CRIMES

LEADING TO
YOUTH/JUVENILE
CAUSES/FACTORS

Economic and Social Factors

Poverty: areas often 1ack
1. Poverty-stricken
Limited Resources:
such as quality education, lack of
essential services facilities.This
healthcare, and recreational as
youth toward illegal activities
push
resources can needs.
they seek to fulfillbasic The constant struggle
Frustration and Desperation: can lead to
conditions
tosurvive in impoverished crime
of frustration and hopelessness, making
feelings problems.
solution to their
appear as a viable
2.Unemployment:
leads toidle time,
which
Idle Time: Unemployment
of engaging in criminal
can increase the likelihood
activities as a way to
pass time or make money.
to support oneself
EconomicPressure: The pressure
sources can drive
or one's family without legalincome
or other
youthtocommit theft, drug trafficking,
crimes.

Cultural Factors

1. Norms and Values:

Acceptance of Violence: In cultures where violenceis
normalized or seen as an acceptable way to resolve
conflicts, youth may be more inclined to engage in
violent behavior.
Criminal Role Models: Cultural icons or local figures
who engagein or glorify criminal behavior can serve
 bot leac
or

Distress:
one
of

distress,
Homes:

Emotional
absence
ncre
Broken

emotional
i mitatetheir 1.
to
youth
influencing
models, to a
asrole Norms:can lead youth
actions. ofCultural changes leaving This
social (anomie),behavior.
2.Disintegration
Rapid norms traditional
o Anonmie: of societal on acceptable as
guidelines activities
breakdovwn
clear criminal
without in increased
their
influence. can create
canresult rules lose disintegration to seek
values
and
Cultural
them
Crisis: leading subcultures
youth,
Identity among criminal
crises through
identity and identity
belonging
gangs.

Urbanization
can strain
density
1. Overcrowding: population
Strain: High creating environments
Resource and resources, to competition
public services likely to occurdue
where crimeismnore
resources.
for these limited can lead to
Overcrowding
Stress and Conflict:
conflicts, which
andinterpersonal
increased stress
criminal behavior.
may escalate into
2.Anonymity:
Urban areas often provide
a
Reduced Supervision:
anonymity that rural areas do not,reducing the
level of
fear of being caught and
thus increasingthe likelihood
activities.
of engaging in criminal
Opportunity: Cities offer more opportunities for both
legaland illegal activities, making it easier for youth
toget involved in crime.

Family Factors
 1.Broken
Homes: or the
Emotional Distress: Divorce, separation,significant
can cause
absenceof one orboth parents behavioral 1ssues and
leading to
emotional distress,
increased risk of
delinquency.
households or
Lack of Supervision: Single-parent
parental absence may lack proper
homes with frequent of
guidance, increasing the chances
supervision and
in criminal activities.
youth engaging
Parental Influence:
Parents who engage in
2. criminal
Modeling Behavior:
or condone such actions can directly
behavior behaviors.
toadopt similar
influence their children
Children who experience neglect
Neglect and Abuse:
aremore likely todevelop
orabuse at home
and turn to crime as a coping
behavioralproblems
mechanism or learned behavior.

Migration

1.

.
Displacement:
Identity and Integration
face difficulties integrating
Issues: Migrant youth often
into new communities,
of alienation.
to identity crises and feelings
leading
can increase the risk of criminalbehavior.
which
may be
Marginalization: Migrant families
barriers, cultural
marginalized due to language
economic hardship, contributingto
differences,or
involvement in crime as a way to cope or rebel.
youth
2. Economic Hardship:
hardship among
Survival Strategies: Economic
towards criminal
migrant familiescan push youth
or their families.
activities to support themselves
 often have
families
Migrant systems.
and support
to Resources: tocriminal
o Access toresources of youth
access
limited
the vulnerability
increasing
influences.

Influence
Media content
Violen
ce: to violent
to exposure making
1.Exposure
Regular violence,
youth to
Desensitization:
can desensitize or violent
in media in aggressive
likely to
engage
them more to
behavior. of crime can lead
Media portrayals as
is depicted
Imitation: behavior
ifcriminal
imitation, especially
orrewarding.
glamorous
ofCrime: can
2. Glorification criminals
Models: Media that glorifies
Role
such figures, believing that
to emulate
influence youth
to successand recognition.
criminal behavior leads
depiction of crime in
Normalization: The frequent
o

behavior,making it seem
media can normalize such
acceptable or even
desirable.

Social Exclusion

1. Marginalization:
Lack ofBelonging: Youth whofeel excluded from
mainstream society due to factors like race, ethnicity,
or socioeconomic status may turn to crime as a way to
assert their identity or gain acceptance in alternative
social groups.
 Alienation:
alienation Social
and exclusion can
2 Lack manifest in resentment lead to
of criminal towards feelingsof
Opportunities: behavior. society,
Education and which can
education and Employment:
youth Limited
feeling employment accessto
increasing thehopeless opportunities
abouttheir can leave
Social likelihoodofturning future

can Services: to prospects,

Inadequate crime.
exacerbate feelings access to
of social
leadingto exclusion servicesS
criminal and
protest. activities as ameans desperation,
of
survivalor
Peer Influence

1.Peer Pressure:
o Conformity: The desire to fit in
with peers can
lead
youth to engage in criminal activities,
especially if
they are part ofa delinquent peer
group.
Status and Recognition: Criminal behavior may be
seen as a way to gain status or recognition within a

peer group.
2. Gang Involvement:
Gangs often provide a sense of
o Sense of Belonging:
which can be especially
belonging and identity, other
to youth whofeelexcluded from
appealing
social groups. typically
Activities: Gang membership which can
Criminal criminal activities,
in
involves participation to serious violence.
theft
petty
range from

Identities
Delinquent
 1. Labeling: Being labeled as a "delinquent"
Internalization: can
thisidentity, increasing the
lead youth to internalize
likelihood ofcontinued criminal behavior due
to

sOcietalexpectations and self-fulfilling prophecies.

Stigmatization can isolate youth from
o Stigmatization:
positive social influences, pushing them further into
delinquent subcultures.
2. Self-Perception:
Dw Self-Esteem: Negative self-perception and low
self-esteem can lead to criminal behavior as a means
compensating for perceived inadequacies or gaining
of

a sense ofpower and control.

Identity Formation: Youth struggling with their
identity may
turn to delinquent behavior as a way to
define them selvesand assert their independence.

Offender and Victim Dynamics

1. Cycle of Violence:
Victimization: Youth wh0 are victims of violence or
witness violence are more likely to become offenders
themselves,perpetuating a cycle of violence.
Trauma: Experiencing or witnessing violence can
lead to trauma, which may manifest in
aggressive or
criminal behavior.
2. Retaliation and
Revenge:
Vengeance: Acts of crime can be motivated by a
desire for revenge against perceived
wrongsor
njustices, leading to retaliatory violence or criminal
acts.
 minal
asa"
1dentity,
behavior
due
delinquent"
increasing
to
the can Justice
Seeking:
hehavior as away Youth may
from
when they to seek theirengage in
feel own formcriminal
wronged or of
Additional justice
Factors marginalized by
society.
1.
Substance Abuse:
Impaired
Judgment: Drug oth
CFLs
incandescent
and
impair and alcohol bulbs
judgment and abuse can
youth more increase
likely to impulsivity,
Addiction: The needengagein criminal making
to sustain an activities.
youth to commitcrimes addiction
such as theft or
can drive
trafficking. drug
2.
Educational
Disengagement:
School Dropouts:
Youth who drop out of
at a higher risk school are
of engaging in
to lack of criminal behavior
structure, supervision,
due
and future
o
Academic Failure: Poor academic prospects.
performance and
disengagement from education can lead to
low self
esteem and increased likelihood of
turning to crime.

Addressing Youth and Juvenile Crime

To effectively address youth and juvenile crime, it is essential

to:

Implement holisticapproaches: Combine efforts from

families, schools, communities,and law enforcement to
provide support and intervention.

Enhance social services: Improve access to education,

healthcare, and social services for at-risk youth.