it is notable that this method may not work well if the youth is already incarcerated. In such a scenario, an individual approach would be more favorable since the child is getting minimal contact with the family.
Risk factors are indicators of the path way the youth take that leads to serious violent or chronic juvenile delinquency. Researches that have been carried out in reference to the risk factors are instrumental in ensuring that interventions have been found out.
Study of risk factors are also influential in making of a framework that have approaches that aim at preventing delinquency behaviors among the youth. Some of the risk factors that have been associated with the delinquency behaviors include but not limited to the following.
Prenatal and perennial factors, psychological, behavioral, and mental characteristics as well as the influence by the youth are the main causes of violent behaviors. However, other social factors are also inclusive in development of these behaviors; among them are family factors and community factors.
On the other hand, protective factors are conditions that counter the risk factors or increase resistance to the risk factors (Howell, 2003). Preventive effort that comes with preventive factors seeks to reduce the risk factors.
In turn, they promote presence of a health development and avert health to encourage good behavior trends. It is also notable that if risk reduction effort addresses risk and protective factors it is more likely to become effective.
Parent and Child Training Series is one of the intervening means of preventing presence of delinquency behaviors among children. The method has a mission statement of taking children as the most important human beings and the only way to ensure they are stable both emotionally and socially is by establishing a caring relationship between the child and the parent.
The approach ensures the children get the necessary social support that relives the stress they may be undergoing. The method succeeds in making sure that the children get encouragement, attain problem solving skills, and a way of handling misbehaviors (Webster, 2008). Development of these skills ensures the children are well equipped to such an extent that they are less likely to engage in delinquency behaviors.
National Institute on Drug Abuse is also can other way of fighting delinquency behavior. By carrying out research, these institutions ensure the parents as well as the community is knowledgeable of the drugs that children use, which have high likelihood of committing crime.
Such information is important in ensuring that the society is successful in fighting the usage of drugs which subsequently may lead to involvement in delinquency behaviors. It is also notable that this organization is instrumental in funding research important for statistic purpose. Multisystem Therapy Programs are programs that are inclusive of families, community, friends, neighbors, schools, and even teachers.
The programs focus on ensuring that all these in stations are incorporated in fighting chronic and violent behaviors among the youth. It is also notable that this program works with the toughest offenders in the society. The program focuses on treating the environmental problems that causes delinquency behavior among the youth.
The program has the goals of minimizing any social behavior among the youth in the society as well as empowering families against any family difficulties (Henggeler, 2002). Through development of other supportive programs, the program incorporates all the affected parties and has shown much success through the years after it was started out.
The paper is keen to note that there are so many risk factors that are associated with delinquent behavior. However, the family relation is notably one of the best ways to ensure that the child does not engage in these behaviors as family dictates the character of the youth.
However, other intervening and preventive measures are also required to ensure that children are not affected by this problem. Parent and Child Training Series are some of the programs that have seen much success in preventing these behaviors. However, the entire society has a responsibility of ensuring that it assists in preventing this problem.
References
Headman, N. C. (2008). Juvenile Delinquency: Are We Doing the Right Things To Make a Difference? Web.
Henggeler, W.S.. (2002, October 11). Multisystemic Therapy Program. Web.
Howell, J. C. (2003). Preventing & reducing juvenile delinquency: a comprehensive framework. New Delhi: SAGE.
Siegel L J.,. Weilsh B. (2008). Juvenile delinquency: theory, practice, and law. Califonia: Cengage Learning.
Rouček, J. S. (1970). Juvenile delinquency. New York: Ayer Publishing.
Webster, C. (2002, October 11). The Incredible Years: Parents, Teachers, And Children Training Series. Web.