The effect definitions, both deviant and non-deviant, have on Adolescent Delinquent Behavior

The effect definitions, both deviant and non-deviant, have on Adolescent Delinquent Behavior

LITERATURE REVIEW

Delinquency is defined as the quality or state of offending by neglect or violation of duty or of law. When this definition is applied to children, there is a curious juxtaposition in the term “offending by neglect.” Consider that “between 50 to 75 percent of incarcerated youth have diagnosable mental health disorders with one out of every five having an SED (Coalition for Juvenile Justice, 2000).

Juvenile delinquency is an emphasized, nebulous, legal and social label for a wide variety of law and norm violating behaviors. Legally, a juvenile delinquent is one who commits an act defined by law as illegal and whom an appropriate court adjudicates “delinquent”. The legal definition is usually restricted to persons under 18, but states vary in their age distinctions (Bartol & Bartol, 1986).

According to Schwartz and Johnson (1985) the term Delinquency is a legal one, used to refer to juvenile (usually under the age of 18) who has committed an act would be considered illegal for an adult.

Delinquency is not a single entity - it is an enormous variety of different behaviors. The only element common to these behaviors is that law as delinquent defines them and they are committed by someone of juvenile age (Jenkins, Heidemann & Caputo, 1985).

By Focus Adolescent services (2003) the Los Angeles County Office of Education identifies truancy as the most powerful predictor of delinquency. Police departments across the nation report that many students not in school during regular hours are committing crimes,

Further they described absenteeism is detrimental to students' achievement, promotion, graduation, self-esteem, and employment potential. Clearly, students who miss school fall behind their peers in the classroom. This, in turn, leads to low self-esteem and increases the likelihood that at-risk students will drop out of school.

By General Assembly resolution (1990) a juvenile is every person under the age of 18. The age limit below which it should not be permitted to deprive a child of his or her liberty should be determined by law; The deprivation of liberty means any form of detention or imprisonment or the placement of a person in a public or private custodial setting, from which this person is not permitted to leave at will, by order of any judicial, administrative or other public authority.

According to Wilson and Howell (1993) that there are increase the chances that a juvenile will engage in behavior that can lead to delinquency. Risk factors include availability of drugs or firearms in the community, family conflict, a lack of commitment to school, and friends who engage in problem behavior.

Studies on the problem of the Juvenile deviation generally present two theoretical perspectives. Sociological and psychological. Despite the fact that psychology and sociology focus on different aspects of crime (sociology stresses the system, psychology the person), both disciplines concentrate their attention on the theme of "control”. Psychology emphasizes the personal or inner control that is determined by ...