Other contributory

factors to juvenile
delinquency problem
government

Some departments or agencies of the

government also create factors that influence
the youth to become delinquent, such as
political interference of the higher positions,
unfair decisions of the court and police
carelessness and unfair treatment and even the
police policy itself.
religion
Is another contributing factor as such
shapes the child’s spiritual beliefs. It serves as a
guide in his or her moral preferences as he
grows up. The molding up of a child’s character
start from his spirituality which is brought about
by the teachings of his or her church.
exclusion
Is another influential factor to delinquency.
The growing gap between rich and poor has led
to the emergence of unwanted others. The
exclusion of some people is gradually increasing
with the accumulation of obstacles, ruptured
social ties, unemployment and identity crises.
Gender and delinquency
Available data show that delinquency and crime have strong
gender associations.
Police record indicate that the crime rates of male juvenile and
male young adult offenders are more than double those of young
females, and conviction rates are six or seven times higher. The
number of male juvenile suspects for every 100,000 members of the
designated age group is more than six times the corresponding figure
for females for those in the youth category the male-female suspect
ratio is even higher, at 12.5 to 1.6. There are a number of reasons why
more young men than a young women are involved in violent or
criminal behavior.
Social class and delinquency
Defining the relationship between economic status
and delinquent behavior is the key element in the study
of delinquency. If youth crime is purely a lower-class
phenomenon, its cause must be rooted in the social
forces that are found solely in lower-class areas;
poverty, unemployment, social disorganization, culture
conflict, and alienation. However if delinquent behavior
is spread throughout the social structure, its cause must
be related to some noneconomic factor; intelligence,
personality, socialization, family dysfunction,
educational failure or peer influence.
Age of delinquency

Age is inversely related to criminality. As

youthful offenders mature, their offending rates
decline. Official statistics tell us that young
people are arrested at a disproportionate rate to
their numbers in the population and this finding
is supported by victims survey.
Age onset
Age may influence delinquent behavior in other ways. For
example, evidence exist that people who demonstrate anti social
tendencies at a very early age are more likely to commit more crime
for a longer duration; this is referred to as the age of onset. According
to this view, there are two classes of offenders. The first begin
committing crime in late adolescence, typically with their peers, and
the cease offending as they enter young adulthood. These youngster
begin to desist, from illegal or deviant activities as they mature begin
to realize that crime is too dangerous, physically taxing, and
unrewarding, and punishments too harsh and long lasting, to become
a way o life.
 The second group of delinquents is composed of
those who begin their offending careers early in life and
maintain a high rate of offending throughout their lifespan.
Early onset of crime is a marker for their chronic offending
patterns. Research support this by showing that children
who will later become delinquents begin their deviant
careers at a very early age and that the earlier the onset of
delinquency the more frequent, varied, and sustained the
criminal career.
Police work on delinquency
Juvenile and the Police
The police are the first line of defense against crime. Having
the power to arrest and use deadly force, the police are charged
both with preventing and deterring crime and maintaining peace
within the community.
At work, the police have to constantly bear in mind though
that juvenile delinquents should be handled in a different manner
from the adult offenders. Most juvenile delinquents are immature
boys and girls lacking in judgement, who need understanding and
guidance rather than punishment.
Police service
Police who work with juvenile offenders usually
have skills and talents that go beyond those generally
associated with regular police work. In large urban
police department, juvenile services are often
established through a special unit. Ordinarily this unit
is the responsibility of a command-level police officer,
who assigns officers to deal with juvenile problems
throughout the police department’s jurisdiction.
Police roles
Juvenile officers operate either as specialists within a
police department or as a part of the juvenile unit of a police
department. Their role is similar to that officers working
with adult offenders; to intervene if the actions of a citizen
produce public danger or disorder. Most juvenile officers are
appointed after having had some patrol experience. A desire
to work with juveniles, as well as an aptitude for the work, is
considered essential for the job. Officers must also have a
thorough knowledge of the law, especially the constitutional
protection available to juveniles.
Police attitudes toward youth crime
The police today have more positive attitudes toward youthful offenders
than in the past. However, there are hindrances that hold them to really work
hard toward the betterment of police-youth relations. First, the police see
themselves as skilled in their ability to confront youth offenders, but the
leniency of our juvenile laws makes them believe nothing will happen if
youthful offenders are apprehend, unless the offense is serious. Second, the
dangers inherent in their job require the police to be alert to minor offenders
who would lead them to trouble or danger, and therefore, experienced police
officer know they must be especially guarded in a police-juvenile
unpredictability and resistance makes these difficult situation occur.
Police and violent juvenile crime
Violent juvenile offenders are defined as those
adjudicated delinquents for crimes of homicide, rape,
robbery, aggravated assault, and kidnapping. Juveniles
typically account for nearly 20 percent of all violent crime
arrests. Though the juvenile violence rate has recently
declined, the future is uncertain. Some expert believe that a
surge of violence will occur as the children of baby boomers
enter their prime crime years. They predict that juvenile
arrests for violent crime will be double in the coming years.
Police and rule of law
The Arrest Procedure
The law of arrest of juvenile is generally the same
as the adults. To make a legal arrest, an officer must
have probable cause to believe that an offense took
place and that the suspect is the guilty party. Probable
cause is usually defined as the falling somewhere
between a mere suspicion and absolute certainty.
Search and seizure
The right of the people, to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable
searches and seizure of whatever nature and for any
purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or
warrant of arrest shall issue except upon probable cause to
be determined personally by the judge after examination
under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the
witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the
place to be searched and the person or things to be seized.
Custodial Interrogation
In years past, police often questioned
juveniles without their parents or even an
attorney present. Any incriminating statement
arising from such custodial interrogation could be
used at trial. However, in the 1966 Miranda case,
the Supreme Court placed constitutional
limitations on police interrogation procedures
with adult offenders.
Miranda held that persons in police custody must be
told the following:
They have the right to remain silent.
Any statement they make can be used against
them.
They have the right to counsel.
If they cannot afford counsel, it will be furnished
at public expense.
Control of Unlawful Behavior of Youth and
Undesirable Conditions involving Youth

Control - It is a term which acknowledges the existence of

unlawful behavior and the need to take action.
Unlawful behavior of youth - It includes all types of activity
in which laws and ordinances are violated and such other activities
as could bring youth before the juvenile court.
Undesirable conditions - The term refers to community
hazards and community problems harmful to youth.
Control is accomplished in three major ways by the:
1. Investigation of individual cases involving youth and
conditions causing anti-social activities.
2. Providing a constructive disposition for individual cases
and conditions through department action, referral to other
agencies, or to the juvenile court.
3. Providing overall effective police operations which reduce
the opportunity for commission of law violations and
maintaining cooperative relations with other components of
the juvenile justice system.
Prevention of Unlawful Behavior of Youth and Conditions
Causing Anti-Social Activities

Prevention - It implies the keeping of unlawful

behavior from occurring originally or keeping unlawful
behavior to intervention.
The prevention phase is accomplished by
the following:
1. Influencing youth, parents and the general public to meet
the basic needs of the youth and to conform to all laws and
regulations made for their protection.
2. Participation in community organization planning with
other agencies to improve the total community.
3. Providing overall effective police operations which reduce
the desire on the part the individuals to commit unlawful
acts.
Police Responsibility
Law enforcement's responsibility to the community is probably
greater than that of any official agency. The following are the
primary responsibilities of the police:
1. detection of crime.
2. apprehension of offenders
3. preservation of peace
4. general safety of the public
The discharge of these obligations is automatic, and if done
satisfactorily, delinquency and crime prevention would be controlled
with no further effort on the part of the police or of the public.
Community-Based Policing
Some police departments are now replacing more
aggressive measures with cooperative community-based
efforts. Because police officers are responsible for the care
of juveniles taken into custody, it is essential that they work
closely with social service groups day by day. In helping to
develop delinquency prevention programs, the police are
working closely with youth service bureaus, schools,
recreational facilities, welfare agencies, and employment
programs.
Problem-Oriented Policing
Also referred to as problem-solving policing, problem
oriented policing involves a systematic analysis and response
to the problems or conditions underlying criminal incidents
rather than the incidents themselves. The theory is that by
attending to the underlying problems that cause criminal
incidents, the police will have a greater chance of preventing
the crimes from reoccurring - the main problem with reactive
or "incident-driven policing." This is not the same as seeking
out the root causes of the crime problem in general, as noted
by Harvard criminologist Mark Moore. It is much shallower,
more situational approach.
The systematic nature of problem-oriented policing is
characterized by its adherence to a four-step model, often referred
to as S.A.R.A., which stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response, and
Assessment. These four steps are described as follows:
1. Scanning
- involves identifying a specific crime problem through various
data sources (for example, victim surveys, 117 calls)
2. Analysis
- involves carrying out an in-depth analysis of the crime
problem and its underlying causes.
3. Response
- brings together the police and other partners
to develop and implement a response to the
problem based on the results produced in the
analysis stage.
4. Assessment
- is the stage in which the response to the
problem is evaluated.