Posted: August 1st, 2023

Juvenile Justice

Juvenile Justice
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Juvenile Justice
Treating a chronic offender in the juvenile justice system is so difficult because the offender is usually hell-bent on making a career out of crime. His goal is to engage in as many crimes as possible so as to make a name for himself in the criminal world, and as such, he derives pride in engaging in criminal activities. The main goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate an individual and reduce their likelihood of reoffending (Harris & Mooney, 2019). This is in contrast to the adult system where the goal is punishment. Therefore, treating a chronic offender in the juvenile system would hardly yield significant results because the chronic offender is not willing to change/be rehabilitated in the first place.
This category of offenders so frequently goes on to commit adult crime because they have made crime a lifestyle. From the time they begin engaging in crime, these offenders appear to enjoy it. And for this reason, they may not want to stop the behavior even as they become adults. As aforementioned, the eventual goal is to “make it big” in the criminal world; adulthood does not appear to deter this goal.
Long-term incarceration is not the only possible means to means to deter their criminal behaviors as juveniles and adults. It is important to note that there is a reason as to why chronic offenders behave the way they do. Therefore, I believe identifying the root cause of their behavior is key to deterring their criminal behaviors. In this regard, psychological treatment is also important. This will make it possible to understand why they behave the way they do and hence develop strategies (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy) aimed at changing their way of thinking. I also believe family programs can be effective. Visiting families of these delinquents and involving them in the treatment process can produce positive results (Bray & Stanton, 2012).

References
Bray, J. H., & Stanton, M. (2012). The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of family psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
Harris, D., & Mooney, C. (2019). The juvenile justice system. ABDO.

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