What Causes Juvenile Crime and Who Is To Blame?

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With more parents working today, one perception is that children are being forced to grow up too quickly, which could be why crime among the youth is growing each day. In the past it was thought that, “If parents raise their children properly, they will be law abiding citizens. In contrast, if a child does not behave appropriately, it must be the parents’ fault” (Nakaya 49), however this may not be the case. While there is not one single cause for juvenile delinquency, Graham believes that bad parenting falls somewhere on the list (1719). So the question arises, is it the child’s fault for the crime he or she committed or should the blame lay upon the parent, who if was present in the child’s life and instilling proper discipline, might prevent the crimes from happening at all. This is a somewhat complex question because in order to place blame or punishment on either the child or the parent several factors must be determined first, such as: what type of home life does the child have? Are the parents reliable role models for their child? Do the parents take every necessary action to ensure that their child knows right from wrong and is aware of consequences that may follow bad behavior? How much time does the child spend unattended and during those times are there options for the child to keep them away from unwanted situations? Does the child have any underlying mental or learning disabilities? What types of relationships does the child have at school? After all these initial factors are investigated and if the parent is shown to be doing everything possible to keep their child from doing wrong but the child still does so, would the blame lie with the child offender or with the parent?
Perhaps one of the most importa...

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...iolence: Teenage Problems. San Diego: Reference Point Press, 2013. Print.
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Proulx, Brenda Z. and the Leave Out Violence Youth. The Courage to Change: A Teen Survival Guide. Toronto: Second Story Press, 2001. Print.
Punishing Parents: Who Is Responsible for Delinquent Kids? New York: Films Media Group, 2000. Video.
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Tatchyn, Elizabeth and Bottom Line Research. “Negligence and the Parental Duty to Supervise Children”. Alberta: Bottom Line Research. Web. http://www.bottomlineresearch.ca/articles/articles/pdf/Negligence%20and%20the%20Parental%20Duty%20to%20Supervise%20Children.pdf.

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