Discuss the issues linking intelligence to delinquency

Juvenile Delinquency

Introduction Crime , especially committed by the youth , comprises a major , escalating portion of the nation 's criminal problem . What 's more , majority of adult offenders in the country 's jails grew up from child and adolescent life of criminal behavior . In addition , many of the adults in prison today began their criminal careers as youths and teenagers . Consequently whatever approaches the government seeks to implement in to curb juvenile delinquency must touch every segment of society that has bearing , in any way , upon children (Source :www .cato .org /testimony

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A lot of studies on demographical statistics have been made to figure out the problem of juvenile delinquency . As a result of these studies awareness is achieved as to what to do or how to deal with this rising problem of youth in general . The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP ) formed a Study Group on very young offenders to look at the special case of children from ages 13 down and examine the incidence and the frequency of crimes committed by this particular age group . According to their study , the number is rising of children committing crimes based on the record of the juvenile justice system i .e . according to court caseloads . Considering their age (at a very young age of 13 - below , one would automatically understand the odds of these children committing more crimes as they pass through adolescence into adulthood (Source : Organization of African Unity and UNICEF , Africa 's children , Africa 's future , a background sectoral prepared for the OAU International Conference on Assistance to African Children , Dakar , 25-27 November 1992 Accessed :www .cato .org /testimony /ct-wc67 .html , Dec .3 , 2006

Demographics

Latest statistics show , as U .S . Department of Justice 's has done in their survey , youth offenders with age ranging from 7 to 12 years , are becoming more and more involved with the juvenile justice system Meaning , criminals ' within this age group are increasing . One in ten juvenile arrests involves kids under thirteen years old . Offenses range from arson , rape , homicide , aggravated assault , robbery , to not so serious but persistent disruptive behavior such as truancy and incorrigibility . These children have a two to threefold greater risk of becoming serious , violent , and chronic offenders (OJJDP , Mar 2003

Of course , if these children are not given enough attention and not dealt with effectively , by the authorities (including , first of all their parents , the likelihood is that they will be spending their future years , in a more prone condition , to commit the same crime /s repeatedly (given the opportunity , as they had already committed the same in the past . They will be in it ' for the long haul . When this happens , the result will not be a good prospect for the citizenry of the nation , and even more for the parents . Large funds will be siphoned from educational system , child welfare system , the justice system , mental health agencies , just to alleviate this worsening problem . Added to this dismal prospect , is the...