Abstract

The occurrence of rebellious and delinquent traits in female juveniles increased tremendously over the years, along with added consistent health threatening behaviors such as drug abuse and suicide. These trends coupled with cumulative stages of psychiatric admittance and special schoolrooms appointment in academic institutions. This paper concentrates on antisocial behavior and deliquescent traits that contribute to the rise of juvenile delinquency among females. It also traces the underlying reasons causing these traits as a female matures into a young adult. The goal of the essay is to increase awareness among the public on female delinquency and provide sustainable solutions to the predicament through the study of previous literature review on the issues. In addition, the paper looks at judicial measures taken to slow down the menace.

Statement of the Problem

The past researches on juvenile delinquency concentrate principally on demeanor disorder and hostility in males while moderately or minimal attention paid to female who perpetrate delinquent actions. The essay looks into past literature review on juvenile delinquency among females and the legal system’s reaction to the issues surrounding female delinquency and the factors causing the increase (Maruna, & Immarigeon, R. 2013). Delinquency and youth violence grow spontaneously especially among females. From 1983 to 1993 juvenile related matters rose by 128% according to juvenile delinquency statistics.

The Stigma of Female Delinquency

Early scholars of female delinquency focused on sexuality as the main cause for manifestation of female delinquent traits. For instance, dishonest nature of ladies (originate from faking sexual organisms); along with advanced biological maturity were some of the reasons researchers claimed accounted for female delinquency. In the early 1960s, researchers were recording the occurrence of ‘sex delinquencies’, indefinite status- forms of offenses namely incorrigibility or ‘craving upkeep and protection’ as some of the aspects differentiating female from their male counter parts. According to Maruna, & Immarigeon, (2013), most females in his study claimed that ran away from their guardians or parent’s home due to sexual harassment from relatives. However, the scholar did not look into this finding as the underlying reasons for female delinquency hence the author concluded that female teenagers ran away from home because most of them dreaded outcomes of promiscuous sexual behavior from themselves and relatives. In addition Maruna, & Immarigeon, (2013) ascertained that issues accounting for female  juvenile delinquent traits are sometimes have to do with cruel treatment from family members as a result of refusing sexual advancements.

 According to 2012 juvenile reports, teenage females comprised 20% of the youngsters arrested for unlawful crimes in America alone. In 2013, this number rose to 29%, implying a 50% increase. The author of the report, Rafter, (2017) a scholar and a lawyer in Children law claimed that this was due to domestic violence and sexual issues females faced at home and in their daily lives. Increasing juvenile delinquency among females points to society neglecting the needs of females hence pushing them toward unlawful behavior. Furthermore, the report suggested that females in the juvenile system undergo awful experiences at home before ending up arrested. Indeed, females are 4.4 times more likely than their male counterparts are to encounter sexual abuse before they end up breaking or on the wrong side of the law. In each category, teenage girls within the juvenile system experiences more trauma than boys according to the authors of the report. In addition, the report’s aim was educating the public on the health and safety of teenage girls across America. As explained by the statistical data from the report, in certain classifications of arrests, females appear more often than boy in crimes that if handled well, could avoid detention. For example, 76% of teenage girls arrested for prostitution and 40% for drunkenness and other violations. Most of the girls who end up in homes also do so through the juvenile system.

 As a result of ancient researches assuming that female delinquency was due to sexual factors, female delinquency developed a stigmatized image which lacks in male delinquency. Historically, teenage girl delinquents faced immorality charges, unruliness, or status wrongdoings namely running away or underage consumption of alcohol not permitted for juveniles. Therefore, due to the image of immorality attached to female delinquents, girls received harsher treatment than males. Hence, Baglivio et.al, (2014) concluded that the double standards within the youthful justice system disadvantaged women and contributed to the increasing numbers of female offenders all over the world.

Despite of numerous empirical proof highlighting or indicating that the rise in female juvenile delinquency may be due to varying social factors, the classic strain concept argues that crimes stalks from the failure to attain or reach financial ambitions, middle class status or all of the above. The strain theory tries to explain the rise in juvenile delinquency among females by shedding light on gender and crime. Siegel, & Welsh, (2014) uses the strain theory to expose women as being equal to men in terms of problems experienced and the public life of either gender do not differ from each other as people may think. Findings from the recent study unveiled that women are vulnerable to frustrations of a more wide-ranging nature and these frustrations contribute to the crimes they commit. According to the strain theory, analyzing female frustrations, concerns, objectives and other issues associated with criminal activities and subduing women would expose reasons why juvenile cases among women is on the rise.

 As explained by a study on strain theory, teenage girls who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, there are various underlying reasons for female perpetrated crimes and not all of them relate to failure of achieving monetary success as stated earlier. In addition, the strain theory ascertains that there exists various alteration to strains: mental, behavioral, and expressive. Some of these variations or alterations encompass crime while others do not. Furthermore males and females experiences varying strains (Leve, Kerr, & Harold, 2013). Stress literature insists that different degrees of strains influence emotional status of a person which later leads to crime. Both females and males have slightly different objectives and perceptions on fairness. Some strain and feminist philosophers argue that males strains center on material success and external accomplishments. On other hand, females form solid relationships and maintain close friendships as a means of achieving purpose in life. Thus, strains that trigger stress and emotional strain in women may eventually lead to crime. Women respond more sharply to emotional strain than men hence explaining reasons behind crime rates being higher.

Historically, females were less delinquent than males. However, the increased judicial system participation in matters affecting teenage females and the present depiction of teenage females in the media suggests that young women engage in substance abuse and violence, hence becoming similar to their male counter parts (Thompson, & Morris, 2013). Increased number of women in the juvenile justice system may indicate change in behavior and policies.

 

 

Recommendations

Law enforcers should interact with juvenile deliquescent. Relations apply to every law enforcer, from the top most to the lowest officer. Interacting under police initiated programs gives officers a chance to showcase their caring and friendly side hence reducing female delinquency (Thompson, & Morris, 2013). During normal community patrol, officers can socialize with members of the community and familiarize themselves with challenges delinquents face. As a result, informal solutions can arise from such relations preventing young women from perpetrating crimes.

 Police are the first responder to any situations or matters pertaining female delinquents. Thus, it is only right for the department to train officer in juvenile subjects (Pechorro, et.al, 2013). Training equips officers with information and techniques that assist them carry out duties more effectively. In addition, training protects law enforcers from dangers they encounter on a daily basis while handling teen criminal activities. Most of the times, police have only one equipment, arrest the perpetrator but proper training increases their expertise and options.

On the other hand, police should adopt humane policing methods. They should minimize the use of excessive force and respect a particular society’s policies and values subjects (Pechorro, et.al, 2013). To maintain law and order, officers can avoid making unnecessary arrests unless the individual threatens the safety of a community then, they can make an arrest.

Observational Programs as Intervention Measures in Schools

Through observational strategies, such as the parental observation assists guardians and health care givers monitor the teenage behavior and regulate their confinement. The aim of this protocol of was to give teachers prior preparation before they engage their students (DeLisi et.al, 2014). This technique takes into account both guardians or parents and teenagers under their care. The parent or guardian needs to put his or her work in order before directing their student. In short parents have to actively take part in the lives of their daughters.

Previous studies suggest that the best observational protocol for a teenager is engaging them in activities they like. This is an elementary level procedure. Engaging a young woman in play makes him or her release some traits that would lead to unlawful acts such as robbery. Developmental observation procedures are more passive than active but scholars confirmed that it gives out results at end of the day (DeLisi et.al, 2014). It contains a set of written rules that give a person, which guides a person through training or teaching lessons. The existence of a set of guidelines that dictate matters of the person help a supervisor to observe what participants did based on the guidelines hence transform delinquent behavior. Breaching the rules reveals to the observer the actions of the participants. In summary, guidelines help in the observation process.

Reformed observational procedures: the aim of this protocol of was to give teachers prior preparation before they engage their female delinquents. This technique takes into account teachers and students (DeLisi et.al, 2014). The lecturer or tutor needs to put his or her work in order before carrying out their duties. A teacher has to fill in some forms to ensure that he or she will improve his teaching methodologies.

Structural observational protocols: Structural observational protocols combine various systems and contexts to intervene and mitigate any factor affecting teenage women. The classroom system takes into account immediate, intermediate surrounding and the human resource of an institution and its ability to prevent rise in female unlawful behavior (Basanta, Fariña, & Arce, 2018). The socializing also considers the interaction between the students and the teachers, the frequency of communication and effectiveness of the learning process based on experiences to bring about upright behavior. Furthermore, the protocol observes and records internal and external surroundings.

Qualitative observational protocols: The observer designs a fact-finding chart, which stipulates his roles as a supervisor and formulation of policies that will help cater to the basic needs of young women (Basanta, Fariña, & Arce, 2018). Then, the observer can gather information, which would help in the observation process and sampling of the results from various juvenile systems. In the end, the observational procedure follows strict guild lines set by the observer or nature of the activities taking place.

Demographic observational protocols: This protocol deals with numbers of female delinquents within a nation, their level of income and standard of lifestyle and underlying reasons pushing them toward a life of crime (Basanta, Fariña, & Arce, 2018). The observer has to set a date with the staff members who decided to take part in the observational protocol and later take. Then, the observer can take time, observe, and count female juveniles while considering the activities they participate in and factors that increase their chances of engaging in criminal activities.

In summary, the rise in juvenile delinquency among females points to social, mental, and even physical factors. Various researchers studied the topic in details giving economic factors and the change in gender roles as part of the reason more females found themselves committing acts of violence more than boys do. For instance, sexual harassment makes girls run away from their homes. All in all, through observational strategies at home and school could help prevent the rise of delinquents among females.

 

Reference

Baglivio, M. T., Epps, N., Swartz, K., Huq, M. S., Sheer, A., & Hardt, N. S. (2014). The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in the lives of juvenile offenders. Journal of juvenile justice, 3(2).

DeLisi, M., Kosloski, A. E., Vaughn, M. G., Caudill, J. W., & Trulson, C. R. (2014). Does childhood sexual abuse victimization translate into juvenile sexual offending? New evidence. Violence and victims, 29(4), 620-635.

Leve, L. D., Kerr, D. C., & Harold, G. T. (2013). Young adult outcomes associated with teen pregnancy among high-risk girls in a randomized controlled trial of multidimensional treatment foster care. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 22(5), 421-434.

Maruna, S., & Immarigeon, R. (Eds.). (2013). After crime and punishment. Routledge.

Pechorro, P. S., Vieira, D. N., Poiares, C. A., Vieira, R. X., Marôco, J., Neves, S., & Nunes, C. (2013). Psychopathy and behavior problems: A comparison of incarcerated male and female juvenile delinquents. International journal of law and psychiatry, 36(1), 18-22.

Rafter, N. (2017). Partial justice: Women, prisons and social control. Routledge.

Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. C. (2014). Juvenile delinquency: Theory, practice, and law. Cengage Learning.

Thompson, K. C., & Morris, R. J. (2013). Predicting Recidivism Among Juvenile Delinquents: Comparison of Risk Factors for Male and Female Offenders. Journal of juvenile justice, 3(1).

Basanta, J. L., Fariña, F., & Arce, R. (2018). Risk-Need-Responsivity Model: Contrasting criminogenic and noncriminogenic needs in high and low risk juvenile offenders. Children and Youth Services Review, 85, 137-142.