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Risk and protective factors and interventions for reducing juvenile delinquency: a systematic review.

thesis juvenile delinquency

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 2.1. inclusion criteria, 2.2. exclusion criteria, 2.3. data sources and search strategy, 2.4. risk of bias assessment, 4. discussion, 5. limitations, 6. conclusions, author contributions, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Click here to enlarge figure

CriteriaNotes
Inclusion criteria
Participants- Any studies that sampled families, parents, guardians, or siblings or examined factors at the household level (familial dynamics).
- Any studies that examined factors or attributes that reduce the risk of recidivism or delinquency or factors that could be targeted for interventions (mitigating factors).
- Any studies that examined household-level strategies, programs, or interventions aimed at preventing or reducing recidivism and delinquency, including those that extend into the broader community, and their impacts on juvenile delinquency and recidivism (family-based interventions).
InterventionThe focus of the study was family-based interventions.
- Any studies that examined household-level strategies, programs, or interventions aimed at preventing or reducing recidivism and delinquency
ComparatorsAny studies with any comparator included.
OutcomesWe included any studies of interventions meeting the above criteria to determine the proportion that reported engagement outcomes
Study designObservational, experimental, qualitative, and quantitative studies that met these criteria and did not meet any exclusion criteria were included in the review.
Exclusion criteria
Participants- Studies included conduct disorder, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and substance abuse.
- Studies that focused on the siblings or parents of juvenile offenders and on justice system, welfare system, or court policies—as opposed to the use of family interventions within these systems or risk and mitigating factors of individuals involved with these systems—were determined to be outside of the scope of this review.
InterventionInterventions with a primary focus other than family-based interventions.
Study designSystematic reviews, literature reviews, and meta-analyses
Electronic Database Search Strategy
Scopus (“juvenile delinquency” OR “juvenile crime”) AND ((“family intervention”)) AND (psychological) OR (mental AND health) OR (psychology) OR (police) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, “English”))
PubMed (((Juvenile delinquency) AND (family intervention OR family OR “family-based”)) AND (psychological OR mental OR psychology OR “mental health”)) AND (crime OR police)
StudyStudy PopulationOutcome(s) Measured Principal Findings
( )Middle and high school students in New Hampshire participating in the New Hampshire Youth Study from 2007–2009 (n = 596)Delinquency and parental legitimacyAuthoritative parenting is positively and authoritarian parenting is negatively associated with parental legitimacy. Parental legitimacy reduces the likelihood of future delinquency.
( )Low-income males living in an urban community followed from ages 18 months through adolescence (15–18 years)
(n = 310)
Juvenile petitions from juvenile court records Early-childhood individual and family factors (such as harsh parenting and poor emotional regulation) can discriminate between adolescent violent offenders and nonoffenders or nonviolent offenders.
( )Early adolescents in two-parent homes and their parents (n = 618) in Iowa and Pennsylvania.
PROSPER study
Youth substance use and delinquency in 9th gradeChanges in the parent–youth relationship, such as decreased parental warmth and increased hostility during adolescence, were associated with increased delinquency, especially for girls.
( )Male youth (under age 18) and “youthful offenders” (under age 25 and incarcerated under “Youthful Offender” laws) across Colorado, Florida, Kansas, and South Carolina (n = 337)
Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative youth sample collected 2005–2007
Crime and substance useFamily conflict is a major driver of recidivism through its direct impact on increasing crime and substance use and more reentry programs focused on reducing family conflict should be explored, such as multisystemic therapy.
( )Qualitative study; Juvenile court officers working with girls in the juvenile justice system (n = 24)Extent and type of trauma experienced by girls in the juvenile justice system In qualitative interviews, the officers discussed how exposure to trauma (violence at home, a dysfunctional home, etc.) influenced girls’ trajectory and contributed to many of their involvement with the juvenile justice system.
( )Adolescents attending public middle or high school in Maryland receiving services from Identity, Inc. (n = 555)Three deviant behaviors: stealing, fighting, and smoking marijuanaExperience of multiple adverse childhood experiences increased the likelihood of adolescents engaging in deviant behaviors. School connection, anger management skills, and parental supervision acted as protective factors.
( )Youth ages 8–16 who had their first episode in a substitute child care welfare setting between 2000–2003 in the state of Washington (n = 5528)Risk of justice involvement Youth with behavioral problems were more likely to be placed in congregate care facilities and had little access to family-based services. High arrest rates among youth with behavioral problems indicated an ineffectiveness of the congregate care approach.
( )Moderate and high-risk juvenile offenders who were screened for probation from 2004–2007 in Washington (n = 19,833)Risk of subsequent offending (based on event history models) Returning to an environment where one faced continued or ongoing neglect increased an individual’s risk of re-offending.
( )Youth who were assessed at age 14 at one of the five study sites across the U.S. in the LONGSCAN consortium (n = 815)Aggression and delinquency Experiencing chronic neglect or chronic failure to provide from ages 0–12 was associated with increased aggression and delinquency at age 14. This relationship was mediated by social problems, especially for girls.
( )Court staff across four rural juvenile courts in Michigan (n = 15) Qualitative interviews on trauma-informed practice Court staff widely supported trauma-informed practices like mental health referrals instead of—or in addition to—sentencing or punishment but faced challenges due to limited mental health resources and inadequate support from schools, government, and police.
( )U.S. adolescents enrolled in grades 7–12 from 1994–95
(n = 10,613)
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Violent and nonviolent offending behavior Experiences of maltreatment were associated with more rapid increases in both non-violent and violent offending behaviors.
( )U.S. adolescents enrolled in grades 7–12 from 1994–95
(n = 10,613)
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Violent and non-violent offending frequencyHigh-quality relationships with mother or father figures, school connection, and neighborhood collective efficacy were protective against violent offending (both for those experiencing and not experiencing maltreatment).
( )Medium- to high-risk youth on probation (n = 5378)
Washington State Juvenile Assessment
Self-regulation, mental health, substance use, academic functioning, family/social resources, and behavioral problems Groups of individuals exposed to different adverse childhood experiences varied in terms of all six outcomes, suggesting a need for more differentiated treatment approaches applied early on to address these unique needs.
( )Adolescents attending public middle or high school in Maryland receiving services from Identity, Inc. (n = 555)Three deviant behaviors: stealing, fighting, and smoking marijuanaExperience of multiple adverse childhood experiences increased the likelihood of adolescents engaging in deviant behaviors. School connection, anger management skills, and parental supervision acted as protective factors.
( )Youth ages 8–16 who had their first episode in a substitute child care welfare setting between 2000–2003 in the state of Washington (n = 5528)Risk of justice involvement Youth with behavioral problems were more likely to be placed in congregate care facilities and had little access to family-based services. High arrest rates among youth with behavioral problems indicated an ineffectiveness of the congregate care approach.
( )Rural adolescents and their parents (n = 342 adolescents) in Iowa and Pennsylvania.
6-year PROSPER (PROmoting School-community-university Partnership to Enhance Resilience) study.
Delinquent-oriented attitudes, deviant behaviors (stealing, carrying a hidden weapon, etc.) Inconsistent discipline at home may lead adolescents to develop accepting attitudes toward delinquency, which may contribute to future antisocial and deviant behaviors.
( )Low- to moderate-level male offenders ages 13–17 who participated in the Crossroads study of first-time juvenile offenders and their mothers conducted in California, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania (n = 634, or 317 mother–son pairs) Re-offendingStrong mother–son relationships can serve as a protective factor against youth’s re-offending, especially for older youth.
( )Youth involved with the Florida juvenile justice system from July 2002–June 2008 with records of ‘severe emotional disturbance’ and an out-of-home placement following arrest (n = 1511) Re-arrest during a 12-month periodSevere trauma history increased the likelihood of re-arrest relative to less severe or no trauma history. Among those with severe trauma history, those placed in foster homes had the lowest rates of recidivism compared to other out-of-home placements.
( )10–20-year-old youth in custody in the U.S. (n = 7073)
Survey of Youth in Residential Placement
Likelihood of having a plan for education and employment after reentryFamily contact during incarceration increased the likelihood that youth had educational and employment reentry plans.
( )U.S. adolescents enrolled in grades 7–12 from 1994–95
(n = 10,613)
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Violent and non-violent offending frequencyHigh quality mother or father relationships, school connections, and neighborhood collective efficacy were protective against violent offending (both for those experiencing and not experiencing maltreatment).
( )Mothers with children of at least 13 years of age and born in 20 select U.S. cities (n = 3444 families)
Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study
Self-reported juvenile delinquency Individual-level factors are stronger predictors of self-reported juvenile delinquency than collective efficacy.
Mitigating factors include satisfaction with school, academic performance, and parental closeness. Risk factors include substance use, delinquent peers, impulsivity, and prior delinquency.
( )Juvenile offenders ages 12–17 engaged in one of six juvenile drug courts participating in the study (n = 104)Marijuana use and crime The use of contingency management in combination with family engagement strategies was more effective than the usual treatment at reducing marijuana use, crimes against persons, and crimes against property among juvenile offenders.
( )Middle and high school students in New Hampshire participating in the New Hampshire Youth Study from 2007–2009 (n = 596)Delinquency and parental legitimacyAuthoritative parenting is positively associated with and authoritarian parenting is negatively associated with parental legitimacy. Parental legitimacy reduces the likelihood of future delinquency.
( )Previously arrested youth ages 11–17 who participated in a functional family therapy program (n = 134)Post-treatment levels of adjustment and likelihood of offendingIndividuals with callous-unemotional traits face more challenges and symptoms when beginning treatment and are more likely to violently offend during treatment, but functional family therapy can help to reduce their likelihood of violent offending post-treatment.
( )Youth ages 11–19 with a history of juvenile justice involvement receiving intensive in-home services from 2000–2009 in the Southeastern United States
(n = 5000)
Classification of youth as recidivists, at-risk, or non-recidivistsThe model of in-home services was associated with reduced re-offending, particularly among girls, and with increased likelihood of living at home and attending or completing school for both boys and girls.
( )Youth ages 13–18 participating in a juvenile drug court in Florida (n = 112)Offending and substance useThe results support the use of family therapy in juvenile drug court treatment programs to reduce criminal offending and recidivism.
( )Active cases of youth ages 10–17 involved with the Safety Net Collaborative in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2013 (n = 30) Arrest rates and mental health referralsFollowing the implementation of the safety net collaborative, an integrated model that provides mental health services for at-risk youth, community arrest rates declined by over 50%.
( )Moderate- to high-risk juvenile offenders involved in the Parenting with Love and Limits group and family therapy program between April 2009 to December 2011 in Champaign County, Illinois (n = 155 in treatment; n = 155 in control group) Recidivism rates and parent-reported behaviorThe Parenting with Love and Limits group and family therapy program was associated with significantly reduced recidivism rates and behavioral improvements, indicating potential effectiveness of family and group therapy to reduce recidivism among those at the highest risk.
( )Rhode Island youth participating in a multisystemic therapy program (n = 577) and in a control group (n = 163)Out-of-home placement, adjudication, placement in a juvenile training school, and offendingReceipt of multisystemic therapy was associated with lower rates of offending, out-of-home placement, adjudication, and placement in a juvenile training school, demonstrating the potential efficacy of multisystemic therapy in reducing delinquency among high-risk youth.
( )ZIP codes with the Fit2Lead park-based violence prevention program and matched control communities without the program in Miami-Dade County, Florida from 2013–2018 (n = 36 ZIP codes) Change in arrest rates per year among youth ages 12–17 Park-based violence prevention programs such as Fit2Lead may be more effective at reducing youth arrest rates than other after-school programs. Results support the use of community-based settings for violence interventions.
( )Court-involved girls on probation from 2004–2014 in one Midwest juvenile family court who received the family-based intervention (n = 181) or did not (n = 803)Recidivism ratesOne-year recidivism rates were lower among girls who participated in the family-based intervention program compared to those just on parole. Qualitative interviews highlighted the importance of family-focused interventions for justice-involved girls.
( )Individuals involved in the Missouri Delinquency Project from 1990–1993 and randomized to multisystemic therapy for potential sexual behaviors or the usual treatment of cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 48)Arrest, incarceration, and civil suit rates in middle adulthoodParticipants assigned to the multisystemic therapy treatment were less likely to have been re-arrested by middle adulthood and had lower rates of sexual and nonsexual offenses, demonstrating the potential benefits of targeted therapies.
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Aazami, A.; Valek, R.; Ponce, A.N.; Zare, H. Risk and Protective Factors and Interventions for Reducing Juvenile Delinquency: A Systematic Review. Soc. Sci. 2023 , 12 , 474. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12090474

Aazami A, Valek R, Ponce AN, Zare H. Risk and Protective Factors and Interventions for Reducing Juvenile Delinquency: A Systematic Review. Social Sciences . 2023; 12(9):474. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12090474

Aazami, Aida, Rebecca Valek, Andrea N. Ponce, and Hossein Zare. 2023. "Risk and Protective Factors and Interventions for Reducing Juvenile Delinquency: A Systematic Review" Social Sciences 12, no. 9: 474. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12090474

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  • v.41(1); 2017 Feb

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Juvenile delinquency, welfare, justice and therapeutic interventions: a global perspective

Susan young.

1 Imperial College London, London, UK

2 Broadmoor Hospital, Crowthorne, UK

Richard Church

3 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

This review considers juvenile delinquency and justice from an international perspective. Youth crime is a growing concern. Many young offenders are also victims with complex needs, leading to a public health approach that requires a balance of welfare and justice models. However, around the world there are variable and inadequate legal frameworks and a lack of a specialist workforce. The UK and other high-income countries worldwide have established forensic child and adolescent psychiatry, a multifaceted discipline incorporating legal, psychiatric and developmental fields. Its adoption of an evidence-based therapeutic intervention philosophy has been associated with greater reductions in recidivism compared with punitive approaches prevalent in some countries worldwide, and it is therefore a superior approach to dealing with the problem of juvenile delinquency.

Recent years have seen sustained public and academic interest in criminality and mental health, with attention often focused on antisocial behaviour by children and adolescents. The scale of the problem of juvenile delinquency has provoked mixed responses from governments and the media across the world, with calls for improved rehabilitation and support for juvenile offenders competing with voices advocating more punitive approaches. 1 Meanwhile, decades of rigorous academic scrutiny have shed light on the complex and diverse needs of children who come into conflict with the law. 2 – 5 Much of the growing body of literature on juvenile offenders shows considerable overlap between criminological, social and biomedical research, with a consensus emerging around the significance of a developmental understanding of the emergence of juvenile delinquency.

Importantly, juvenile offenders have consistently been identified as a population that suffers from a markedly elevated prevalence and severity of mental disorder compared with the general juvenile population. 6 , 7 Meeting the needs of these young offenders presents practical and ethical challenges concerning treatment and management, including liaison with other agencies.

What is juvenile delinquency?

Who counts as juvenile.

Juvenile delinquency is a term commonly used in academic literature for referring to a young person who has committed a criminal offence, although its precise definition can vary according to the local jurisdiction. The specific reasons underlying these differences are unclear, but they may arise from the lack of an agreed international standard. 8

A ‘juvenile’ in this context refers to an individual who is legally able to commit a criminal offence owing to being over the minimum age of criminal responsibility, but who is under the age of criminal majority, when a person is legally considered an adult. The minimum age of criminal responsibility varies internationally between 6 and 18 years, but the age of criminal majority is usually 18 years.

In some cases individuals older than 18 years may be heard in a juvenile court, and therefore will still be considered juveniles; indeed, the United Nations (UN) defines ‘youth’ as between 15 and 24 years of age. The term ‘child delinquents’ has been used in reference to children below the age of 13 who have committed a delinquent act, 9 although elsewhere ‘children’ are often defined as being under 18 years of age. The term ‘young offenders’ is broad, and can refer to offenders aged under 18 years or include young adults up to their mid-20s.

What is a crime?

A ‘delinquent’ is an individual who has committed a criminal offence. Delinquency therefore encompasses an enormous range of behaviours which are subject to legislation differing from one jurisdiction to another, and are subject to changes in law over time. Whereas acts of theft and serious interpersonal violence are commonly considered to constitute criminal offences, other acts including alcohol consumption and sexual behaviour in young people are tolerated to very differing degrees across the world. Sometimes these differences arise as a consequence of historical or cultural factors, and they may be underpinned by traditional religious laws, such as in some Middle Eastern countries. Some offences may be shared between jurisdictions but be enforced to differing standards – for instance, ‘unlawful assembly’, often used to prevent riots, is applied in Singapore to young people meeting in public in groups of five or more as part of police efforts to tackle youth gangs. Furthermore, ‘status offences’ – acts that would be permissible in adults but criminalised in children, such as consumption of alcohol or truancy – not only vary between jurisdictions, but contribute to discontinuity when comparing juvenile delinquency with adult populations in the same jurisdiction.

Lack of clarity can also arise in jurisdictions where a young offender is processed via a welfare system rather than a youth justice process. Countries with a high minimum age of criminal responsibility may not technically criminalise young people for behaviour that would normally be prosecuted and therefore classed as ‘delinquent’ elsewhere.

Not all incarcerated juveniles are ‘delinquent’, since some may be detained pre-trial and may not be convicted of an offence. Even if convicted, it would be wrong to assume that every ‘juvenile delinquent’ meets criteria for a diagnosis of conduct disorder; offences vary considerably and may not be associated with a broad repertoire of offending behaviour. Also, most ‘juvenile delinquents’ do not pose an immediate risk of violence to others, and the vast majority of convicted juveniles serve their sentences in the community.

To meet the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder requires evidence of a persistent pattern of dissocial or aggressive conduct, such that it defies age-appropriate social expectations. Behaviours may include cruelty to people or animals, truancy, frequent and severe temper tantrums, excessive fighting or bullying and fire-setting; diagnosis of conduct disorder can be made in the marked presence of one of these behaviours. 10

Overall, the term ‘juvenile delinquent’ is used extensively in academic literature, but requires some care. It can be a potentially problematic term, and in some contexts can strike a pejorative tone with misleading negative assumptions. For several years the UN has used the phrase ‘children in conflict with the law’ to describe the breadth of the heterogeneous group of individuals under the age of 18 who have broken the law or are at risk of doing so.

General principles of juvenile justice

Welfare v. justice models.

The sentencing of an individual convicted of a criminal offence is largely driven by three key considerations: retribution (punishment), deterrence and rehabilitation. In the case of juvenile offenders the principle of rehabilitation is often assigned the greatest weight. 11

Special consideration for juveniles within the criminal justice system is not a new concept. In Roman law, the principle of doli incapax protected young children from prosecution owing to the presumption of a lack of capacity and understanding required to be guilty of a criminal offence. Most countries have some provision for special treatment of children who come into conflict with the law, however, the degree to which this is provided varies across the world. 1 , 12 In some countries a ‘welfare’ model prevails, which focuses on the needs of the child, diagnosis, treatment and more informal procedures, whereas other countries favour a ‘justice’ model, which emphasises accountability, punishment and procedural formality.

Belgium is frequently cited as an example of a country with a strong welfare process, supported by a high minimum age of criminal responsibility of 18 years. Similarly, France built a strong welfare reputation by placing education and rehabilitation at the centre of youth justice reforms in the 1940s. New Zealand in 1989 established the widely praised system of Family Group Conferencing as an integral part of youth justice, with a focus on restoration of relationships and reduction of incarceration that would be considered part of a welfare approach. In contrast, the UK and the USA have traditionally been associated with a justice model and low age of criminal responsibility – 10 years in England and Wales, and as low as 6 years in several US states.

Within welfare or justice models, a young person may at some point be ‘deprived of liberty’ – defined as any form of detention under official authorities in a public or private location which the child is not permitted to leave. Locations in which children may be deprived of liberty include police stations, detention centres, juvenile or adult prisons, secure remand homes, work or boot camps, penitentiary colonies, locked specialised schools, educational or rehabilitation establishments, military camps and prisons, immigration detention centres, secure youth hostels and hospitals. 13

Between the less and more punitive systems

The UN supports the development of specialised systems for managing children in conflict with the law. When the first children's courts were set up in the USA in the 1930s, they were widely praised as a progressive system for serving the best interests of the child. Although informality was championed as a particular benefit, in the 1960s substantial concerns arose about due process and the protection of the legal rights of minors. The subsequent development of formal juvenile courts occurred in the context of a continuing ethos of rehabilitation of young people, with a move away from incarceration of juveniles in the 1970s, especially in Massachusetts and California. However, following a marked peak in juvenile offending statistics during the 1980s and 1990s, public and political opinion swung firmly in a more punitive direction. This was accompanied by legal reforms that increased the severity of penalties available to juvenile courts and lowered the age threshold for juveniles to be tried in adult criminal courts.

When the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child entered into force in 1990, the USA was not a signatory owing to 22 states permitting capital punishment of individuals who had committed their crimes as juveniles. It is reported that 19 juvenile offenders were executed in the USA between 1990 and 2005. Although this number may represent a small percentage of the total who faced the death penalty in the USA during that period, the practice was widely criticised by international bodies and organisations. 14 A landmark ruling in the US Supreme Court 15 outlawed the execution of juvenile offenders in the USA, but to date a small number of countries worldwide still implement this practice, sometimes as a result of religious laws.

However, it would be wrong to assume that welfare systems are automatically preferable to a juvenile justice approach, since welfare arrangements can be equally coercive in terms of deprivation of liberty of juveniles. They may lack due process, safeguards for obtaining reliable evidence from young people, processes for testing evidence, and procedures for scrutiny or appeal following disposal.

Trends in youth crime

The USA witnessed a dramatic increase in arrest rates of young people for homicide and other violent crimes in the 1980s and 1990s, sometimes referred to as the ‘violence epidemic’. 16 The ensuing moral panic led to harsh and punitive policy changes in juvenile justice and, although official statistics document a subsequent fall of 20% in court case-loads between 1997 and 2009, victimisation surveys have indicated a degree of continuity in high levels of offending, consistent with a reported increase in juvenile offending between 2000 and 2006. 17

In common with the USA and several other high-income countries, the UK also experienced a rise in juvenile offending in the 1980s and 1990s, but figures from the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales appear to indicate a general improvement in recent years. Between 2009/2010 and 2014/2015 a 67% reduction has been observed in the number of young people entering the juvenile justice system for the first time, a 65% reduction in the number of young people receiving a caution or court disposal and a 57% reduction in the number of young people in custody. 18 These figures support an overall decrease in juvenile offending noted since the early 1990s. 19

Youth crime figures from Australia have documented a 4% reduction in the overall number of young offenders in 2013/2014, 20 although the number of violent offences committed by young people in the urbanised and densely populated region of Victoria has increased by 75% between 2000 and 2010. 21

The Nordic countries have witnessed an increase in the number of law-abiding youths from 1994 and 2008. 22 In Sweden, both objective levels of juvenile crime 23 and self-reported involvement in juvenile crime 24 have fallen between 1995 and 2005. Similarly in Finland, where, despite fluctuating trends in juvenile drug use, juvenile property and violent crime is reported to have decreased between 1992 and 2013. 25

To summarise, whereas regional and annual trends in juvenile offending are observed and expected, a global trend characterised by decreased juvenile offending appears to have emerged in recent years. Indeed, UN data from a sample of 40 countries lend support to this conclusion, indicating a decrease in the proportion of juveniles suspected (10.9% to 9.2%) and convicted (7.5% to 6%) of crime between 2004 and 2012, respectively. 26

Juvenile gang membership

Influence on crime involvement.

One of the features of urbanisation across the world has been the rise of youth gangs, groups of young people often defined by geographical area, ethnic identity or ideology; recent reports indicate a rise in groups with extremist views. Explanatory models for the rise in youth gangs include factors such as economic migration, loss of extended family networks, reduced supervision of children, globalisation and exposure to inaccessible lifestyle ‘ideals’ portrayed in modern media.

Authorities in Japan attributed a surge in serious youth crime in the 1990s primarily to juvenile bike gangs known as ‘bosozoku’, who were deemed responsible for over 80% of serious offences perpetrated by juveniles, putatively bolstered by a crackdown on yakuza organised crime syndicates. 27 Although difficult to quantify, gang involvement appears to feature in a large proportion of juvenile offences, and there is evidence that gang membership has a facilitating effect on perpetration of the most serious violence including homicide. 28

Mental health

Compared with general and juvenile offender populations, juvenile gang members exhibit significantly higher rates of mental health problems such as conduct disorder/antisocial personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 29 Gang members, compared with non-violent men who do not belong to a gang, are far more likely to utilise mental health services and display significantly higher levels of psychiatric morbidity, most notably antisocial personality disorder, psychosis and anxiety disorders. 30 Gang membership has also been positively correlated with an increased incidence of depressed mood and suicidal ideation among younger gang members. 31 Prevalence of ADHD is significantly greater in incarcerated youth populations (30.1%) than in general youth population estimates (3–7%), 32 therefore it may be reasonable to expect a similarly increased prevalence in juvenile gang members. ADHD has also been associated with a significantly increased risk of comorbid mood/affective disorder. 33

Forensic child and adolescent psychiatric services

Increased awareness of constitutional and environmental factors that contribute to juvenile offending has strengthened a public health perspective towards the problem, and in the UK entry into the youth justice system has been adopted as an indicator of general public health. 34

Dictionaries frequently define ‘forensic’ as meaning ‘legal’, implying a relationship with any court of law. Indeed, many forensic psychiatrists, particularly in child and adolescent services, undertake roles that encompass multiple legal domains relevant to mental health, including criminal law, family and child custody proceedings, special educational tribunals, and immigration or extradition matters.

Specialist forensic psychiatric services vary considerably between countries, 35 but usually forensic psychiatrists assess and treat individuals in secure psychiatric hospitals, prisons, law courts, police stations and in the community under various levels of security, supervision and support. In some countries there has been a trend towards forensic psychiatrists working almost exclusively with courts of law, providing independent specialist opinion to assist the court.

In the UK, forensic child and adolescent psychiatry has emerged as a clinical subspecialty. Some services are based in specialist secure hospitals for young people and cater for the relatively small number of high-risk young offenders with the most severe mental disorders. In the absence of such specialist resources, young people may be managed in suboptimal environments such as juvenile prisons, secure residential placements or secure mental health wards for adults, or even fail to receive treatment at all.

In light of growing evidence-based interventions for juvenile offenders within a public health framework, 36 the role of child and family mental health services may increase over time. Aside from direct clinical roles, practitioners in forensic child and adolescent psychiatry are also well placed to work with a wide range of partner agencies on the planning and delivery of broader interventions for the primary and secondary prevention of juvenile delinquency.

Prevalence of mental health problems among juvenile offenders

Rates of mental health problems among juvenile offenders are significantly higher than in their non-offender peers, with two-thirds of male juvenile offenders in the USA suggested as meeting criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder. 37 One in five juvenile offenders is estimated to suffer severe functional impairment as a result of their mental health problems. 38 Paradoxically, these needs are often unmet, 39 , 40 despite evidence of increased contact with mental health services, particularly among first-time juvenile offenders. 41 , 42 Of additional concern are the reported associations between mental health problems and mortality in incarcerated juveniles, 43 including an elevated suicide rate for males. 44 Mental health problems must be a target in interventions for juvenile offenders; however, treatments which focus solely on clinical problems are unlikely to result in benefit for criminogenic outcomes. 45 There is therefore a clear need for effective interventions which address both the clinical and criminogenic needs of these individuals.

Evidence-based treatments for mental health problems

Treatment of ptsd.

Estimates regarding the prevalence of PTSD among juvenile offenders suggest that 20 to 23% meet the clinical criteria, 46 , 47 with prevalence rates significantly higher among females than males (40% v . 17%). 46 Moreover, with 62% experiencing trauma within the first 5 years of life 47 and up to 93% experiencing at least one traumatic event during childhood or adolescence, 48 this should be a target for intervention.

Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is regarded as the most effective intervention for adults with PTSD 49 and also has demonstrated efficacy for juvenile non-offenders. 50 , 51 There is limited evidence suggesting a significant reduction in self-reported symptoms of PTSD following group-based CBT in male juvenile offenders, 52 and of an adapted version of CBT, cognitive processing therapy, 53 also resulting in a significant reduction in self-reported symptoms of PTSD and depression compared with waitlist controls. 54

A trauma-focused emotion regulation intervention (TARGET) has received preliminary empirical support for use in this population. TARGET resulted in nearly twice as much reduction in PTSD symptom severity as treatment as usual (TAU), 55 in addition to significant reductions in depression, behavioural disturbances and increased optimism. 56

Mood/anxiety disorders and self-harm

Juvenile offenders in the UK present with a high prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders (67% of females, 41% of males), self-harm (11% of females, 7% of males) and history of suicide attempts (33% of females, 20% of males). 57 Similarly high prevalence has also been observed cross-culturally, namely in the USA, 37 , 58 Switzerland 59 and Finland. 60

Despite such high prevalence, there appears to be a paucity of high-quality evaluations regarding the effectiveness of interventions for juvenile offenders with mood and/or anxiety disorders, or problems with self-harm. However, the limited evidence that is available suggests that group-based CBT may aid symptom reduction. 61 Recovery rates for major depressive disorder following group-based CBT are over double those for a life skills tutoring intervention (39% v . 19%, respectively), although no significant difference was noted at 6- or 12-month follow-up. CBT also resulted in significantly greater improvements in self- and observer-reported symptoms of depression and social functioning. 62

However, group-based CBT is not reported to be significantly different from TAU in reduction of self-harm, 63 whereas individual CBT is not significantly different from TAU in outcomes for depression, anxiety, conduct disorder or PTSD. 64 Yet recruitment to and retention in intervention seems good, suggesting that CBT is feasible to implement in juvenile offender populations. 64

Evaluations of alternative interventions have posited muscle relaxation as effective in improving juvenile offenders' tolerance of frustration. 65 Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) has also been reported to significantly reduce incidences of physical aggression in a juvenile offender population 66 and among juvenile non-offenders expressing suicidal ideation. 67 It significantly reduced serious behavioural problems and staff punitive actions among juvenile offenders within a mental health unit, although no similar significant reductions were observed for those without mental health problems. 68

Evidence-based treatments for conduct disorder: family approaches

Relationships with family and peers are recognised as key factors in the criminogenic profile of juvenile offenders. 69 Multisystemic therapy (MST) is a family-focused intervention targeting characteristics related to antisocial behaviour, including family relationships and peer associations, 70 with evidence from US and UK studies suggesting MST is a beneficial intervention for juvenile offenders. When compared with conventional services offered by juvenile offending services, MST was associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of reoffending, 71 maintained 2 and 4 years post-treatment. 72 , 73 Offenders engaging in MST are reported to be significantly less likely to become involved in serious and violent offending. 73 , 74 Significant improvements have also been observed in both self- and parent-reported delinquency, 74 family relations and interactions, 73 and home, school, community and emotional functioning. 71 A cost offset analysis of MST among UK juvenile offenders suggested that combining MST and conventional services provides greater cost savings than conventional services alone, as a result of its positive effects on recidivism. 75 Qualitative impressions of MST from juvenile offenders and their parents indicate that key components of a successful delivery of MST include the quality of the therapeutic relationship and ability to re-engage the offender with educational systems. 76

Some evidence also exists regarding the efficacy of MST when delivered to non-offender antisocial juvenile populations outside the USA and the UK. Compared with TAU, MST resulted in a significantly greater increase in social competence and caregiver satisfaction, and a significant reduction in referrals for out-of-home placements, in Norwegian juveniles exhibiting serious behavioural problems. 77 However, no significant difference between MST and TAU was reported in outcomes for antisocial behaviour and psychiatric symptoms in Swedish juvenile offenders. 78 MST was also found to have no significant benefit over TAU in outcomes including recidivism in a sample of Canadian juvenile offenders. 79 These differing outcomes have been posited as the result of barriers in transferring MST from US and UK populations owing to differing approaches to juvenile justice between countries (i.e. a welfare v . justice approach). 78 The heterogeneous nature of studies concerning MST in juvenile offender populations prevent a firm conclusion being drawn as to its superiority over alternative interventions, although this does not diminish the positive outcomes which have been observed. 80

Substance misuse

Motivational interviewing represents a promising approach for juvenile offenders, particularly as a treatment for substance misuse. 81 Group-based motivational interviewing has received positive feedback from participants when implemented with first-time juvenile alcohol or drug offenders, 82 and compared with TAU, juvenile offenders in receipt of motivational interviewing have greater satisfaction and display lower, though not statistically significant, rates of recidivism at 12-months post-motivational interviewing. 83 There is therefore preliminary evidence for the acceptability and feasibility of motivational interviewing for substance-misusing juvenile offenders, but future research regarding long-term outcomes is warranted. To date, motivational interviewing for difficulties faced by juvenile offenders beyond that of substance misuse does not appear to have received much research attention. Juvenile offenders are known for their difficulty to engage in rehabilitative services, therefore further investigation of the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in encouraging engagement is warranted.

Preliminary investigations have also developed a conceptual framework for the delivery of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) to incarcerated substance-misusing juveniles, with qualitative impressions suggesting this is a potentially feasible and efficacious intervention. 84 Although literature regarding the effectiveness of MBI in juvenile offenders is scarce, qualitative feedback has indicated positive reception of this style of intervention, with particular improvements in subjective well-being reported by juvenile participants. 85

Employment and education

Engaging juvenile offenders with education and skills-based training is an important component of successful rehabilitation, with positive engagement in meaningful activities associated with improvements in areas such as self-belief 86 and protection against future participation in criminal activities. 87 It is concerning therefore that an evaluation of the use of leisure time over a 1-week period by probationary juvenile offenders in Australia indicated only 10% of this time was spent engaging in productive activities, such as employment or education, with 57% used for passive leisure activities, a level 30% higher than that of their non-offender peers. 88

Efforts to engage juvenile offenders in vocational and/or occupational activities have shown benefits in a number of areas. A specialised vocational and employment training programme (CRAFT) emphasising practical skills was evaluated against conventional education provision to juvenile offenders in the USA. Over a 30-month follow-up period, those engaged in CRAFT were significantly more likely to be in employment, to have attended an educational diploma programme and to have attended for a significantly longer period of time. 89 Benefits have also been reported with regard to risk of reoffending, with an after-school programme in the USA incorporating practical community projects, educational sessions and family therapy resulting in a significant reduction in recidivism at 1-year follow-up. 90

Qualitative investigations of US juvenile offenders suggest there is not a lack of interest in pursuing education among this population, but rather a disconnection with educational systems when education providers are perceived not to care about students' progress. 91 Ensuring education providers are perceived as proactive and caring in this regard may therefore be an important consideration for efforts to engage juvenile offenders with educational systems. Significant barriers to engagement include difficulties in obtaining accurate information regarding the offender's educational history, in addition to identifying community-based education providers willing to accept previously incarcerated juveniles on their release. 92

Language and communication

Difficulties with language and communication skills appear to be prevalent among juvenile offenders, with estimates of those falling into the poor or very poor categories ranging from 46 to 67%; overall, up to 90% of juvenile offenders demonstrated language skills below average. 93 Specifically, high rates of illiteracy are reported in this population, 94 with evidence to suggest that an awareness of such problems among juvenile offenders themselves is associated with dissatisfaction and poor self-esteem. 95 These difficulties may act as barriers to engagement in therapeutic interventions, particularly those delivered in group settings, as well as re-engagement with educational systems. Awareness of the challenges these young people face with regard to confidence and ability to communicate is important, and potential involvement of a speech and language therapist could be considered. Preventing deficits in language and communication through effective schooling and appropriate support in the early years of life may serve as an aid to effective engagement in rehabilitative interventions, and may also mitigate the risk of engagement in criminal activities in the first instance.

Delivery of therapeutic services

Common challenges to a therapeutic youth justice pathway.

There are common obstacles to smooth care pathways between different parts of systems, such as in transitions between secure settings and the community, between prisons and secure psychiatric settings, and between child and adult services. In some jurisdictions individuals can only be treated pharmacologically against their will in a hospital setting, a safeguard which limits the extent to which individuals can be treated in prison, but there is still great scope for intervention by prison mental health teams in juvenile prisons.

Factors associated with good outcomes

A meta-analysis has revealed three primary factors associated with effective interventions for juvenile offenders: a ‘therapeutic’ intervention philosophy, serving high-risk offenders, and quality of implementation. 96 These findings are consistent with factors posited as correlating with good outcome in residential centres for troubled adolescents and juvenile offenders: good staff-adolescent relations, perception of staff as pro-social role models, positive peer pressure, an individualised therapeutic programme approach, developmentally appropriate programmes and activities, clear expectations and boundaries, and placement locations which allow for continued family contact. 97 , 98

In the community, coercive styles of engagement have been found to be less successful at achieving adherence among juvenile offenders than a client-centred approach. 99

Factors associated with poor outcomes

‘Scared Straight’ programmes expose juveniles who have begun to commit offences to inmates of high-security prisons, yet these approaches have been discredited due to evidence that risk of recidivism may in fact increase following such exposure. 100 Similarly poor outcomes have been observed in programmes modelled on military boot camps, in which harsh discipline is considered to be of therapeutic benefit, 101 and initiatives such as curfew, probation and hearing juvenile cases in adult court were also shown to be ineffective in reducing recidivism. 13

Over recent years it has been repeatedly demonstrated that exposure to juvenile court itself appears to have a detrimental effect on juvenile offending. 102 – 104 This may be partially explained by effects of labelling, stigma and negative self-image associated with a criminal conviction, but also the practical consequences of sentences, including assortment of delinquent peers in community or prison sentences. Incarceration presents several additional harms, including disturbance of care and pro-social relationships, discontinuity in education, association with delinquent peers, and exposure to violence. Half of detained young offenders in the UK reported victimisation during their current prison term, 57 while 12% of incarcerated youth in the USA reported sexual victimisation in the previous year. 105 International agreements state that deprivation of liberty (such as juvenile prison) should be used as a last resort and for the shortest time necessary, so should be reserved for the highest-risk offenders. The cost of juvenile antisocial behaviour is known to be high, and to fall on many agencies. 106 The current climate of austerity in public services demands that any interventions should be not only effective, but also cost-effective, raising a clear challenge – and opportunity – for the implementation of interventions for this population of vulnerable young people. For example, parenting programmes have demonstrated sustained benefits for this population, 107 , 108 with economic analysis indicating gross savings of £9288 per child over a 25 year period. 109 Considered together with wider costs of crime, these gross savings exceed the average cost of parenting programmes (£1177) by a factor of approximately 8 to 1.

Conclusions

Many argue that we have a long way to go before arriving at ‘child friendly’ juvenile justice. 110 Around the world there are variable and inadequate legal frameworks that are not age-appropriate, there is a lack of age-appropriate services and establishments, and a lack of a specialist workforce, leading to challenges around training and supervision to work with this vulnerable population. In the UK and other high-income countries worldwide, forensic child and adolescent psychiatry is a multifaceted discipline incorporating legal, psychiatric and developmental fields. This approach has navigated clinical and ethical challenges and made an important contribution to welfare and justice needs by its adoption of an evidence-based therapeutic intervention philosophy.

Declaration of interests S.Y. has received honoraria for consultancy, travel, educational talks and/or research from Janssen, Eli Lilly, Shire, Novartis, HB Pharma and Flynn Pharma.

132 Juvenile Delinquency Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best juvenile delinquency topic ideas & essay examples, 💡 interesting topics to write about juvenile delinquency, 📌 simple & easy juvenile delinquency essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on juvenile delinquency, ❓ research questions on juvenile delinquency.

  • The Impact of Media on Juvenile Delinquency Besides, the media have been at the forefront of the fight against juvenile-related crimes. In this view, this document aims at critically evaluating the role of various forms of media in escalating juvenile delinquency, and […]
  • Methodologies Used to Measure Acts of Juvenile Delinquency Before moving into the aspects of measurement of actions of juvenile delinquents, it is necessary to define and know what a juvenile delinquent is, and what actions fall within the ambit of juvenile delinquency.
  • Developing Solutions to the Juvenile Delinquency Problem These include the creation of a creative activity center, the mandatory introduction of art classes in schools, and the implementation of urban sports programs.
  • Problems of Juvenile Delinquency The main aim of writing this paper is to carry out an examination of a juvenile delinquent in order to understand what pushes them into doing the act and applicable solutions which can be applied […]
  • The Problem of Juvenile Delinquency The addition of family context to the existing perception of adolescent crimes could be used to explore the core reasons for the crimes and to define possible methods for the prevention of juvenile crimes. The […]
  • Single Parenthood and Juvenile Delinquency in Modern Society The proposal seeks to establish the relationship between single parenthood and the increase in juvenile delinquency. I propose addressing child delinquency from the perspective of social and family background to understand the risks associated with […]
  • The Broken Homes and Juvenile Delinquency The level of measurement in this study will be to assess the frequency of involvement in crime by the children from the broken homes as well as those from the two parent families.
  • The Cognitive Theory in Juvenile Delinquency At this stage, a child can perform certain actions repeatedly and also be able to differentiate the means of doing actions.
  • Role of Family in Reducing Juvenile Delinquency Players in the criminal justice system recognize the contribution of family and familial factors to the development of criminal and delinquent tendencies and their potential to minimize minors’ engagement in illegal and socially unacceptable behaviors.
  • Juvenile Delinquency in Ancient and Modern Times The only policy related to juvenile delinquency existing in ancient Greece was the law that prohibited the youth in ancient Greece from beating their parents.
  • Poverty Areas and Effects on Juvenile Delinquency The desire to live a better life contributes to the youths engaging in crimes, thus the increase in cases of juvenile delinquencies amid low-income families. The studies indicate that the fear of poverty is the […]
  • Juvenile Delinquency: Social Disorganization Theory Hence, according to Lopez and Gillespie, tenets of the social disorganization theory have been resourceful in the present-day juvenile delinquency system.
  • Juvenile Delinquency, Its Factors and Theories Under the individual risk factors, it is prudent to note that a lack of proper education coupled with lower intelligence might pose a serious risk to a minor in terms of engaging in criminal activities […]
  • Juvenile Delinquency: a Case Analysis The tracking of the juvenile from juvenile court to adult court and then through the system is shown in the outline below: Arrest.
  • Juvenile Delinquency and Affecting Factors The information gathered, synthesized, and analyzed in the research with the help of the proposed question has future value as it identifies factors that can be impacted by the society representatives.
  • The Issue of Juvenile Delinquency At the onset of the industrial revolution, public awareness concerning the fair and ethical treatment of children in workplaces emerged. The role of supervising and guiding children is left to other children, grandparents, or hired […]
  • Theories of Juvenile Delinquency Research showed individuals’ attitudes toward crime may herald their criminal behavior, in agreement with criminological theories such as control theory, learning theory and psychological theories like the theory of reasoned action.
  • Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Intervention The role of the family and parents cannot be discounted in the causes of juvenile delinquency. The courts and the lawyers are involved in the trial and sentencing of juvenile offenders.
  • The Relationship Between Parental Influence and Juvenile Delinquency Parents that do not allow their children to play with their neighbors, or discourage their children from associating with particular families lead to the children developing a negative attitude towards the families.
  • Juvenile Delinquency: Impact of Collective Efficacy and Mental Illnesses The perception of collective efficacy can be defined as the consideration that the people in a neighborhood are trustable and can do their part to partake in social control to benefit a specific community.
  • Implementing an Arts Program to Help Curb Juvenile Delinquency and Reduce Recidivism Therefore, the pieces of art will be customized to rhyme with society needs of the targeted children and the adolescents. Some of the enrollees to this program will be delinquents.
  • Juvenile Delinquency is a Product of Nurture These criminals have been exposed to unfavorable conditions in their lives such as violence and poverty and turn to criminal behavior as a coping mechanism.
  • Gangs and Juvenile Delinquency Hallsworth and Silverstone argues that although there have been a lot of violence, the main source is not quite clear and people live by speculations that the violence is linked to the emergence of a […]
  • Juvenile Delinquency: Three Levels of Prevention It is made up of programs and ideals which are effective in treatment of the offender, reintegrating them in the society and limiting them from committing similar offenses. In conclusion, though most prevention programs are […]
  • Day Treatment Centers and Juvenile Delinquency One of the core aspects that should not be disregarded is that such programs may be used as a particular assessment tool that would help to identify needs of a juvenile, and this approach may […]
  • Court Unification and Juvenile Delinquency Speaking about the given issue, it is important to give the clear definition of this category and determine who could be judged by the juvenile court.
  • Prevent Juvenile Delinquency in the USA Due to this fact, it is possible to describe the existing problem as the increase in the number of crimes that children commit.
  • Juvenile Delinquency: Risk Assessment The investigatory processes to know the individual’s character and personality involve the use of complex and simple approaches, and these serve to provide organizations or institutions dealing with child welfare with important information that would […]
  • Life Without Parole and Juvenile Delinquency The United States is one of the few countries which recognize the necessity of sentencing juveniles to life without parole. This is the main and only advantage of this approach.
  • Juvenile Delinquency and Reasons That Lead to It Irrespective of the cause of juvenile delinquency, juvenile drug abuse is certainly most commonly related directly to either an increase or a decrease in any form of juvenile delinquency. This correlates to the increase in […]
  • The Rise of Juvenile Delinquency and the Influence of Drugs 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 […]
  • The Concepts of Nature and Nurture in Modern Psychologist to Explain Juvenile Delinquency Hence any behavior exhibited by a juvenile that is in total contrast with the value demands of the larger society can be termed as Juvenile Delinquency. On the one hand, it is believed that Juvenile […]
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  • Juvenile Delinquency in the United States According to Pennsylvania laws, children at the age of 10 and above can be trialed as adults for first- and second-degree murders.
  • Juvenile Delinquency and the Importance of Socialization At the time of the incident, according to the authors of the article, twenty students out of a total of thirty had arrived for the lecture.
  • Theories and Suggestions on Juvenile Delinquency The other factor is that the norms that governed relationships in the different family and societal set-ups such as in the school and the workplace are being challenged.
  • The Phenomenon of Juvenile Delinquency They are very important in the proceedings and even have additional authority to propose a waiver of the subject. The judges are the other officials in a juvenile court system.
  • Juvenile Delinquency: The Columbine Shootings This paper seeks to discuss and analyze the casual theory of juvenile delinquency by describing an instance of juvenile delinquency as highlighted in the mass media, by describing the casual theory of juvenile delinquency with […]
  • Juvenile Delinquency Theories in the United States School and family are extremely important to juveniles regarding their worldview, and the failure of those communities to guide them may result in turning to questionable ideals and morals.
  • Adolescent Diversion Project in Juvenile Delinquency Treatment in Michigan The focus of the program is to prevent future delinquency by creating social attachments to family and other prosocial youth by providing community resources and keeping individuals away from the juvenile justice system which can […]
  • Crime Prevention and Juvenile Delinquency As a specific jurisdiction that will serve as the basis for assessing and implementing the provisions of the crime prevention program, the District of Florida will be considered.
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Shodhganga : a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET

  • Shodhganga@INFLIBNET
  • Maharshi Dayanand University
  • Department of Law
Title: Juvenile delinquency a critical Study of statutory provisions and judicial trends
Researcher: Sukhram
Guide(s): 
Keywords: judicial trends
Juvenile delinquency
Study of statutory
University: Maharshi Dayanand University
Completed Date: 2020
Abstract: newline
Pagination: 
URI: 
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Media Representation of Violent Teen Gangs: Effects on the Non-Gang Youth

Profile image of Fahmida Akhond

The recent rise in teen gangs got a huge amount of attention from the people from every walk of life. These teen gangs are primarily formed as peer groups which later get involved in a variety of crimes. There are at least 50-60 gangs active in the capital. The members are mostly aged between 14 and 19 years. They are involved in a wide range of crimes such as mugging, eve-teasing, drug dealing and abuse, even murder. Newspapers have published these news, providing a horrific image of these gangs. On one side these news equipped us with information, on the other hand it somehow demonized these teens. The titles of news articles such as “Deadly Teen Gangs”, “Menace of Teen Gangs'' etc. indicate how dangerous they are. Amidst all, there is a majority of teenagers who are not gang members. In our concern of teen gangs, we do not pay much attention to their non-gang counterparts. They face various problems in one way or other, due the labeling by the media, on a daily basis. This study attempted to uncover the problems these non-gang teenagers face and what are the factors that make them susceptible to these problems in the view of Howard Becker’s labeling theory. From the experiences of the respondents, I sought to determine if the problems they face is a result of media representation, in any way. Qualitative approach was used to conduct the study. The study was conducted on 28 teenagers aged between 16 and 19 from various areas of Dhaka. Respondents were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire. From the interviews, the researcher found that residential areas, gender and class had an influence on their experiences. Some experienced some serious problems than others. However, every problem they faced showed us how news media can shape our behaviors. It is also clear that it is high time we paid some attention to the non-gang teen agers and the problems they face. Keywords: Media Representation, labelling of teens, teen gang culture, non-gang youth.

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Some Procedural Status Problems of Accused Juvenile by the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation

6 Pages Posted: 16 Mar 2021

Andrey Verin

Kazan Federal University

Igor Antonov

Maxim belyaev, marina klyukova, olga makarova.

Kazan State Medical University

Date Written: May 16, 2017

The regulation of procedural status of the minor defendant remains urgent due to incomplete and consecutive standard regulation and, as a result, its theoretical cover. It is essential to improve the criminal procedure legislation concerning minor participants of criminal legal proceedings within raising negative tendencies of minor’s crime in the Russian Federation. The legislator, unfortunately, did not manage to avoid a so-called double context in understanding of category "minor" in a number of articles of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. In this regard it is possible to say that present norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation which regulate the procedural status of the minor defendant need more detailed structure and updated contents. It will set a legal basis for more effective law enforcement and finally, judicial authorities will respond to modern challenges more adequately, i.e. state and tendencies of development of minor’s crime in the Russian Federation, and also will provide more procedural guarantees of the rights and legitimate interests of the minor defendants required by the international regulations. The present complex of procedural means of the Russian Federation can be used to protect the rights and legitimate interests of minor participants of criminal legal proceedings. Certainly, it needs to be reconsidered and updated according to urgent present requirements and challenges.

Keywords: minor, the procedural status, criminal legal proceedings, the minor suspect, the minor accused, the minor defendant, the complicated procedure, the simplified procedure

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Kazan Federal University ( email )

Streey The Kremlin, 18 Kazan, Tatarstan 420008 Russia

HOME PAGE: http://kpfu.ru/andrej.verin

Marina Klyukova (Contact Author)

HOME PAGE: http://kpfu.ru/Marina.Klukova

Kazan State Medical University ( email )

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