Discussion Reply should be 500 words each and include correct usage of APA format, your Christian world view, and relevant in-text support for both. Also, include a reference at the conclusion of each response in proper APA format.
“christine”
Juvenile DelinquencyChristine JonesLiberty UniversityIntroductionIn the juvenile justice world, the outsiders often have ideas on how the juvenile delinquents are taken care. Often there are those who have their ideas on how juveniles are taken care of while in the system. These ideas are often incorrect as well as skewed based on things the public views in television shows that are fictional in nature. These ideas then lead to thoughts on programs the juveniles are placed in while in the juvenile justice system. To continue the cycle, the public then begins to wonder who these programs are being paid for. All of these thoughts and ideas often contain very little factual information. Assumptions About Prevention and Programs for Delinquency When juveniles are delinquent, one assumption, it seems, is that they are let back into the community without coping mechanisms to keep them from reoffending. This is the opposite in reality. While in juvenile facility, juveniles form social groups just as they would do while in school and community settings. These social groups are broken up once youth enter back into the real world where they need, once again, to form social groups though they need to be social groups that are healthy for the juveniles. “Consistent with this position, several interventions for reentry of delinquent youth to their communities have suggested a focus on social network participation and the strength of communities” (Sherman & Jacobs, 2011, p 256). Having healthy social groups has become an important aspect for those helping juveniles. Juveniles need healthy social groups to function in school and in working settings. “Lack of engagement in work and/ or school puts youth at risk of repeated offending and can set off a vicious cycle of negative life events” (Sherman & Jacobs, 2011, p 260). Another assumption by the public of the juvenile justice system is that the children are just bad. Unfortunately, many juveniles who become delinquent do so as a direct reaction to things that go on in their lives that are considered traumatic experiences. These things can be child abuse, mental health disorders in their homes, violence in their neighborhood, and neglect. Though just living in a violent neighborhood does not necessarily mean a juvenile will become delinquent as, “It depends on the net effect of the accumulation of developmental risks and assets” (Sherman & Jacobs, 2011, p 260). When there is an accumulation of these traumatic experiences, children can often act out in different ways depending on the child. Sometimes they live in a war zone mentality. The key elements of this war zone mentality are extreme sensitivity to threat “hyper vigilance”—being highly attuned to verbal and physical threats) and a high probability of responding to perceived threat with aggression (including preemptive assault—“ get them before they get you”) (Sherman & Jacobs, 2011, p 263).In child protective services, this behavior is likened to moving out of the way of a semi-truck over and over again. These assumptions seem correct to those outside of the system because of what is seen on the news where adults records are often showed as criminals who have repeated their behaviors since they were juveniles. This reporting gives in to both assumptions that they are released totally clueless in the real world as well as that they have always just been bad. Public and Financing Prevention Programs When it comes to the funding of programs for the funding of juvenile prevention programs, the general public is often reluctant to help with this funding. Many often feel that these programs should be funded by the government as well as the parents of the juveniles. Unfortunately these juveniles, more often, “poverty dictates where parents can live, and, for many children, this means in communities in which they are exposed to, or victims of, neighborhood violence” (Sherman & Jacobs, 2011, p 282). When these kids become victims of poverty and then commit crimes as juveniles, their families do not have the ability to pay for the services they need to become better citizens when they are released from the juvenile justice system. They then have to seek the help of private organizations who are funded by the the public through fundraisers. “The pathway of positive outcomes is affected by poverty (in particular chronic, pervasive, intergenerational poverty) because, given the stresses it places on parents and communities, it denies children the right to feel safe and supported (Garbarino, 1999)” (Sherman & Jacobs, 2011, p 282). The positive outcomes these juveniles need are these programs which need funding from the public. If the programs are funded well, they can then be very effective in decreasing recidivism of juveniles. Biblical Perspective God’s words tell us to be kind to one another and to take care of one another. The Bible delivers His words to us throughout its entirety expressing for us to help others. It states, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, New International Version). What can be better than helping juveniles? Those who often need the most help are those who rarely ask for it. Juveniles who have committed crimes and their families need the most help. Conclusion Juveniles who have become delinquent are subject to ridicule by the public due to the assumptions those in the public have gained from different media outlets. When the assumptions can be proven wrong, the public can see that the juvenile justice system has worked diligently to create programs to help these juveniles cope with life once they are released into the population without stipulations on their freedom. The programs can teach them what normal social groups look like so that they can gain jobs when they need to. These programs are often underfunded due to these assumptions. If the public gains more knowledge about these programs, the funding can increase so that recidivism can decrease in the juvenile justice system. ReferencesSherman, Francine and Jacobs, Francine. (2011). Juvenile Justice: Advancing Research, Policy, and Practice. 1st Ed.
