Juvenile delinquency is a problem we are beginning to face every day. “In 2014, almost 975,000 youths reached juvenile court for delinquency.” Therefore it is a big problem. But to solve a problem, we have to know the cause of it. A few causes are substance abuse, economic problems, and parental involvement. Although they are all serious contributors; the one I want to focus the most on is parental involvement. Are parents to blame for their child’s actions? Being a parent comes with tons of responsibility. When a child is born the parents then become responsible for physical needs, emotional needs, and legal needs. Parents tend to use the go with the flow method. Raising a human being doesn’t come with instructions. So what happens when they make a mistake? Do you give them a slap on the wrist and let them off with a warning or do you punish them and make sure they never do it again? The choice you make could make or break your child’s future.
Parents contribute a lot to a child. They give them a place to live, food to eat, water to drink, basic necessities that a human needs. I am sure you know a parent who puts drinking, drugs and work in front of their kids. It could be the mother or father. Kids have feelings. They feel unworthy, waste of space, and not loved. So what happens? Sometimes they turn to things to “numb” the pain they feel every day. Such as, drugs, alcohol, fighting, getting involved in a gang, and acting out at school. Regardless of what they chose it gets them attention. And when the child gets the attention they begin to feel they are worthy and loved. They feel important.
Mental abuse is a big reason too. From parents treating the child like they are nothing to the teacher saying they aren’t good enough. Have you ever been told that you need to be more like your sibling or another member of your family? How about physical abuse? Physical abuse starts as small incidents and grows into bigger problems. “In 1990, over 2 million cases of child abuse and neglect were reported to social service agencies. However tragic and sensational, the counts of deaths and serious injuries provide limited insight into the pervasive long-term social, behavioral, and cognitive consequences of child abuse and neglect. Reports of child maltreatment alone also reveal little about the interactions among individuals, families, communities, and society that lead to such incidents.”
Divorce is also a common cause for kids to act out. “The divorce rate per 1000 married women is nearly double that of 1960, but down from the all-time high of 22.6 in the early 1980s. 6. Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation.” Divorce takes a huge toll on kids. And I can vouch for that. I have personally been through it. It felt like my family was being ripped apart. That I wouldn’t be loved the same. So I acted out. I got in trouble at school and got in trouble at home. In my mind, I thought the more I got in trouble the more my parents would talk. And if my parents talked more then maybe they would get back together. So I got in so much trouble that I got suspended from school, lost all of my friends, and got grounded for a year. I was relentless. I didn’t stop because I had one goal. So I do believe that divorce causes juveniles to act out. For attention and love. At least I did.