What Is Juvenile Delinquency?

Juvenile delinquency can be considered any crime committed by a person who is younger than the legal age. Statistics point to an increase in juvenile delinquency and it is believed that between 60-80% of teenagers have committed a crime at least once. 

What causes it? 

If we hope to understand what juvenile delinquency is, we have to ask ourselves: why do children and teens engage in illegal acts? There are many reasons that vary from mental disorder to serious social problems like poverty. Teenagers are the leading group age in juvenile delinquency. Although the majority of illegal acts are minor, some teenagers are well involved in drug traffic and gangs! As I have said, poverty plays an important role in the spread of juvenile delinquency, but parents' negligence and poor education can also lead teenagers to commit crimes.

What happens if a child is accused of a crime? 

The court system that handles juvenile cases is separate from the one that trials adults. When summoned to court, the child's guardian must also be present. In some states the parents can be held responsible for the child's action. If your child commits a crime, depending on the state you live in, you may have to pay a fine, restitution money for the victim, court expenses etc. 

If the offense is very serious, the child or teenager can be tried as an adult. Most states do not have a minimum age requirement, while others specify that a child must be 14 before tried as an adult. If the court decides to take such drastic actions, the fate of the accused will be determined by an adult law-court. In this case, the young offender, if found guilty, suffers the full penalty of the law. It is estimated that 250.000 minors are tried as adults every year.

Children who are condemned by a juvenile court may face different sentences. Some will have to be enrolled in reeducation programs and some can be condemned to time in juvenile homes. 

In most of the cases, juvenile criminal records are confidential and are deleted when the child reaches the legal age. 

Final words 

If you are the parent of a troublesome child, you have to take immediate action! Give your child the attention he or she needs and try to get help from professionals. There are many resources that can help parents correct their children's bad behavior!

If your child is accused of a crime, it is essential to get an attorney! Our law firm has the best criminal defense attorneys! For more information visit www.criminaldefenseattorneyinla.com!