Delinquency Deterrence Response Essay

It is said that the human mind can be a very complex web of thoughts. Thoughts that can sometimes lead to good or bad actions. Does the actual threat of punishment deter or does it encourage juvenile delinquency? This question happens to hold two answers one being yes and the other no. Juvenile delinquency has existed for years but as we all know it is not a problem that blooms overnight. Juvenile delinquency is a manifested state that is learned and its causes are manifested from in the home (dysfunctional or broken), school (pressure to succeed), friends (peer pressure) and family (need to scape for some reason or another). According to Thomson Learning Inc. Juvenile Delinquency: The Core (2005), for some children and teenagers the threat of punishment is so realistic that this method provides an opportunity for those individuals to do right. This may be because the individuals rational thought process and the enforcement of punishment either has been already enforced or the fear of being caught is too high of a price for the individual to accept. On the other hand there are children and teenagers who do not ear punishment or any other consequences that may come from their bad actions. Furthermore, for some individuals the thought of being punished only enrages and encourages some individuals to continue their bad ways. It s said that in order for a plant to grow and bloom it has to be fed and nurtured. This process is no different when it comes to raising children and teenagers. When children or teenagers are raised in dysfunctional homes with parents that encourage bad behavior and no discipline enable these individuals to do wrong. Living in a home ith parents that consume alcohol, do drugs, steal and party on a regular basis encourages these individuals to become delinquent. A child or teen being raised in that type of environment may assume and be encouraged to think that it is okay to live that way. Being encouraged by peers to do wrong is not right but to be encouraged by ones own parent is considered an act that deems detrimental to any child or teenagers life. The reason for this is because consequences and correction for their bad actions does not exist (Thomson Learning Inc. 005). Some examples of general deterrence, specific deterrence and situational crime prevention strategies are as followed. General deterrence basically is if an individual believes that they will be caught in an act for example like holding up a convenience store and their punishment will be executed to the fullest for that crime. There is the possibility that the crime will not be committed because the punishment far outweighs the crime. Specific deterrence is used to lessen the probability of having a repeat offender. An example of specific deterrence is the three strike law. This method plainly states that a person who is tried for the same offense will go to jail for committing the same crime on a third offense. There are no breaks or excuses due to the fact that the three strike laws were implemented from a previous offense. Situational crime prevention is the ability to reduce and curb the tendencies of criminals by making their actions harder to commit. This can be done by having neighborhood watch groups in conjunction with police patrol at simulated times of the day. Store owners can have cameras placed in inconspicuous areas of their stores along with having tampered proof glass or window bars on their stores. The key in situational awareness is to make the offender thinks twice about their actions and how will it benefit them if they are caught (Thomson Learning Inc. , 2005). As kids growing up we were always told that prevention was always better than a cure. We were also told that for our bad choices made there will always be consequences for those actions. Knowing our boundaries we always stayed within them. My parents taught us right from wrong and they guided us through our childhood right into our teenage and adolescent years. It is in my observation through their hands on ways and always being active in our lives we stayed away from trouble. It is my belief that crime prevention strategies are always the best to start with. When an individual realizes that it is harder to commit a crime whether it is through parental involvement or because of the elements that are in place they may find something that will be more beneficial than getting into trouble. .