Ashlyn Kuhar

2/8/17

Response 4

It is said that the early years of life lay the foundation for all that follows. I had a
wonderful childhood, where I was nurtured by two loving parents in a middle class home, given
proper nutrition and care, educated on what was right and wrong, and given consequences when
I overstepped boundaries. My parents also worked hard with flashcards and reading with me
from a very young age, so I was relatively ahead of my age level in school. Unfortunately,
juvenile delinquents usually do not get the love and care they need, and are oftentimes abused or
neglected. They also hold onto the aggressive nature of their young age, while becoming
unsatisfactory in school and surrounding themselves with negative influences.
Once I transitioned to my adolescent years, I was given more responsibility for chores and
schoolwork, and also for my behaviors. The consequences were more profound in these years, so
I made sure I kept myself in good standings so I did not lose my privileges like hanging with
friends, or going to the movies. This was a time of wanting more freedom, individuality and a
social life. My family was helpful in providing me knowledge on how to manage my time, stay
true to my values, and focus on my goals. I believe this had a positive impact on my social
behavior in society. In contrast, juvenile delinquency is highest in families with little interaction
or control. Adolescents like this can feel worthless, angry, unimportant and incapable. These
feelings can also come from physical or sexual abuse.

It is true that it is possible for children with a good family living in a higher
socioeconomic household to get involved in delinquency, usually from some certain personality
traits. I believe this did not happen to me because I do not think that I am a big thrill seeker, and I
have a good sense of control. I am also considerate of others and respect other peoples property,
feelings, and values.

When it comes to parental practices, they say the use of corporal punishment can be
detrimental for a child and cause long term harm. As a child, I experienced non abusive spanking
and time outs as a disciplinary action, which I believe taught me right from wrong. Some studies
did say that light spanking is a better disciplinary measure than many other tactics. I believe
discipline is needed to teach children, but for some, they become neglected or violently abused,
which can steer them toward delinquency and eventually prison.

Risk factors for delinquency include antisocial behavior, aggression, disabilities, lack of
empathy, hyperactivity, early drug and alcohol use, teen parenthood, and low intelligence,
having a broken home, poverty, and parent criminality, to name a few. There are some disorders,
such as Conduct disorder, which can lead children to have aggressive behaviors and commit
delinquent acts. I was fortunate enough to not have any of these risk factors growing up or today.
I had a great family life and good friends, stayed out of trouble, had no cognitive disabilities and
did not get involved in risky behaviors at a young age.

These risk factors play a huge role in juvenile delinquents. We have read about children
who grew up abused in their homes, which were usually broken. They grew up at a very young
age and got involved in substances and poor behavior, usually involving risky peers. Many of
these children did or do poorly in school or have dropped out altogether. This chapter begins to
show the correlation of risk factors and shed light on how they can all increase the chances of
these children growing up and finding their way to prison. While these risk factors do not fit
perfectly for every case, there is a reoccurring pattern that we can study based off of this
information.