Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Prevention in Society

  A juvenile delinquent is any young person under the age of 18 years whose conduct is characterized by antisocial behaviour that is beyond parental control. A minor involved in acts such as assault, rape, substance abuse, under aged drinking and smoking, gang violence, stealing, cultism, robbery, etc. Habitual committing of criminal acts or offences by a young person, especially one below the age at which ordinary criminal prosecution is possible. Young persons with chronic delinquent behaviour who are at risk of incarceration. Causes Risk factors of juvenile offending including broken families, poverty, frequent parent’s fights, poor parenting, peer pressure, lack of parental supervision, lack of discipline, domestic violence, lack of education, uninvolved parenting, unequal treatment between children, siblings with behaviour problems, etc. these contribute to the onset of criminal behaviour in a child or adolescent. Preventive measures Checking risk factors like history of abuse, studying the child’s home and family and provide help and support. Intervene with at risk parents. Targeted support to disadvantaged families Look into the child’s school and find out who their friends are Encouraging supportive family Encouraging shared activities, recreation, religious activities with a focus on education Encouraging children to speak with counsellors, teachers Look for antisocial behaviour Good parent-child relationship Providing programmes for children and youth through youth mentoring and conflict resolution Bullying prevention programmes Measures directed towards those who have already been involved with the juvenile justice system Prevention programmes and corrections support within the juvenile justice system or juvenile detention centers Positive behavior support to youth in detention centers.   Juvenile Detention Center This is temporary confinement while a young person’s case is being handled in court under the supervision of the department. Facilities reserved for youth who have committed serious offences. Conflict management skills by those who come in contact with young offenders and charged with managing the behaviour of youth in juvenile detention centers will help inmates learn alternatives to violent and self-defeating behaviour. Delinquency and violence are symptoms of the inability to handle confrontation constructively. Changing the institutional handling of conflict from a punitive focus to one that uses problem solving methods to supplement existing disciplinary policies and procedures. Teaching youth to effectively manage conflict and reduce violence. Learning to manage conflicts, resolve disputes, increase self-control, reduce incidents of disruptive and violent behavior. Teaching them positive expression and problem solving skills to become behavior of choice in pressured and stressful situations to manage whatever individual issues they are dealing with. Providing bullying prevention and life skills training they were not taught at home.