JUVENILE CRIME AND SOCIAL PROBLEM

Introduction

Juvenile crime also known as juvenile offending is the participation in illegal behavior
or action committed by the minor which ages below 18 years old. Legal system mostly
prescribes specific procedure for dealing with juveniles, for example, the establishment of
juveniles detentions centers and courts. Depending on the type of the crime, and the severity
of the offence committed, it is possible for people under 18 to be charged and treated as adults.
In Malaysia, the rate of juvenile crime among dropouts is increasing. In 2015, the number of
juvenile cases recorded are 4,569 cases. This number is recorded by Department of Statistics
Malaysia. The cases recorded are property-related crime, drug influence, people-related crime,
traffic crime, minor offence act, gambling, weapon and firearm crime, infringement of
supervision and lastly escape from school. The increasing of juvenile crime can be related to
the social problem in the country. The increasing of social problem in the country lead to the
rise of crime number in the country. For example, the weak family basic socialization can be
the factor where these children learn to have a delinquent behavior. Broken family, single
parent, separated families, frequent family fight, lack of trust and confidence among parents
can be the most reason behind delinquency. Besides that, other social problem such as alcohol
abuse among teenagers, drug abuse and bad peer influences.

Discussion

The average of juvenile crime to occur around Malaysia are 15 cases in an hour. This
number show that the highest number of juvenile crime involving public property such as
stealing and vandalism is the highest recorded cases among all with 858 cases recorded
followed by robbery with 409 cases recorded and stealing 405 cases recorded by Department
of Statistics Malaysia on the year 2014. Besides that, arm robbery also recorded around 300
cases and car stealing around 257 cases recorded in Malaysia. This number involving all the
teenage or drop out with ages around 12 years old to 17 years old. This number is a biggest
concern for the Malaysian to take concern of. The number of dropout that increase also
contributing to the highest index of juvenile crime. This is because these dropouts dont have
anything to do and they are tended to do something that opposed by the law and regulations
thus committing crime. If the increasing of social problem and issue is increasing, then this
issue will be more serious to the juvenile crime. We can list out that there are several factors
that contributing to these problems.
 There are several factors that influence the rise of juvenile crimes. The most common
factor is social problem, social problem. The first factor is the family problem factor. Family
is the most common and basic socialization foundation for these children. The children learn
basic concepts and simple things about good and bad from their family at home, the family
institution set and make their values to match the norms of the society. Family also known can
mend or broke the personality of the children itself. In the family institution, the most vital and
important role is being played by the parents and the siblings. Most of the adolescents who
show delinquent behavior in any form belong to the families will fain in giving a firm
foundation to the children emotional and mental growth. For example, broken families, single
parents families, separated families, a frequent family fight, lack of trust and confidence
among the family, criminal parents or psychological problems in parenting issue can be the
several most important factor or cause of juvenile delinquency. The other reasons can be
siblings rivalry or unequal treatment from parents to the children. The family institution has
the responsibility to mold the personality of the children since birth. When the parents or
siblings does not show a good moral behavior or they might commit crime in front of the
children. These children also get motivation to do something that consider as bad behavior.

Some of the problem in the family institution can be categorized, the first problem is
the economic problems in the family itself. Often the main cause of juvenile delinquency is
economic problems in the family itself. Youth that come from family with poor economic status
will be easily get involved in criminal activities. This is because they want to improve their
status and life and for this purpose they use negative path to achieve it, this is regard to often
people will not support teenagers who come from the poor status and this encourage them to
go for criminal activities. Besides that, struggles and problems within the family are also a big
factor of juvenile crime and the worst part is teen suicide. Youngsters who commit suicide are
somewhat more likely to come from a broken home family background than the youngsters of
the same ethnic group but about half lived with both their biological parents at home. The
absence of a strong bond relationship between parent-child and a significant excess to the poor
parent-child communication also will lead to the factor of social problem and juvenile crime
among children.
 Psychological problems among the parents or siblings will also be a risk factor of
juvenile crime cases increase in the country. Mental illnesses or other psychological problems
in the family institution such as depression, frustration, aggression and hyper behavior showed
by the parents or siblings will make the child feel deprived and inferior among their friends.
Sometimes children will adopt to the depression and anger from parents or elder siblings and
thus creating a rebellious attitude. In many of the familys parents and elder siblings which are
involved in a various social problem. There can be various problems that can be the issue in
the family institution such as gender discrimination, age discrimination, racial discrimination,
child labor and violation of animal rights. This will lead to the children and youth learned and
adapt from what they see in their family itself. For example, in many riches families, parents
do not feel shame in the child labor and children could not understand that this child labor is
against the society and against morality thus they will inherit this attitude from their parents.
This social problem will cause stress to the children and due to stress teens will get involved in
violence activity and will commit juvenile crime.

The morality issue in the family also consider the most important concern among youth
growth nowadays. These youths should be taught and know how to respect family and other
people around them with respect. They should be the one who respected others due their age
and should respect everyone they know and meet. The issue here is some of parents do not take
this morality issue serious and they didnt even take care of their elders, and it is a proven fact
that such children who see their parents disrespecting their elders, abandoning their elders will
results in their children will never respect their parents and elder siblings in the family itself.
Dig deeper this issue, this might be cause by the parenting style of the family, it is also
considering as a serious matter and many researchers say that it is one of the biggest mainly
reason why these teenage commit crimes in such a young age. Parents that can be some time
very harsh and they will punish their children for small issues will cause their children start to
disrespecting their parents and they will become very violent.

Besides that, if the parents or family has nothing to do with the violent behavior of the
children, neither does the teachers or neighborhood have to do with these delinquent behaviors
of the children. Then there is sometimes the personal problem can be the reasons responsible
for the all these delinquent behaviors of the children. For example, some of these children had
to faces hardship in life due to some psychological or physical problem that he/she had to go
thorough. In a society, a physical handicap will go through many problems in life as the society
will not accept a person who does not have similar capacities and abilities of that a normal
person has. These society can be sometime so cruel towards these handicap people and this
unequal and unjust attitude of the society develops a negative feeling in the person itself
because of the treatment and society acceptance towards themselves. These negative feelings
will make the person commit crime even if he belongs to a good family and this is such a waste
and a serious problem to the society and the family institution itself. This is indeed a very
common reason for committing crime among these juveniles. The reason is because these
juveniles who are suffering from some psychological or physical problem really want to take
revenge from society, friends, family or their peer group. Physical disabilities also can cause
juvenile crime among these youngsters. Juveniles that are physically or mentally handicap will
tend to take revenge from other people for their complexes and disability. This is because they
want to achieve success in life by using negative means.

In the modern society, a racial difference is also a very strong solid reason behind these
juvenile delinquencies among the children. This racial differences and unfair treatment given
can also cause several big crimes by these adolescents as they tend to become aggressive and
violent as they want to take revenge from the society for the unequal treatment that the society
has shown to them. Besides that, drug use and abused was also a very common cause of juvenile
delinquency and crime. Those juveniles who use drugs will tend to get involved in the criminal
activities as most of their friends and peer group belong to the criminal class.

Other factor such as social concern also can be the factor lead to juvenile crime. For
example, a teenage boys and girls will go through a several social problems when they are not
well socialized with other person or humans. Some of these teens are very harsh and rude to
talk with other person because they cannot control their anger or aggression as it is already in
their nature. Most of these gender biased boys will talk to the opposite sex like they are slaves
and they does not respect them. Their violence and aggression during communication will
make them commit crimes that other boys will never dare to do. The psychological and mental
conditions of these children also should be considered when talking about juvenile delinquency
and crime. For example, mental disability is some of the big cause of juvenile crime. Mentally
ill boys or girls can commit any crime that will put them in charged without knowing the
consequences their actions. Statistics show that the mental illnesses are one of the biggest
common reason behind juvenile crime in America and other developed countries. The other
common reason is the drug use. These issues have become widespread among teenage boys
and girls not only in Malaysia but around the world. Drugs abuse and wrongly used is
prohibited by laws in many societies and country. The drug abuse and wrong used among youth
can be dangerous as they can commit violent crimes when they take drugs.

Next is the influence of peer group also considered as a very strong force that can cause
delinquent behavior among the adolescent. When their friends commit crime, these youths
often try to learn how to do it and they cannot understand the consequences of the crime that
they are doing. In other scenario, a peer group rejection can also be the main cause of juvenile
crime. These youths will also show delinquent behavior or violence towards their parent and
family when they cannot get the similar resources as their friends get. Therefore, parents should
ensure that their children are hanging out with a friend that belong to their same class as this
could prevent these adolescent jealousies which can cause several crimes among the
adolescents. Parents also should also see with who their children are going out and make sure
that they are making friends with good friends that belong to a respectable family. These
children should not become part of any gang. Youth can easily involve or become in a gang or
clique during their age because they think it is appropriate to be powerful and to be part of a
large group among their friends. Often these strong groups and gangs are ones that involve in
negative activity. Peer group influence can be positive and it can be negative to the children
and the parent and adults should take part in determining the best positive way to grow these
adolescents.

Abusive behavior is the first step towards committing crimes among the adolescent. When
these teens become part of a clique that is abusive and praise bullying or the one that does not
know how to behave, the teen that involve in those gang also will also get involved in a negative
means. Sometimes these youths do not get any acceptance but only rejection in any group as
they do not have a strong personality or due to the peer group rejection. They will try commit
crimes just to prove themselves and get accepted without knowing their action consequences.
Society itself play an important role in shaping these children but sometimes the society
become very negative and create difficulties situation for the youth to deal with alone. Society
itself is a very strong force in developing individual personality of these children. As the
children developing negative feelings from the society, it can become a reason behind juvenile
crime cases recorded in Malaysia. One of the most common mistake society often makes is
labelling these children. Labelling can destroy the growing personality of the youth and make
the teen a felt like he/she is a criminal forever. Labelling means that the society labels these
teens a criminal once he commits a crime, though this is his/her first time but due to the tagging
he will perceive himself a criminal forever. These adolescents will try to repeat the same similar
crime or other crimes in the future because they felt they are no longer feel any embarrassment
in committing the crimes.

There are several possible solutions for this juvenile crime and social problem issue that
occurring now. First of all are the family institution should have a positive attitude towards life
and towards the society. Parents and elder siblings are the mentor for the children and they
should show the children more positive values, good norms and good standards of society so
that in this way the children will be able to show the right behaviour to the society and towards
other people. Family also act as the role model of every child and a role model behaviour show
by the parents and siblings can give motivation to the child to behave positively. Besides that,
government should show the effort to help the families that have poor economic status so that
this family can improve their family financial condition. Parents also should teach their
children the importance of respecting laws of society and try to behave with other people so
that the children can control their aggressiveness and violence. Parents should tell their children
the consequences of their action if they are breaking laws that government has made for public
safety. The parent also should play an important role in make sure that they observe the equality
of rights, justice and condemn discrimination. Parents can part in enforcing their responsibility
of fighting against any odd that their children have in their personality to prevent the children
emotional problem getting worse. This have to be done to the children that especially teenage
children that havent not reached the age of maturity where they didnt know the difference
between good and bad. Their parents should do know whats good and whats not and they
should keep an eye on their children every time to monitor their children activity. Parent should
know about their children friends of their children and their other mates at school or any places.
In case if there are any disability parents, then the teachers should talk to the teens about their
problems and they should try to help them with their problems. From early childhood, parents
should ensure that their children meet with people of their age and know how to behave in the
society and among other people.
 Next is the peer group influence can be considered as a very strong factor on the growing
process of teens and parents should know the friends of their children are making with and try
to monitor them. Parent should create a better communication relationship with their children.
In this way children will feel free to share anything and everything with their parents as like
they are sharing with their friends. Besides that, the access to services and programmes dealing
with this juvenile issue must be enhanced and enforced, the publics awareness should be
broadened or frequently organized, and the scientific approach to these problems must be
continued. Because these juvenile problem is still not being addressed as it should be to the
society.
In conclusion, society should be the one who coming to understand that there is a major social
problem within the society itself, crime being commit by the adolescent and this is a serious
problem to the society and country. We must look towards to igniting, mobilising the passion,
energy, imagination, and idealism of our youth in Malaysia so that they can make a real
difference in life and the society. It is our role and responsibility to become involved in our
youth because they are our future generation.

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