Analyse The Impact Of Social And Economic Factors On Youth Crime

Introduction

The prevention of juvenile crime, alcohol and drug abuse and how best to intervene to predict and ameliorate the life choices of many young and vulnerable members of the population are very vital in building positive community development. The social and economic factors influence crime trends over the longer term while other factors such as changes in the percentage of young males in the population may mask the effect over the short term. Given the increased numbers of young people who will be exposed to serious disadvantage in the coming years, it makes sense that effort to address social and economic problems take priority. Conversely, because amendments to young offender legislation cannot address factors most highly correlated to youth crime, it is unreasonable to expect that these changes will have any significant impact on youth crime rates.
What are Risk Factors?
Broadly defined, risk factors for the National Crime Prevention Council included such factors as: difficulty "personality" or temperament, problems caused by brain diseases or disorders, family violence, including verbal and emotional abuse and neglect, childhood traumas such as physical and sexual abuse, poor or ineffective parental supervisory and discipline skills, parental alcoholism or drug addiction. Failing in school truancy and other school problems, low socio-economic status, living in poverty. None of these factors can, in itself, be indicative of negative developments at a later stage in life. Only when several factors co-exist is the risk of serious criminality and health and welfare problems