Criminology 5

Introduction to Juvenile Delinquency

What is Juvenile?

- It is a person who has not reached adulthood or the age of majority.

- usually, 18 years old.

- Generally regarded as immature or ones whose mental and emotional faculties are not fully developed
thus, making them uncapable of taking full responsibility of their actions.

- In legal terms. A person subject to juvenile court proceedings because a statutorily defined event or
condition caused by or affecting that person was alleged to have occurred while his or her age was below
the statutorily specified age limit or original description of a juvenile court.

The Delinquent Person

- A person of whatever age, whose attitude toward other individuals, community, lawful authority is such
that it may lead him/her into breaking the law.

- One who repeatedly commits an act that is against the norms more observed by society.

Juvenile Delinquency

- Used to describe a large number of disapproved behaviors of children and youth.

- Refers to an anti-social act or behavior of minors that deviates from the normal pattern of rules and
regulations, custom and culture which society does not accept and which therefore, justifies some kind
of admonishment, punishment, or corrective measures in the public interest.

- Juvenile delinquents are grouped into three ways:

1. Children aging below 7-years-old

2. Children aging from 7 to 12-years-old – juveniles who have doll incapax (not capable of having
criminal intent)

3. Youths aging above 12 but below 18-years-old

- Defined legally as:

- Criminal law violations that would be considered crimes of committed by an adult;

- An act committed by a minor that violates the penal code of the government with authority
over the place in which the act occurred;

- The committing of those things considered crimes by the country;

- Any act, behavior or conduct which might be brought to court and judged whether such is a
violation of a law.

Juvenile Crime

- In law, it denotes the various offenses committed by children or youths under the age of 18.

- The following are the unlawful acts committed by juveniles can be divided into five (5) major
categories:

1. Unlawful acts against person

2. Unlawful acts against property

3. Drug and alcohol offenses

4. Offenses against the public order

- Status offenses (are acts that only juveniles can commit and that can be adjudicated (to make official
decision who is right) only by a juvenile court. Range from misbehavior/misdemeanor, such as violations
of curfew, underage drinking, running away from home, and to offenses that are interpreted very
subjectively, such as unruliness and ungovernability-beyond the control of parents and guardians.)