Defining a historical context of juvenile delinquency studies can provide valuable information about society’s progress concerning juvenile delinquency in such aspects, as parental responsibility. Comparing the acts that were acknowledged as juvenile delinquency in ancient times and modern society can determine whether current policies effectively prevent youth from misbehavior. This essay will compare how juvenile delinquency was perceived in Ancient Greece with the way modern society approaches juvenile offenders.
Firstly, searching for the historical origins of the juvenile delinquency concept could quickly become confusing because, historically, such a concept only occurred at the beginning of the modern era. While there is no significant data on youth misbehavior in ancient times, some available sources suggest that misbehavior was encouraged among young men (Bates & Swan, 2021). In particular, because masculinity and physical power were highly appreciated in Ancient Greece, one could determine that the society was pushing male youth towards violent behavior.
Exposing the youth to violent behavior and stories from a young age contributed to the unruly behavior of youth In Ancient Greece. According to Regoli et al. (2020), many stories from Ancient Greek culture focus on complicated parents’ relationships with their children that end with the killing of the children. Therefore, the author suggested that juvenile delinquency was sourced in one’s relationships with parents. While other sources suggest that in punishment measures, youth were treated as adults, according to Bates and Swan (2021), the issue of juvenile delinquency could not occur at that time due to close family connections. Furthermore, as corporal punishments were common in families at that time, the state did not have to define specific punishments for youth misbehavior. The only policy related to juvenile delinquency existing in ancient Greece was the law that prohibited the youth in ancient Greece from beating their parents. Thus, for example, in cases where a young man committed misbehavior, he was primarily responsible for his parents, and they decided the punishment measures, which mainly featured corporal punishment.
Exploration of the historical context of juvenile delinquency in the ancient period helps define one significant difference in parental engagement in modern society. In ancient Greece, the state encouraged parental responsibility for the child’s misbehavior, and parents could choose the punitive measures themselves. On the other hand, parental engagement in juvenile delinquency is limited in modern society. Moreover, parents, educational institutions, society, and media are acknowledged as responsible for the delinquent behavior of juvenile offenders.
Furthermore, considering the punishment measures, the corporal punishment commonly used in ancient times proved ineffective in the long run. According to Finkelhor et al. (2019), corporal punishment can result in poor development outcomes, such as mental health problems and subsequent aggression. In the last fifty years, the rate of children subjected to corporal punishment significantly decreased (Finkelhor et al., 2019). In modern times, common penalties for juvenile offenders include treatment and counseling, fines, or mandated community service hours. For example, in cases where a young man committed misbehavior, he is accountable to the authorities and will be judged depending on the severity of his actions. Lastly, the punishment measures for juvenile delinquency in modern society will never include corporal methods.
In conclusion, this essay explored the historical context of juvenile delinquency and compared how the state approached juvenile delinquency in ancient and modern times. The essay defined that young Greeks were exposed to violent behavior from an early age in ancient Greece, and many had problematic relationships with their parents. Moreover, as the state held parents accountable for the children’s misbehavior, parents were the ones who chose the punishment measures, often resorting to corporal punishment. In modern times, the state prohibits corporal punishments due to their ineffectiveness and limits parental engagement in juvenile delinquency, and offenders are judged based on the severity of their actions.