Combating Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is the participation in a crime or illegal behavior by minors who are below the statutory age of majority. While many programs have shown success, some have completely failed to combat delinquency; hence, it is appropriate to determine the efficacy of these programs.
Delinquency Efforts/Programs in Miami
Youth Crime Watch
The Citizen’s Crime Watch, a non-profit crime prevention program in Miami-Dade County has made significant strides in the fight against juvenile delinquency. One of its main developments is the Youth Crime Watch
program (YCW) whose main aim is to promote safe school environments (“Crime and Delinquency,” 2011). The program has trained school coordinators to become certified crime prevention practitioners. The coordinators are
responsible for orienting students to YCW’s efforts against juvenile delinquency (“Crime and Delinquency,” 2011). Students who acquire these safety skills educate their peers on crime prevention, both in school and
at home.
Outreach Programs
Youth Outreach Unit (Y.O.U). The Miami-Dade Police Department has taken a new approach in the fight against juvenile delinquency with the Youth Outreach Unit program. Y.O.U is a delinquency alternative program to
the regular courts (“Crime and Delinquency,” 2011). The outreach program deals with youths who are determined by the courts to have a high risk of re-offending based on pre-identified issues on school behavior and performance, family substance use concerns, and other pre-delinquent behaviors (“Crime and Delinquency,” 2011). The program combines social service connections and community-based policing practices to develop a
sense of trust and legitimacy in the community. The program applies non-judicial sanctions in its case management services to the youths and their families to instill responsible behavior and prevent recidivism.
Sociological Theories
Social Learning Theory
Social Learning Theory argues that learning in humans beings is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context. It posits that learning is not dependent on direct reinforcement or motor reproduction, but it can occur through direct instruction or observation of punishments and rewards. Research by Evans, Simons, and Simons (2016) argues that the theory can be used to explain aspects of juvenile delinquency, including deviant behavior and aggression. The concepts of the theory can help to formulate juvenile delinquency policies that focus on early interventions to combat youth crime.
Strain Theory
The theory associates deviant behavior with the stress that individuals experience when the society fails to provide legal and approved means to attain culturally valued goals. The strain can either be structural or individual (Monahan, Vanderhei, Bechtold, & Cauffman, 2014). A structural strain occurs when the societal structures are widely inadequate, while individual strains are a result of a person’s inner struggles and pains as they look to satisfy their needs (Monahan et al., …
