Persuasive Essay On Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency is a considerable problem within the United States. Many efforts are put into place to ensure a better life for youth. Undeterred by the efforts in place, some youth are continuing to be lost within the juvenile justice system. According to the Public Broadcasting Service (Juvenile Justice) “On average, juveniles were involved in one-quarter of all serious violent victimizations (not including murder) committed annually over the last 25 years.” (Juvenile Justice) This statistic proves that youth are being involved in violent crimes, and need to be stopped. Unfortunately for twelve-year-old Jarrell Milton, he was pulled into the justice system at an extremely rare age for the charge, murder. According to Police One article,

Youth look up to family members, and parents are role models to their children. The unfortunate part about parents being role models is, when parents make bad decisions, their children may follow. According to Daily Mail reporters Ashley Collman and Chris Spargo “…Jarrell 's mother Iyanna Moss was convicted for felony assault when he was a toddler. When she went to prison, Jarrell and his six other siblings were sent to live in an Omaha foster home…” (Collman and Spargo) Milton’s mother was not in his life, and he lived in foster care. Milton lacked the guidance he deserved, and a vital parental figure. The article Delinquent Youths and Family by Larry LeFlore states, “Indirectly and from a social structural point of view, the family determines the culture into which a child is born.” (LeFlore) The importance of a clean, criminal free environment is crucial. The beginning years of life are extremely impactful on youth. If there is violence, drugs, and other criminal activity the youth will adapt to that environment. The article by Larry LeFlore also mentioned, “…Membership in lower SES or working-class families may limit achievement of the American Dream.” (LeFlore) If the family members are constantly working to provide, they are going to be unaware of what is happening in their children’s life. If the family has a poor economic status, it could promote the child to steal or commit crimes to receive what they want or need. The

According to an article written by Maggie O’Brien, she explains, “All three boys, including the youngest, are Nike gang members.” (O’Brien) The gang that Milton was apart of played a huge role in why he lured the men in on a fatal drug deal. An article by Francis Thaddeus Pleban stated, “While gangs have much in common with the majority of society, they also have their own exclusive set of values, norms, lifestyles, and beliefs.” (Pleban) It is possible that Milton was told to fatally shoot both of the men, because of the norms or rules of the gang. Gangs usually choose violence, and if someone is apart of a gang the must stay loyal at all times or there are serious consequences. The article by Francis Thaddeus Pleban also explained, “…Research had found positive correlations between self-reported gang involvement and self-reported delinquency; with the link between hang involvement and delinquency being virtually indisputable.” (Pleban) Basically, if youth are involved in gangs there are also going to be involved in delinquency. Gangs promote violence, and recruit youth to commit their heinous