Teen Delinquency Is It A Conscious Choice Teens And Crime

Abstract What motivates teens to be delinquent? Is it a conscious choice? Teens and crime seem to be an unpredictable and ongoing problem. Teen crime rates rise and fall, but what is the cause of the increases and decreases in the rates? Experts are constantly doing studies and experiments to find patterns that hopefully explain it. If teen delinquency can be explained, then maybe it can be reduced through programs and other resources aimed at helping troubled teens and youth. Even with all the studies that have been done, experts still can’t quite explain the crime rates among teens. The problem may be that there isn’t a trend or pattern. Perhaps delinquent behavior is being looked at and researched incorrectly. My paper†¦show more content†¦However, this list of most influential factors can change and be added to, based on more recent and ongoing studies from experts (Siegel Welsh, 2013, p. 42). According to Seigel and Welsh (2013) â€Å"population makeup† influences the crime rates among teens (p. 42). Since a good portion of criminal activity is committed by teenage males, crime rates will rise when there are more teenage boys in the population. A higher percentage of teenage males in the population also decrease the availability of jobs and getting into college. These teenage boys will look for something to occupy their time or look for ways to make a quick buck. This could lead to the selling of drugs or other illegal and/or stolen goods. Joining a gang could also be a temptation as it brings the feeling of belonging to something and protection Another factor mentioned by Seigel et al’s (2013) research that seems to produce more crime among teens is gangs and guns. These factors were mentioned separately in the text, but I believe gangs and guns go hand in hand so therefore I mention them together. Where there are gangs, there is crime. There are approximately 24,000 gangs with over 800,000 members committing 80% of the crime in the United States (Siegel Welsh, 2013, p. 43). SHAPING TEEN CRIME TRENDS 4 Gang members are also more likely to be armed to protect themselves, their fellow