Juvenile Delinquent Definition Essay

Definiton essay: Juvenile delinquent Definition Essay: Juvenile Delinquent English Composition 1 Kelley Jones September 5th 2010 Abstract This paper is a definition essay that defines the term juvenile delinquent. Juvenile delinquent is a person under the legal age that breaks the law. This essay will give the reader in depth information about the term juvenile delinquent. Juvenile Delinquent Juvenile delinquency is a term that basically means a person under the age of legality that commits that act of breaking the law. In many courts the punishment for committing a crime whilst under the age of 18 doesn’t seem like a big deal. Juvenile delinquency doesn’t seem that bad. Back in the good old days when America was still a little baby, juveniles were treated the same as everyone else. You commit the crime, you do the time. This went on till the early 1900’s when juveniles were giving their own system. Some people in this era believed that when someone committed a crime it was because of the environment or forces around them rather than their own personal choice. This means that people were not really morally responsible for crimes people committed. The system was all about reforming the juvenile rather than punishing them for the crime that he/she committed. Therefore, the wrongdoer was rehabilitated rather than being punished. The courts, when dealing with a juvenile delinquent, would ask themselves, “What is in the best interest of the child”. A juvenile needed to be adjudicated delinquent. Prosecutors would file a petition for delinquency; an official reviews it and then schedules a hearing. Being under legal age, he/she has no right to a jury trial. If the court finds that the petition is in the right manner then the court will judge the juvenile delinquent. After this was finished the juvenile would then be assessed and given their rehabilitation measures. This system was all grand until the 1970’s, when juveniles started gaining in numbers. They were committing crimes such as murder and other forms of serious violence. This changed the views of many people and they started to turn against the courts, saying that they were sending the wrong message their children. They were not delinquents but rather criminals. It seems reasonable. After committing crimes and being told that what you did was wrong now go back into the world and try again simply told the juveniles that nothing bad was going to come of the crimes they committed. People began saying that retribution rather than rehabilitation was the way to go. Nowadays, it seems like the rules are enforced more and the punishments are becoming more severe. They even go so far as to charge some delinquents as adults, depending on the crime they committed. Juvenile delinquency used to be a system that babied the ill mannered children of America. As time went on and the worse it got people began to get fed up. Now the rules are enforced more and punishments are becoming harsher. Thanks to the newer juvenile delinquent system children are no longer getting the wrong message about the crimes they commit. Delinquent (2002). In World of Criminal Justice, Gale. Retrieved from https://www. credoreference. com/entry/worldcrims/delinquent

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