The problem of domestic violence seems to be the most difficult as it occurs in relation to the family members who are expected to support each other. Domestic violence refers to those behaviors that are carried out with the intent to cause pain or harm to a family member. The characteristic feature of this crime is that it, as a rule, has a regular nature and continuous over long periods of time. In addition, victims of domestic violence, as well as those who observe it, are at the increased risk of violent behavior, which often creates a vicious cycle of violence that is difficult to break. In the case of Bresha Meadows, an Ohio teenager, the allegedly abusive behavior of her father led to the fact that she murdered him. As noted by her lawyer, Bresha “acted in self-defense after witnessing her father abuse her mother” (Jeltsen, 2017, para. 3). It is quite difficult to either accuse or justify her actions.
Another complicated issue relates to the conditions created for incarcerated juveniles. Focusing on Bresha’s case, it is possible to note that she lacks proper health care services and needs a supportive environment to rehabilitate. However, juvenile institutions cannot provide her with these basic needs. In this connection, the problem of the lack of adequate conditions seems to be a rather important and difficult one to resolve. On the one hand, juvenile offenders are to be punished for their illegal actions accordingly. On the other hand, their human rights are still to be ensured.
Personally, I consider the issue of juvenile crime prevention quite evident. Taking into account that many adolescents commit crimes due to poverty, malnutrition, violence, etc., it is necessary to strive to eliminate these factors. By engaging juveniles in society on a global scale and in the local community as well, it is possible to reduce crime rates. For example, special camps, platforms, and projects may be created based on various activities, be it harvesting, painting, or innovative technologies.
In other words, the key idea is to make sure that adolescents understand their value and potential and have opportunities to apply it in practice. At this point, I believe that the specific task of school in the field of crime prevention is to conduct early prevention by creating conditions that promote the adequate development of children and adolescents. For example, the identification of students who are prone to violating moral norms, the study of individual characteristics of students, and timely identification of typical crisis situations can be provided. The timely detected deviations in the behavior of children and adolescents and properly organized help can play an important role in preventing situations that can lead to juvenile crimes.
To sum it up, the weekly topics significantly improved and enlarged my views regarding juvenile justice. The review of the juvenile justice system showed that it is rather complicated and sometimes specific as it involves children and adolescents as both victims and offenders. Considering that the mentioned group is vulnerable and effective, it becomes even more difficult to handle juvenile crime cases. However, state agencies and federal organizations make their efforts to prevent such situations and appropriately resolve the occurred ones by developing new strategies and focusing on five elements of the system, such as law enforcement, defense attorneys, courts, prosecution, and correction.
Reference
Jeltsen, M. (2017, May 2). Teen accused of killing allegedly abusive father fights for freedom before trial. Huffington Post.