NCJ Number
165788
Editor(s)
K Melville
Date Published
1994
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the causes and prevention of juvenile delinquency argues that juvenile crime is more serious today than in the past because of the erosion of moral standards and the abdication of responsibility by families, schools, and the media.
Abstract
A community is a moral entity made up of a group of people who agree that certain actions are right and others are wrong and who take responsibility for passing on shared values from one generation to the next. Problems that have led to increased delinquency include increased illegitimate births, increased divorce, and violence on television. Recommended solutions include consistent moral messages from schools, the media, and families; stricter regulation of media violence; curfews; measures to hold parents accountable for their children's violence; and efforts to support two-parent families. Critics of this approach argue that it suggests a much broader problem than the one that actually exists, which is concentrated among youths in the poorest communities. they also argue that it justifies harsh measures, exaggerates the media's role and condones media censorship, and leads to inappropriate solutions that divert attention from what government can and should do about social and economic conditions that contribute to criminal behavior. Photograph and illustrations