MENTAL HEALTH…
As young children reach adolescence, they go through several changes. All of a sudden, they wish to become independent and develop their own liking. They want to be known and accepted by their peers and social groups. To fit in and be accepted by their peers, they succumb to peer pressure. Peer pressure comes with both positive and negative influences. Research in the past has proved that many teens cite peer pressure as one of the major reasons for engaging in risky behaviours such as reckless driving, substance abuse, alcohol, teen sex, teen gang, and criminal activity.
Neha Masurkar
Psycologist
Neha Masurkar
Why do youths commit crimes? Neuroscience tells us that their brains aren’t entirely developed, and their impulse control mechanisms are not fully in place. Other studies point to economic and social deprivation, poverty, peer pressure or substance abuse. As cases report of Youths taking extreme steps of running away, kidnapping and Juvenile Delinquency are increased, we need to understand what has to lead them to take these drastic steps.
The major contributing factors to youth’s extreme steps include peer pressure, poor education, poor socioeconomic status, substance abuse, and neglectful parents.
Peer Pressure
As young children reach adolescence, they go through several changes. All of a sudden, they wish to become independent and develop their own liking. They want to be known and accepted by their peers and social groups. To fit in and be accepted by their peers, they succumb to peer pressure. Peer pressure comes with both positive and negative influences. Research in the past has proved that many teens cite peer pressure as one of the major reasons for engaging in risky behaviours such as reckless driving, substance abuse, alcohol, teen sex, teen gang, and criminal activity.
Most teens get influenced by their peers’ behaviour and get involved in risky activities and put themselves in huge problems. If teens are taught to differentiate between right and wrong, they can be more careful about choosing the path for themselves.
Poor Education
One of the major contributing factors to juvenile crimes is a lack of education. Children who ignore their studies and spend time in leisure activities tend to remain ignorant of important aspects of life. School is where they get their primary education from, and if they are skipping their classes frequently, they will remain ill-informed.
Many schools offer courses, seminars, and lectures on teen involvement in gangs, sex, and criminal behaviours. These seminars open up their eyes and make them closely see reality. When they do not attend these seminars, they won’t understand their importance. Parents should pay strong attention to their child’s academics and make sure they attend their school regularly.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse can be hazardous for teens. As mentioned before, substance abuse may derive from the influence of peers. The excess use of drugs can affect the cognitive development of a teen, lowering his inhibitions and ability to evaluate risks. Drugs and alcohol have been regarded as influential contributors to juvenile crime.
The use of drugs and absenteeism from school are interlinked, as one causes the other. Teens addicted to alcohol and drugs are more likely to skip their classes than those who don’t. Absenteeism can negatively impact school grades, leading to poor education, low self-esteem, and low expectations for their future career development. When teens fail at school, they shift to other risky activities, get involved in juvenile crimes, and face incarceration.
Negligent and Authoritarian Parents
Teens having negligent or authoritarian (controlling) parents tend to become either careless towards their academics, house chores, diet routine and overall physical appearance in case of neglectful parenting or become very introverted, socially inept, impulsive and aggressive. When parents do not pay any heed to their teens’ personal and social development, they may feel it is best to take up the most important decisions of their lives on their own. Poor socioeconomic status can also become a contributing factor to juvenile crime, urging teens for burglary.
Parents teach their children to differentiate right from wrong by giving them right and relevant examples. Do not compare them with others progress; every child has their own pace to reach their milestone. When parents do not play their role, teens follow examples from other family members, peers, and social groups. When none of these concerned positive influences is present, they may suffer from moral poverty, which would likely follow teens into adulthood. If moral values are not instilled in them in their formative years, they may later turn to juvenile crime simply because the act won’t seem immoral or wrong.
Lack of Finances
Young or adults may lead to a wrong path to improve their financial conditions. Teens become juvenile delinquents due to a lack of finances. When they experience poor economic conditions, they start engaging in the wrong activities. They may begin to selling drugs or steal things to improve their economic conditions.