Remote Session (Due 6-15-06 at 11 a.m.) Delinquency Prevention
You will need to read chapter 11 before completing this assignment.
The costs of juvenile delinquency are wide ranging and substantial. Delinquency prevention is based on the belief that delinquency is preventable. However, delinquency prevention programs are also not cheap.
After reading chapter 11, do you think the results justify spending money on delinquency prevention programs (include at least 5 pieces of evidence to support your answer)?
Should these programs focus on childhood or adolescence? Explain.
posted by ProfessorQuinnCCP @ 7:57 PM
7 Comments:
While reading chapter 11, I do think the results justify spending money on delinquency prevention programs. As stated on page 336, "the juvenile justice system can be converted into dollars and cents.(Damaged property will need to be repaired or replaced and so will victim's pain and suffering.) Although prevention programs are not cheap, I do believe that they make a difference in children's lives. As stated on page 353, The Boy's and Girl's Club is one of the most successful after school programs in preventing delinquency with more than 1.3 million boys and girls nationwide.
When addressing juvenile deliquency, I believe that early childhood intervention is best. I believe this is the best method because if you address the delinquency issue beforehand you maybe able to tame it and keep it from getting out of control, therefore you are preventing juvenile delinquency. The best programs for early prevention of delinquency stated in Chapter 11, would be Home/Base programs, Improving Parenting Skills, and Daycare programs. Each of these programs form some type of family support that has shown some success in preventing juvenile delinquency. For example, "Home/Base programs deals with the quality of care that parents provide to their children and their children's subsequent health and development. Improving Parenting Skills deals with family support, and Daycare programs serves to provide children with a number of important benefits. Including, social interaction with other children and stimulation of their cognitive, sensory, and motor control skills."
I think home visitation program results justify spending money on delinquency. According to the text: " A Rand study found that the program's desirable effects, for both the children and the mothers, translated into substantial financial benefits for government and tax- payers, and that the total amount of these benefits was more than four times the cost of the program "(344). In addition, home visitation prevent juvenile delinquency. For example, prenatal Early Infancy project in Elmira, New york was successful. The book says " Fifteen years after the program started children of the mothers who received home visits had half as many arrests as children of mothers received no home visits " (343). Furthermore, ( PEIP) also benefit the mother because it lowered " rates of child abuse and neglect, crime in general, and substance abuse.
Another program that I think justifies spending money on deleinquency prevention programs is preschool. Children who go to preschool are 3 to 5 years old. The brain of these children develops quickly. The author says," low intelligence and school fairlure are important risk factors for juvenile delinquency " (346). An example, of good preschool program is perry preschool. The study show the perry preschool is successful:"
Fewer lifetime arrests for violent crimes ( 32% vs. 48%), property crimes ( 36% vs. 58%), and drug crimes ( 14% vs. 34%)
Higher levels of schooling completed (79% vs. 60% graduated from high school or completed a college degree)
Higher annual earnings ( 57% vs. 43% had earnings in the top of the sample)" (346).
The next prevention program that I read about is mentoring. The book says some mentoring program don't work well, and some do well. The program that use group don't work well. The youth who commit crime a lot convaince the youth who do not commit crime a lot to commit crime a lot. However, a successful program is the Quantum Opportunities program it is use in Philadelphia. Young people in the program that things like peer tutoring, homework assistance, college scholarship and family skills. The book says this program show the following results:"
More likely have graduated from high high school (63% vs. 42%)
More likely to be enrolled in some from postsecondary educattion
(42%vs. 16%)
Less likely to have dropped out of high school ( 23%vs. 50%)" (350).
The fourth prevention program that I read about is after- school programs. the book says this program work well." After- school programs, showing improvement in work habits, behavior with peers and adults and performance in school " (352). However, a successful program is the (BGC). Young people in the program that things like reading classes, sports, and homework assistance, were offered , as well as a program to prevent substance abuse, known as SMART Moves ( self- management and Resistance Training). Also, the book says this program show the following results:"
Cultural enrichment
Social recreation
Personal and educational development
Citizenship and learship development
Environmental education " (353).
The last program that I think justifies spending money on deleinquency prevention programs is job training. The book says this program work well. Young people who participate in the job training programs " improve the chances of obtaining jobs in the legal economy and thereby may reduce delinquency " (354). However, a successful program is the job corps program. Young people in the program that things like vocationl skills training, basic education ( the ability to obtain graduate equivalent degrees), and health care.
While reading chapter 11 I found that the results from the money spent justify the spending of money towards delinquency prevention programs. Delinquency is continuing to increase . The programs are helpful but there is still a vast majority of juvenile delinquents that are committing crimes. Rape and arson are the two crimes that are the most expensive, larceny is the least expensive. Before there is funding that is presented certain areas need to be addressed such as damages done to property, pain and suffering to the victims, and the envolvement of police and agencies. This is one of the facts that support my opinion. Secondly, equipment, staff salaries, and the rent for the program to be held become a problem. This can put a hold on helping out delinquents that really need the help. Third, Despite the success of many different types of delinquency programs from preschool to mentoring, these programs only see a fraction of their money being spent. Fourth, Many policy makeers and politicians view the idea of juvenile delinquent programs is wasteful spending. Lastly, The costs of medical attention in the case of robbery, arson, a rape victim, pain and suffering, and lost wages play a role on the success that a delinquent will have in a program or if the program will be able to continue with all the expenses.
Even though the expenses are challenging to overcome for providing programs for juveniles, there is still some benefit to those juveniles that are in the programs. There is more money that is going to juveile prevention rather than the justice system whcih is a good thing. Certain problems such as ethnical concerns, stigmatization, or the long delay of changing a childs delinquent behavior arise almost in every juvenile prevention program and like other problems it becomes and obstacle.
The resluts justify spending money on the delinquent programs the programs should focus mainly on childhood rather than adolescence because if an adolescence is sent to a juvenile prevention program and then you have a child who is sent to a juvenile justice program, the child would be better off aging out of antisocial behavior rather than an adolescence. Its better to identify that a child may be delinquency prone by their behavior rather than an adolescence who has committed is first act at a young age which continued through his or her adolescent years. You will be able to find this information in chapter eleven entitled "Delinquency Prevention: Social and Devlopmental Perspectives".
After reading chapter 11, I do think the results justify spending money on delinquency prevention. On page 336, the textbook says, “Though prevention programs can be costly, they are beneficial because they save money that would be otherwise be spent in the justice system.” I believe this statement to be true, because without spending money to fund delinquency prevention programs there would be more delinquent acts in society. The result of property damage, aggravated assaults, and murders are much more costly on society. According to figure 11.1 (page 337) in our textbook, the more severe the crime is, the more money is spent to reestablish the victims lives back to normal.
In my opinion, delinquency prevention begins with the parents. Parents are the key role models in a child’s life. Their behavior and how they deal with situations reflects onto the child. According to the Oregon Social Learning Center, parent training programs in behavioral modification techniques, may be the most cost-effective method of early delinquency prevention. (Page: 344-345)
School for children is their home away from home, where they increase their intellect and interact with their peers and adults. There was a research project, The Seattle Social Development Project which studied the students who were rewarded for good behavior, and the students who were not rewarded for bad behavior. The study showed the children who were rewarded for good behavior were more inclined to do well in school and stay out of trouble, than the children who were not rewarded for bad behavior. (Page: 347-348)
In my child psychology class, my professor taught us when children feel good about themselves; they gain confidence so they can be successful. Creating a positive self image is taught in delinquency prevention programs through school, after-school programs, leadership/mentoring programs, etc. So, the question is should these programs focus on childhood or adolescence? I believe these programs should begin in childhood and follow through into adolescent years. Adolescent years are the toughest years for children due to the identity and acceptance conflict they have within themselves. The adolescent delinquency programs should be concentrated on more, than the childhood programs for those reasons.
According to chapter 11, I think the results justify spending money on delinquency prevention programs.Delinquency prevention is interventing in young people's lives before they engage in delinquency in the first place. It involes day care provider, nurses, teachers, social workers, recreation staff at the ymca, counselors at boys and girls clubs.These are also not cheap, but they instill parental values , moral conduct and social interaction .
However,delinquency prevention should focus on childhood, because the typical criminal career began at ages 14-17 and 18-23 .Therefore it is important to concentrate on childhood prevention to decrease the risk of delinquency occurrence of a future delinquent act.
Chapter eleven has specific prevention what were used in the past and present. The only one that has seemed to work is the head start program. That program has given significant progress in the growth of children.Delinquency control doesn't necessarily make youth stop their actions. Prevention is always a step in the right direction although sometimes prevention is used after the fact of a crime.Prevention is a positive way of helping youth. Repression is like a special deterrance force to stop the act of doing it again.Page 337 states the average murder cost taxpayers 3 million dollars.Juveniles don't think in terms of money when committing the crime. The most that they think about is instant gratification.Chicago youth project is a project that is used all over the world it just has a different name. This project is a typical thing were youth are serviced by groups,special interest hobbies and mentoring programs. Some children are gone to far in their delinquency that the program doesen't have any affect on them. The Cambridge Project was to give some youth the programs of prevention and some youth nothing at all, but it turns out that more youth committed crimes in the prevention group than the ones without.In the 1950's the detached street workers didnt work because it had no force behind the program. That program is what we call today the guardian angels. The Moby project was for teens to receive adequate jobs, services, and help with legal actions. I think this program would have worked today but the misue of funds is what we are trying to tell youth not to do. Improving the children of today is a very hard quest. Not only do you have to change their enviroment you have to change their mind set as well. That starts in the home. I think parents in low income neighborhoods should be responsible as much as youth. Parents should be made to take classes on parenting, juvenile delinquency and family structures. If the household is on the public state system it should be mandatory. This problem is not just a courts problem ,this problem starts at home then spills over into society when a child reaches the age of delinquency.The devolpmental approach suggest that their are two stages one is childhood the other is adolescence.
To me when the Department of Human Services stop the home visits that brought the barriers down for many things. When people are being watched they tend to act different and follow the rules. With the help of D.H.S. and the home visits from social workers it maybe obtainable to get some structure from parents as well as children in their envioroment.
After reading Chapter 11, I do believe that the results behind delinquency prevention justify the well being of a child. Throughout the chapter, it states the costs of certain programs. In retrospect, almost everything that needs improvement or can be somwhat in favor for the child costs money. Home based programs can somewhat encourage the stability for the delinquent. Page 343 states that "home based programs can prevent delinquency because of the provision for the families. The home visitation process can also be very effective towards the reduction in child abuse, neglect, and child injuries. The establishment of the Oregon Social Learning Center aids people toward improving parenting skills. The program views parents as one who do not know how to handle their child in all aspects. It is believed that poor family behavior can result in family tension, poor academic behavior, and negative peer relations.(344). Day care programs are available to children as young as six weeks old; in some states, its even younger. Programs such as the Syracuse University Family Development Research Program and the Houston Parent Child Development Center are well-known because if the care given to the mothers and children. The program in Syracuse gives high risk preganant mothers nutrition information, social service agencies, and doctors to aid them through their prganancy on out. The other program in Houston gives home visits to the mother during the first year of the program. They also permit them to attend a child development center to give an understanding about future parenting. Job training programs are beneficial to teenagers everywhere. Job Corps is the best knowwn and largest job training program in the United States. Its primary focus is to provide jobs to people between the ages of 16-24 in various working fields. Though many of its participants are at a higher risk for delinquency, the program still does what it can. In addition to Job Corps, Youth Build has also helped disadvantaged teens. The program is a national establishment and has helped over 6000 teens. Though it is highly beneficial, the delinquency rate still varies.
I think that the delinquency prevention programs should begin within childhood. That way, they are easier to mold instead of them having their own mindset. Most of these programs would be very beneficial especially if the child has an understanding of what is currently happening. Children usually look to someone older,especially when the child is young and fragile. Its easie for them to listen when they are enrolled in mentoring and after school programs. They have more guidance.
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