Growing up my grandma would always say to me, “Idle hands are the devils workshop.” I heard this from her for as long as I can remember. Even though I heard this saying hundreds of times, I never really grasped what she was trying to teach me until I became older. Looking back, I now realize that my grandma was teaching me an important life lesson. She was teaching me to keep busy and stay out of trouble, and how not to become a juvenile delinquent. At an early age I was exposed to sports, church, music, and after school programs. I was so busy that I didn’t have time to get into any trouble. I’ve never had any problems in school or with the law, so basically my grandma’s “family saying” proved successful for me. So my question is: Could this technique of early prevention the best way to deter juvenile delinquency?
According to many child psychologists, a child’s personality is formed by the age of five. How they view the world and how they have been raised, before the age of five will greatly impact who they become later in life. There are numerous theories on how the youth should be raised in order to prevent juvenile delinquency. By getting involved in children’s lives early, later crime can be effectively reduced (Zagar, Busch, and Hughes 282). The best of the early intervention programs build on the strengths of families as well as children (Zigler 5). Arguably, the most effective way to prevent juvenile delinquency is to start at an early age. I believe a combination of these two theories is the best prevention. Intervention along with healthy role models, parental involvement, and recreational activities all contribute to raising a healthy, happy, successful child that will stay out of trouble.
Growing up I did not enjoy school for the academic aspect of it, but I loved going to school. I was never enticed by mathematics, history, science, or literature. My school experience was great due to my role models, the programs I participated in, and the friends I made. I have literally taken thousands of tests throughout my entire education and only remember a couple of them. I do remember my teachers, coaches, friends, athletic games and after school programs I participated in. Along with my family, these people and events contributed to making me the person I am today. I would argue that most youth in America have had a similar school experiences.
One of the key contributing factors of youth getting involved in crime is unsupervised spare time. The Department of Education has reported that youths are most likely to commit crimes between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., with crime rates peaking at 3 p.m. (A. Chung) Recreational activities work great because of the amounts of spare time they take up. The recreational activities themselves don’t necessarily matter. What does matter is that the kids stay captivated and involved. These activities should be designed to fit the different physical abilities, and personalities of the kids. The most common activities are: sports, music, dancing, art, drama, karate, etc. During these activities the children are interacting with other children and adults. These positive interactions can greatly affect a child’s social development. Recreational activities can fill up this time frame when there is no supervision and drastically prevent juvenile crimes from occurring.
In order to prevent juveniles from getting into trouble and or involved in crime, we must get involved in juvenile’s lives in a lasting, influential, positive way. This must be done in a nurturing environment with stability, consistency, and can be accomplished by using mentors such as “big brothers /big sisters” through recreational programs after school.
An-Me Chung. (June 2000) After School Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart. The U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/afterschool/afterschool.pdf
Zagar, Robert John, Kenneth G. Busch, and John Russell Hughes. "Empirical Risk Factors for Delinquency and Best Treatments: Where Do We Go from Here?" Psychological Reports 104.1 (2009): 279-308. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 8 Nov. 2009.
Zigler, Edward. "Early Intervention to Prevent Juvenile Delinquency." Harvard Mental Health Letter 11.3 (1994): 5-8. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 9 Nov. 2009.
Yes, children with too much time on their hands are more likely to get into trouble. It is a parent’s job to keep a child busy and involved in some sort of activity. Whether it is a sport, music or dance, a child should have an opportunity to excel and make positive decisions. When a child is left to fend for themselves and introduced to deviant behavior they will most likely behave in the same manner. It can start off innocent and turn into something way worse. I also agree that it is important to start at a young age because once a teenager has been involved in deviant behavior they are more likely continue the same behavior into their adulthood. Early intervention is key.
ReplyDelete