Delinquency

Historical Background

The role of children and adolescents in society has historically shifted, and these changes have shaped community perceptions of young people. In the 1800s, children assumed many of the roles and responsibilities of their adult counterparts and were therefore viewed and treated similarly to adults. Historical events (e.g., the Industrial Revolution, the introduction of child labor laws) altered the way society viewed children, resulting in acknowledgment of the rights and welfare of young people and attempts to protect children from exploitation. At that time, there was a paradigm shift in attitudes toward young people; society began to recognize that fundamental differences exist between children and adults, requiring changes in the treatment of children.

[Page 183]This social reform that occurred in the 20th century also resulted in children and adults receiving differential treatment in response to their misdemeanors. Until this point, children were tried in adult courts under the adult penal criminal justice system. However, in the 1900s, the juvenile justice system and juvenile courts were introduced to protect, rehabilitate, reform, and treat young people who had engaged in juvenile criminal activity. With the introduction of the juvenile justice system, the term juvenile delinquents emerged to describe young people who violated the law and whose treatment occurred within the juvenile justice system using a developmentally appropriate approach.

The term delinquency has been used since the mid-20th century and has predominantly been linked to illegal acts performed by children and adolescents. Delinquent acts have changed over time and often reflect the times and society in which they live. In the 1800s, children and adolescents were often considered responsible for their own lives and well-being. Hence, delinquent acts were often performed for survival purposes, as children were forced to support and protect themselves. At that time, street crimes such as stealing or pocket picking and brawls between gangs were not uncommon among youth. Today, delinquent acts include behaviors similar to those engaged in in the past, such as violence and theft, but also encompass cybercrimes (e.g., fraud, identity theft, cyberstalking), reflecting the key role of technology in contemporary society.

Prevalence and Patterns of Delinquency

The definition of delinquency seems straightforward. Any young person who commits an offense is very clearly engaging in delinquency. However, there are also many young people who engage in behaviors that would be classified as committing an offense but who escape detection by law enforcement. Estimates of the prevalence of delinquency are therefore imprecise in that they often only capture the young people who have been caught by law enforcement engaging in illegal acts. Many other young people may carry out illegal acts but are not detected. How delinquency is measured influences the prevalence estimates. Reliance on official criminal statistics is likely to produce lower estimates than youth self-reports of their delinquent behavior. In the United States, one in four people has the potential to be a “juvenile delinquent” simply because he or she is under 18 years of age. In 2009, FBI arrest statistics show that young people under the age of 18 years made up 14% of all arrests. Fifteen per cent of all arrests for violent crime (e.g., murder, rape, robbery, assault) involved juveniles, and 24% of those arrested for property crime (e.g., burglary, theft, arson) were aged below 18 years.

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