Preventing Crime

Juvenile delinquency is a serious, but often ignored or misunderstood problem. Juvenile detention centers are filled with youths, and although crimes committed by youths have gradually decreased since the 80’s and 90’s, it still remains unfortunately high. Teenagers are a high crime demographic, as they frequently lack the reasoning and planning abilities of older people. Prone to boredom and easily swayed by peers, teens are a high risk group even before adding in other factors such as poverty. When it comes to keeping our nation’s youths out of trouble, what actions are we to take? There are plenty of facilities in place to punish youths after they have already committed a crime. However, once a child or adolescent has engaged in criminal activity, punishments are frequently ineffective, and in some cases only serve to further perpetuate the cycle of crime. Instead of focusing on throwing troubled children away, the focus should instead be placed upon preventing such actions in the first place. Tom Erlebach, a Star City Council member, was interviewed on what he personally thought was the cause of juvenile crime, and what can be done about it. According to Mr. Erlebach, the biggest cause is simply boredom. Kids who are left alone by themselves for long periods of time, instead of being in sports or after school clubs, tend to get in trouble. With no adult supervision, these youths are left to their own devices, which is particularly hazardous for kids living in more dangerous areas. A bored teenager whose parents are not around may decide to make his own fun; doing drugs, and getting into fights, all with poJuvenile delinquency is a serious, but often ignored or misunderstood problem. Juvenile detention centers are filled with youths, and although crimes committed by youths have gradually decreased since the 80’s and 90’s, it still remains unfortunately high. Teenagers are a high crime demographic, as they frequently lack the reasoning and planning