Juvenile Delinquency Prevention-HsinChu County Police Bureau
Who are Juveniles?
According to Juvenile Delinquency Act, the so-called juvenile in the Law refers to those who have reached the age of 12 and are less than the age of 18. It should be noted that the legal definition of juvenile is distinguished from children. Children are defined in the The Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act as people below the age of 18.
What’s juvenile delinquency?
Juvenile delinquency, also known as Juvenile Offending which is participation in illegal behavior by minors (juveniles) (individuals younger than the statutory age of majority), according to the renowned scholars Siegel and Welsh (Juvenile Delinquency: The Core, 2011).
According to the renowned scholar Steinberg (Adolescence 8th ed, 2008), the two largest predictors of juvenile delinquency are
- parenting style, with the two styles most likely to predict delinquency being
- "permissive" parenting, characterized by a lack of consequence-based discipline and encompassing two subtypes known as
- "neglectful" parenting, characterized by a lack of monitoring and thus of knowledge of the child's activities, and
- "indulgent" parenting, characterized by affirmative enablement of misbehavior
- "authoritarian" parenting, characterized by harsh discipline and refusal to justify discipline on any basis other than "because I said so";
- peer group association, particularly with antisocial peer groups, as is more likely when adolescents are left unsupervised.[4]
Other factors that may lead a teenager into juvenile delinquency include poor or low socioeconomic status, poor school readiness/performance and/or failure, peer rejection, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There may also be biological factors, such as high levels of serotonin, giving them a difficult temper and poor self-regulation, and a lower resting heart rate, which may lead to fearlessness. Most of these tend to be influenced by a mix of both genetic and environmental factors.
What are the Preventive Measures of Juvenile Delinquency?
Delinquency prevention is the broad term for all efforts aimed at preventing youth from becoming involved in criminal or other antisocial activity. Because the development of delinquency in youth is influenced by numerous factors, prevention efforts need to be comprehensive in scope. Prevention services may include activities such as substance abuse education and treatment, family counseling, youth mentoring, parenting education, educational support, and youth sheltering. Increasing availability and use of family planning services, including education and contraceptives helps to reduce unintended pregnancy and unwanted births, which are risk factors for delinquency. Education is the great equalizer, opening doors to lift themselves out of poverty…. Education also promotes economic growth, national productivity and innovation, and values of democracy and social cohesion (World Bank, Education and development, 2012).
Where I can Learn More about Juvenile Delinquency Prevention?
Children and Juvenile Crime Prevention
Youth Development Administration
Taiwan Youth Activity and Event Information