Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency
...ct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct; or the rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children” (CAPTA). “Emotional abuse” is defined as: “the act, or failure to act by parents or caretakers that have caused or could cause serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders” (CAPTA). Emotional abuse also includes extreme and odd punishments, like confinement in a small, dark area; or being tied down for long periods of time; or threatening, or terrorizing a child” (CAPTA). The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defined “neglect” as: “the failure to provide for the child’s basic needs. Neglect can be physical, educational, or emotional. Physical neglect can include not providing adequate food or clothing, appropriate medical care, and supervision” (CAPTA). The Link Between Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency The irony in the fact that when a community fails to protect a child from harm, it may soon call for it’s head, is a vital appearance. Many factors have been proven to correlate with higher rates of delinquent behavior. In the 1999 Report to Congress, Title V Incentive Grants and for local delinquency Prevention Programs, the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reports these negative influences include exposure to violence, poor educational opportunities and employment prospects, childhood abuse and neglect, living in a single-family, delinquent peer groups, drugs and alcohol, and media violence (Children’s Voice Article 2001). The more violent and negative attitudes corresponding in the child’s life, the stronger the correlation (Children’s Voice Article 2001). The consequences are seen, not only in childhood, but even more clearly in one’s adolescence and adulthood. Reports show that those strong enough to endure through the maltreatment often experience many difficulties in life, such as: delinquency, pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, school failure, and emotional and mental health problems (Children’s Voice Article 2001). Child Welfare of Los Angeles study (CWLA) conducted in Sacramento County, California, made a review of arrest rates among children ages nine-to-twelve (CWLA). The results were appalling; those referred to child welfare were sixty-seven times more likely to be arrested than other nine-to-twelve year olds (CWLA). In 1998, U.S. law enforcement agencies made approximately 2.8 million arrests of people underage eighteen, who were suspected of violating the law (OJJDP Fact Sheet #110). The 1997 OJJDP Census of juveniles in Residential Placement counted nearly 126,000 youths under age twenty-one in both public and private facilities (OJJDP Fact Sheet #110). The 1999 CWLA Stat Book reports that the U.S. child welfare system- where many children first attract public attention before entering the juvenile justice system- currently has some 530,000 children in its custody, and child welfare agencies are serving one million more with prevention, family support, and after care services (Children’s Voice Article 2001). Breaking the Link Between Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency The statistics do not lie, given the rising numbers of the institutionalized youth who have committed serious offenses come from a history of severe maltreatment, a balanced approach is desperately needed. One must remember that the...