Youth and crime

Summary:

·       Juveniles tend to be overrepresented in their crime involvement

·       Most offenses are public order offenses

·       1993 3,700 juveniles were arrested for homicide

·       Their homicide rates have been decreasing

·       2003 there were 2.2 million juveniles arrested

·       1.66 million were for non-index crimes

·       92,000 were arrests were for violent crime

·       There are racial differences in juvenile arrest rates

·       Arrest rates for black juveniles have significantly increased

·       Prior to the 1960’s juveniles were afford very little due process protection under the constitution

·       By the end of the 1970s that changed and they were afford greater protections but less than adults.

Reflection:

           A lot of jobs including the military run background checks prior to employment or enlistment. A lot of the time anything more than a couple of traffic tickets will leave you jobless. I have one speeding ticket on my record so that is of course what an employer will see and judge me by instantly. If every crime I have committed, from every time I have sped on up could be put on paper, like most American’s my list would be quite long. Lucky for me I was never caught typing houses or throwing eggs at cars when I was 15 or even driving drunk numerous times before I was 21 and even a couple of times after I was 21. I was never arrested or charged for assault and/or battery for the fights I have been in.  However, millions of Americans under 18 are each year, sometimes changing their lives forever.

           Given that employment, student loans, car loans, home loans, and financial aid, often times are based on our record we really should use caution and think about the long term affects giving a juvenile a record may bring to them and society.