A new Government study, the Crime and Justice Survey, has found that nearly a quarter (24%) of males aged 14-17 were serious or prolific offenders, committing crimes such as car theft, burglary and violent assaults at least six times (and usually far more) in the previous year.
The social-science evidence points strongly to the influence of parents as the chief underlying cause of juvenile crime. In England, 27 per cent of prison inmates had been in care and 47 per cent had run away from home as a child. But it's not just broken families. Criminal parents are much more likely to raise criminal offspring: a recent survey found that 43 per cent of prisoners had family members who had been convicted and 35 per cent had a family member who had been in jail. But family breakdown is important, especially when parents contradict each other - thereby providing no clear moral lead - or compete for affection by being lax with their children. Such conflict is more likely in disrupted families, when one parent is absent, or when a new partner or step-parent appears.
Over a quarter of children are now being raised by only one parent and just over 40% of children are now born outside marriage.
Most people don't commit crimes because they think it's wrong, and parents play the dominant role in providing their children with a conscience. Because parenting is a difficult task, if one parent must do the job of two it becomes more difficult still. Of course, a lone parent may be able to raise a child successfully if he or she is not naturally pre-disposed to crime, and the school and wider community are supportive. But, single parents have less chance of success, particularly when confronted by an inherently difficult child, and still more so when they live in a disorderly neighbourhood. In such localities, boys who lack the guidance of a law-abiding father often turn to other role models. Perhaps they will be keen on football and the local team manager will have a good influence on them, or maybe they will look up to the local car thief or drug dealer.
The Government knows that family breakdown is a major cause of juvenile crime. The Home Office Youth Lifestyles Survey proves it and the Government's Social Exclusion Unit has shown the connection between disrupted families and crime. The Government ought to be doing its best to encourage both biological parents to stay married while their children are growing up. But it doesn't because it's frightened of being accused of scapegoating lone parents. As a result, tax concessions for married couples have been removed and welfare benefits given to lone parents on such a scale that a single parent can work for only 16 hours a week and receive take-home pay far higher than that of a couple who have put in over 40 hours.
Elite opinion in this country is hostile to the family based on marriage, so much so that the Sunday Times columnist, Ferdinand Mount, recently found it necessary to be apologetic about the 'M-word'. But there can be no solution to juvenile crime without a strong commitment to the 'M-word'. Of course, the police, probation and the courts have a vital role, but the influence of parents outweighs everything else by far. The Government should think again and do its bit to uphold the ideal of the family based on lifelong marriage.
Comments (4)
RE: Jo Piot: I too support the observation that most"children above age eight know exactly what they are doing is wrong. There are "How-To-Do" parenting manuals and governments should desist from imposing their influence on how a parent/s rear their children; that when there is no foreseeablble mental, or physical and emotional threat to the child/children.
Posted by Cleve Archibald | February 4, 2008 1:34 PM
Posted on February 4, 2008 13:34
This is a good website for a Juvenile Justice course in high school .
Posted by Kelly | December 20, 2005 4:22 PM
Posted on December 20, 2005 16:22
Every body is talking about the causes of the juvenile behaviour but what happened when they don't or even do learn that whatever they do they can get away with it because the law doesn't recognise them as being responsible? Everyone seems to think that children in this matter are dumb, well I would love to SHOUT OUT that IT IS WRONG!!!! Children know what they are doing are wrong, the parents know their children are up to no good but ehehe they are under age, and parents can't control their child how is that possible?? How can an adult let a child run their life as they please? I am so angry with this little boy I have welcome into my house, he is 11 years old, he cannot go to prison, he has done at least 20 offences, but he is to young all he risk from the law is to be sent back home and maybe just maybe to a youth institution but we have to handle the little S... with care because he is a child, after making about 20 burglary he still doesn't know that it is illegal. Somehow I find that hard to believe and it is disgusting that nobody can do anything about it. We call that justice...
Posted by Jo Picot | December 6, 2005 8:41 PM
Posted on December 6, 2005 20:41
This is a good website to find information about the causes of juvenile crime. i know that i will get a better mark on my essay now because i know more about what causes juvenile deliquents to do what they do. thanks.
Posted by heather robinson | September 30, 2005 7:09 PM
Posted on September 30, 2005 19:09