When it comes to preventing your children and minors from getting involved in illegal, harmful, and inappropriate conduct, it is very important to have in-depth understanding of the various risk factors that lead to juvenile delinquency. Following is a brief rundown on four major factors that include substance abuse, mental health, family related issues, and personal (individual) issues. Juveniles are often exposed to multiple factors that motivate them for delinquent conduct.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is undoubtedly the most common risk factor. 10 years ago, the situation was much better; today young generation is more exposed to powerful drugs. Besides that, juveniles these days start taking drugs at a very early age. Even children studying in elementary schools are not safe. They have easy access to illegal, powerful drugs. Since these minors often do not have enough money to buy drugs they become addicted to, they tend to commit crimes to obtain money. The various reports have also confirmed that juveniles addicted to alcohol and drugs are far more likely to get involved in illegal, harmful, and destructive activities. Therefore, when it comes to preventing juvenile delinquency, it is important to take certain measures to save the young generation from the horrors of such drugs. Access to substance abuse treatment must also be made available to young people who show signs of substance abuse.
Mental Health
Mental health of juveniles has also been reported to be a major risk factor in this regard. The problem here is that the medical world is still not advanced enough to diagnose certain mental conditions, such as personality disorder, in children. However, conditions like conduct disorder can be diagnosed through proper analysis in child’s behavior. Conduct disorder refers to a mental condition that includes a lack of empathy and disregard for societal norms.
Family Related Issues
Family-related issues have also been a major risk factor that often leads to juvenile delinquency. These issues may include neglect and abuse (physical, psychological, and emotional), ongoing parental conflict, and lack of proper parental supervision. Besides that, when parents do not show respect for social norms and the laws, their children are also likely to develop similar sort of thinking and behavior. Furthermore, attachment between children and parents also matters a lot. Children who have weak attachment to their parents often end up developing delinquent behavior.
Personal (Individual) Issues
There can be several individual factors also. For example, a juvenile who does not get proper basic education or the one with very low intelligence level is very much likely to get engaged in delinquent conduct. Other individual risk factors may include an inability to delay gratification, uncontrolled aggression, and impulsive behavior.
In most cases, multiple risk factors have been found to be responsible for juvenile delinquency. Having the correct understanding of where the root problem is can be very helpful in preventing the development of delinquent behavior in minors.