Table of Contents
Introduction
Juvenile delinquency is a broad term that encompasses acts that range from status and substance use offenses to criminal behaviors. It has substantial consequences on offenders, victims, and society in general. As the problem continues to thrive, researchers and policymakers are seeking to understand the most effective method of preventing criminal behavior among young people. Researchers have identified intervention programs that reduce delinquency and promote social development. Early intervention of preventing and treating juvenile delinquency is the best approach for today’s society. According to Greenwood (2008), preventing misconduct averts the onset of adult criminal careers thereby reducing the burden of a felony on victims and the society. Additionally, preventing criminal behavior among the youth not only saves lives from being wasted, but also saves taxpayers’ money by reducing the costs incurred during arrests, prosecutions, and treatment of juvenile offenders. This paper will compare and contrast community-based programs, specifically family and school-based interventions of preventing juvenile delinquency
Understanding Intervention Programs
Community, family, and schools are the primary institutions of child socialization and therefore, play a significant role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Crime deterrence programs are often created in community settings to serve the youth placed in probation, helping to prevent them from facing juvenile justice systems or guiding them on parole (Catalano, Loeber & McKinney, 1999). Markedly, most nations have prioritized the prevention of youth involved in minor delinquent offenses from prosecution through the juvenile justice systems (Siegel & Welsh, 2019). In this case, settings can range from youth homes, schools, parks, or teen centers.
The most successful community intervention programs are those that emphasize family interactions since they focus on providing skills to the adults who are in the best position to supervise and train the child. Traditional methods aimed at punishing and instilling fear in the youth are less effective (Greenwood, 2008). Conversely, school-based programs are implemented in school settings and are aimed at reducing high-risk problem behaviors. The methods are designed to decrease the difficulties of the school environment by minimizing the students’ vulnerability to emotional and academic complexities, and increasing teacher and peer support.
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Risk Factors
There are four groups of identified risk factors that increase the likelihood of youth engaging in delinquent behavior. They include individual, family, peer as well as school and community risk factors. Both community and school-based programs target change in specific risks and the introduction of protective factors to prevent antisocial behavior (Catalano et al., 1999). Public health approaches influence most of these interventions. Importantly, the community-based initiatives target youth who are at risk of engaging in criminal activities and those showing signs of aggression, violence, criminal behavior or substance abuse. Children exposed to certain risk factors at school, home, in their communities, and with their peers are at a higher risk of becoming juvenile offenders (Greenwood, 2008). For instance, children whose parents or siblings engage in criminal activities or are at risk of developing a criminal history are at a high risk of showing delinquent behaviors. Poor parental supervision, inconsistent discipline, use of corporal punishment, and mismanagement of family conflicts are all risk factors contributing to juvenile delinquency.
Unlike community-based interventions, school-based programs target risk factors such as poor academic performance, failure to bond at school, use of drugs, access to weapons, rebelliousness, and school dropout. However, these programs also aim at reducing risk factors such as aggression and violence and increase protective factors such as positive school attendance, commitment to school, ability to discuss problems with teachers and parents, and positive social orientation (Greenwood, 2008). It engages teachers and parents in establishing clear rules against criminal behavior.
Effectiveness
Various school-based programs have proved effective in reducing violence and delinquent behavior among the youth. For instance, Norwegian school intervention program that was created to target bullying in schools was successful in preventing violence by reducing aggressive behaviors and other delinquent acts among the students. All Norwegian families with school going children were provided with booklets about the causes and impacts of bullying, and how to prevent it (Catalano et al., 1999). In Wilson and Lipsey (2005) study that involved research and analysis of more than 200 surveys on the effectiveness of school-based programs for preventing or reducing aggressive behavior, school-based programs were reported to be effective at reducing the most common types of aggressive behaviors observed in schools such as fighting, bullying, sexual harassment, and intimidation (Wilson & Lipsey, 2005).
Like school-based programs, literature has found comprehensive community interventions to be effective in addressing multiple risk factors in the community, family, and schools. However, comprehensive community-based programs are different from school-based methods since they not only concentrate in school settings, but also on home and community environments. Moreover, they involve a coordinated set of mutually reinforcing preventive interventions throughout the community. For instance, the North Land Project initiated in the six eastern counties of Minnesota used a combination of parental involvement, classroom, and community-based interventions to prevent the use of alcohol among the youth. The students who participated in the project reported reduced rates of their tendency to consume alcohol (Catalano et al., 1999). In this case, both school and community-based interventions can be effective in preventing juvenile delinquency if implemented well in the right settings.
Biblical Perspective
While this paper has tried to compare and contrast different methods of reducing juvenile delinquency, the issue of concern remains what programs work to address specific needs and values of the youth, and the capacity of the schools, family, and community to implement these methods. As the issue of juvenile delinquency becomes a common topic of discussion today, scripture reminds us that many troubled children need help. Biblical principles guide both school and community-based programs. Proverbs 23: 24 says, “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.” The children that people expect to bring joy, happiness, love, and satisfaction to their parents, teachers, and neighbors sometimes bring shame, sadness, and disappointments (Color, 2017).
While God calls for children to be obedient and bring honor to their parents, none of this happens naturally. “Every infant begins life as a little savage who is selfish and self-centered; he wants his bottle, playmates’ toys, and mother’s attention all to himself,” (Color, 2017). If one denies them these things, he or she reacts with much rage that he or she can hurt someone if wasn’t for the fact that they were so helpless themselves. This means that children are born delinquent and if they are allowed to continue with their impulsive actions of satisfying all their wants, every child can become a criminal in the future. Furthermore, early Jewish and Christian traditions maintained that wickedness is attributed to a man even in childhood. While infants may be considered innocent, their blamelessness lies in their bodies and mind (Color, 2017). As a result, parents must be aware that as they raise their children, they will get exposed to evil sometimes which is even inborn; therefore early intervention is necessary to prevent later onset of even more severe delinquency.
The biblical approach towards juvenile issues is aimed at providing quality parenting and mentoring to youth. No matter the kind of parenting that parents may employ, every child tends to become rebellious at some point in life. However, Proverbs 22:6 provides biblical principles of approaching disobedient children with love (Color, 2017). The verse tells parents, the church, and community to train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it. Parents have the responsibility of guiding their children and training them to ditch bad behavior and emulate good ones. The best way for all children to go is towards God (Color, 2017). A rebellious child must be taught to follow God’s ways, abandon crime, and do only Godly activities. The youth must obey their parents and submit to the authority and established laws.
Conclusion
School and community-based programs offer apt examples of the kind of interventions effective in addressing juvenile delinquency. The outcome of these interventions in various settings is very encouraging. Adopting and implementing interventions to address the risk factors for youth’s engagement in delinquency, while enhancing the protective factors can make a significant change in the lives of juveniles. School-based programs and comprehensive community interventions have shown positive effects in reducing juvenile delinquency. Based on the biblical view, children are born rebellious, exposed to evil, and are not as innocent as many people tend to think. Therefore, the church, parents, and community have the responsibility of guiding the youth and showing them the right direction to follow.
References
- Preventing Juvenile Delinquency in Georgia – Samploon
- Early Intervention in Juvenile Justice: Findings from Recent Program Evaluations – National Institutes of Health
- Preventing Juvenile Delinquency: Early Intervention and Comprehensiveness as Critical Factors – National Institutes of Health
- Preventing Juvenile Delinquency: Early Intervention and Preventive Measures – PubMed
