'Juvenile' is a a person below 18 years of age and it refers to anti-social or criminal activity / offence of that child. Some the criminal offences include sexual crimes, homicide, drug addiction, property disputes & violent crimes. According to research, positive youth development is the key to prevent teens from turning into offenders. This type of criminal offence is more often a group phenomenon rather than an individual act. Given-below are some facts, risk / preventive factors & warning signs (all parents must watch out) for their children :-
- Worldwide, crimes committed by juveniles have been on the rise in the recent years. As detailed below, there are risk & preventive factors for delinquency.
- Gender: Male-teens are more likely to become offenders as compared to female-teens.<
- Individual Factors: Attention deficit by parents, hyperactivity disorder, low IQ, aggressive behaviour, drug abuse, violent victimisation & learning disorders.
- Family Atmosphere: low parental income, harsh disciplinary methods, poor monitoring by parents & authoritarian styles of parenting. Community factors like socially disorganised neighbourhood, decreased economic opportunities & poor community participation are also responsible for the delinquency.
- Other Factors: Associating with delinquent peers, gang involvement, exposure to media violence through you tube etc., poor academic performance & ethnicity are some other factors that lead to delinquency.
- However, there are some protective factors which prevent the teens from delinquency like good academic performance, spirituality, good social skills, high IQ, shared familiy activities, good coping strategies and problem solving, involvement pro-social activities & strong healthy peer relations.
- Useful Tips for Parents: (i) Parents should always keep their communication channel open for their children (ii) They should monitor their activities and peer group. (iii) Should teach them how to handle disputes in a peaceful manner (iv) Watch for aggression and academic performance. & (v) Above all, they should constantly watch the medial & social networks usage by their children due to technological advancement.