Professional Documents
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Did you know that in the United States alone there are approximately 500,000 juveniles brought
to detention centers every year? The costs of keeping youths in these types of facilities is
astronomical: about $90,000 per year, per child.
2. And unfortunately enough, most of these facilities do not affect the children in a positive
manner, so they are likely to reoffend, especially if they come from a generational crime circuit.
3. A generational crime circuit is when a childs parent or parents have a history of crime as well,
and it extends back throughout multiple sets of past relatives. These circuits have proven very
hard to break.
4. Sometimes, though, when a child offends as a juvenile, it is a one time offense, or a phase. It
does not indicate a lifetime of crime, but rather a poor mistake made in ones teenage years.
Weve all made those.
5. Did you know that even if one of these circuits is broken, it can be impossible to get back on
ones feet because of a smudged record and poor vocational skills? A lot of released juveniles
have zero life skills or workplace savvy, so their only option is to reoffend.
6. So the question is: What can we, as involved citizens of a community, do to lower crime rates
among juveniles?
7. The answer is multifaceted, but simple at its root: family and adult influences.
8. Attachment theorem, developed by John Bowlby in the 20th century, dictates that if a child is not
touched enough by their mother, they will grow up with severe mental deficiencies.
9. If something that slight can affect a childs adult behavior, just imagine what having parents who
are in gangs, involved with drugs, or abusive could do to the brain of a young human.
10. After school programs are another method implemented in almost every school in America but,
sadly, most are failures. This is due to poor leaders and administrators, who simply do not care
about the children or can even be abusive themselves.
11. The time during which a child arrives home from school to the time when his parents arrive
home from work is the slot during the day in which the most criminal activity is likely to take
place. Unsupervision is a large root of the issue of juvenile delinquency.
12. Teachers can also place a significant impact in a childs life. If things at home are not good,
school could be that safe haven for that child. However, many times having poor teachers and
uncaring parents is the combination for discord and deviance to brew.
13. Adult influences are the far most important aspect of determining if a youth will turn to the
streets. Perhaps if America, and the world, were more aware of the effect that words and
actions have on its next generations, crime rates would drop.
14. We need influential teachers, youth centers planted in strategic areas with leaders who inspire
and offer opportunities, and parents who worry. Not to say that all of this would prevent crime
at all, but it would create a significant drop and change the futures of many young Americans.
Slide two
Did you know that in the United States alone there
are approximately 500,000 juveniles brought to
detention centers every year?
Slide 11
Strong adult influences outside the home are equally
important. Schools can be a safe haven from a
negative family situation. Teachers have an
opportunity to inspire kids who might be on the
wrong path.
Slide 12
After school programs are another method
implemented in almost every school in America but,
sadly, most are failures. This is due to poor leaders
and administrators, who simply do not care about
the children or can even be abusive themselves.
The time during which a child arrives home from
school to the time when his parents arrive home
from work is the slot during the day in which the
most criminal activity is likely to take place.
Slide 13
We need influential teachers, youth centers planted
in strategic areas with leaders who inspire and offer
opportunities, and parents who worry. Not to say
that all of this would prevent crime at all, but it would
create a significant drop and change the futures of
many young Americans.
Slide 14
So How Can You Get Involved?
Here's a few ideas. . .
Volunteer as a tutor at your local high schools and
colleges
Volunteer at your local youth center. They always
need people to help!
Go online and sign up for service projects around
you