Basis for Violent Crimes Committed by Teenage Offenders - Research Proposal Example

? Basis for Violent Crimes Committed by Teenage Offenders: A Research Proposal Institute Senior Capstone in Criminal Justice September 22, 2013 Abstract This research paper proposes to determine the basis for why teenage criminal offenders are committing more violent crimes than ever before, including murder. The objective of this research is to determine, through quantitative methods and literature review, the surrounding environments of these young offenders that encourage violent crime. The criminal justice system, in sentencing juvenile offenders, must also be looked at to determine if harsher sentences should be imposed on those who are younger than 18 years old. Basis for Violent Crimes Committed by Teenage Offenders Thesis Statement Juvenile offenders, aged 18 and under, are committing more violent crimes such as murders of old people and babies and, in order to find a solution to why this is happening, the background and environments of these offenders must be examined further to determine what is setting off these crimes. There is speculation that a lack of adult parenting or supervision is one cause. Another suspected cause is that teenagers play too many violent video games and perhaps, the theory of social learning should be applied here during research. It would also appear that current judgments and punishments made against young offenders, do not deter them enough so that they would move away from the environment that assists or encourages them to commit these crimes. Communities are also stressed because rehabilitative services operate on limited budgets and, with an overload of cases, care and attention will also be limited. In the community itself, people are more afraid because, with youthful offenders, one cannot always protect oneself against younger criminals because laws also protect the young against abuse. Therefore, it is imperative to find the solutions to both problems in offender social environments and also in the sentencing laws for juvenile offenders. Hypothesis It will be shown that more efficient rehabilitative programs are needed for placing at-risk teenagers into a more positive environment, encouraging them to move from violent surroundings to engagement in sports or some other interest, and that the criminal justice system needs to impose harsher sentences on young teenagers to deter further crimes. Applicable Sources Peak (2012), in his book, Justice Administration: Police, Courts, and Corrections Management, has shown that when teenagers turn to criminal actions, this suggests a number of issues are at the heart of why this is happening, such as the environment of the child with non-existent adult supervision, friends who are in gangs, and failure within the school system in classwork achievements. There are also not enough regular after-school programs that young people can get involved in and, with a weakened economy, what community programs are in place, are having their public funding reduced or cut altogether. Violent video games are also seen as being part of the creation of violent behaviors in those without the ability to separate fiction from reality. In this respect, and in alignment with friends who aside from playing violent video games and who also engage in gang activities, this type of environment applies to the social learning theory, whereby what others do, is considered cool or normal (Peak 2012). Teenagers, who have not learned yet to analyze new media literacy, meaning the truth of what is seen, rather than what the message implies, learn that what they encounter, is (to them) what life really is as a standard level of living. While other teenagers head home to read their school books and do homework, at-risk teenagers go to hang out with their friends who engage in criminal activities instead. Therefore, reinforcement of negative influences by friends and through media viewpoints (violent video games, violent movies), will condition an at-risk teenager towards a life of crime. Juvenile justice systems encounter many at-risk teenagers, who are guilty by association for being present during some type of criminal activity, even if they did not directly participate in it (Peak 2012). This is specific to the theory of social learning in the juvenile justice system. Atella (2012), in the research paper, Insights: Juvenile Justice, has said that many teenagers have limited parental or adult guidance who can help steer them in more productive directions. Research shows that young offenders who are in the criminal justice system, usually have low academic scores, have been suspended or expelled from school, and are at risk for not graduating from high school. Some reports indicate also that parents of some of these young offenders also reinforce unlawful behavior by assisting their children in covering up crimes or refusing to believe that their children could be capable of such criminal actions. This was particularly true in a recent news story called Teen Guilty of Murdering Georgia Baby in Stroller, written by Brumback (2013), where two male teens attempted to rob a mother who was walking her baby in a stroller, and during the robbery, one of the teens shot the baby in the face, killing the baby. The mother and aunt of the now-convicted shooter assisted the son by hiding the firearm used in commission of the crime, but it was later recovered, along with the essential evidence for conviction. The parent and relative in this case, hardly set a good example of how to behave in society and this is also part of the social learning theory. Atella (2012) presents that along with not doing well in school, the economic status of the family, particularly if it is low, may encourage a sense of despair and the need to find a way for controlling one’s life which, as a child or teenager, is not always possible. Engagement in criminal activities provide a sense of control over others, rather than others having control over the offender or at-risk child (Atella 2012). In addressing the juvenile system, the research paper also suggests that the juvenile system and the educational system work together to promote a more positive environment in the school, particularly for those who are in rehabilitation. It is also suggested that schools should consider other alternatives to the zero tolerance policy, yet it would have to be defined at what level various punishments are given, and whether the personality of the child should also be taken into consideration when applying those punishments (Atella 2012). Education, in of itself, should not be considered a daily punishment, but rather a learning experience that can also be fun and engaging student interest. In researching on how to prevent juvenile offenses from occurring in the first place, it is proposed that perhaps children should be offered free opportunities to be involved in sports, group activities such as the Boy and Girl Scouts organizations, or training in musical instruments, ballet, or some other type of disciplined activity. Indeed, filling up the time spent outside the classroom, can go a long way towards abolishing the criminal activity by not allowing enough time to commit plot and commit crimes. The Legal Information Center (LIC) (2013) and the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD) (2013), both online professional justice organizations, provide information and examples of current programs for young people to be involved in, particularly those undergoing rehabilitation as required by the juvenile system. These activities formulate and present the concepts of dedicating time and effort to accomplish a valuable tool which could even lead to further knowledge in preparing children for an earnings-based career in one of these fields, such as in the building industry (NCWD 2013). The objective for these programs is to remove children from negative environments where there is a lack of moral and emotional stability, particularly when parents are absentees, emotionally and physically, and present opportunities to work with mentors who can provide guidance for the children. Project CRAFT is one such program which works with different types of youths, those with handicaps, and those offenders who are in adjudicated section of the juvenile justice system. The program works in conjunction with the Home Builders Association (HBI) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in its workforce development division (NCWD 2013). Providing skill sets for young people so they can go out and get a construction job after high school is a very positive direction, and also encourages a sense of pride and encouragement that may not be attained in any other part of the offender’s environment at the current time. Classroom instruction is provided in learning these skills, such as in learning to measure and calculate area volume through various mathematical processes, and which can be used in project planning for those who are given management positions on the team. All members are treated as adults who are responsible for their decisions and are also given a certificate of completion in the Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) program (NCWD 2013). Each student is also monitored for six months after leaving the program to determine how well it is working for the offender in adjusting to responsible life. Indeed, all children should be provided with extra-curricular activities, although it might take some time while children figure out what they like doing the best. Extra-curricular programs should be run for free by the community, perhaps in conjunction with the juvenile justice system, as this arrangement would provide more options for offenders being placed in rehabilitative services (NCWD 2013). The difficulty is the presentation of ‘free’ programs, which means they are free to the public, but must be paid for by the state through tax dollars. Those who are chosen to run the programs in each local area, must also be trained to handle working with at-risk and adjudicated youths coming through the system and there must be a connection there with support from the juvenile justice system. The government funding of such programs are essential to creating a future population that is capable of participating in society in an appropriate manner which helps to enhance the moving forward of ideas and innovations, rather than leaving people behind in miserable conditions, without hope of figuring out how to get out of their situation. Ultimately, it may be up to the juvenile criminal justice system to assist in developing these programs, based on the types of offenders they are seeing most often in the court system. The juvenile justice system has a number of courts that deal specifically with various crimes such as the drug court, gun court, teen court, mental health court and vocational training court (LIC 2013). There is also the Juvenile Hate Crimes Prevention and Rehabilitation program, developed by the federal government to curb an increase in hate-based attacks which has risen in the last decade (LIC 2013). In working with these cases, the judges’ input will be vital in determining how to build more on current rehabilitation programs and how to also build new ones that will address specific problems which have no current solution. Measurement and Analysis Study Design – The study design is a quantitative literature review of cases and research studies, utilizing secondary data for descriptive analysis. The data searched for will be found in research studies, criminology reports and government databases. The data, reflecting the variables listed in the hypothesis, will be used in creating a new analysis of the problem which can identify solutions, based on results. All research studies and cases will be no older than 10 years. Sample – The sample will consist of youthful offenders from age 18 and under, found in secondary literature research. The review will also include, wherever possible, the judge’s decision in these case studies, and why the judge gave the decision for the offender. The descriptive in summary analysis will include gender, age, education, and head of household, i.e. mother or father, or both. The variables will be those listed in the hypothesis. The current ideal sample amount will run up to 100 persons in the initial overview, in order to give a representative picture. Data Collection – A database will be developed of offenders by age, race, partner (s), type of crime, victim (by age, race, friend or unknown), economic status, and education. The offender, by descriptive variables, such as poor economic circumstances, will be X (cause) and the crime committed, such as murder, will be Y (effect). The data will all be pulled from journal research studies and professional criminal justice statistical websites, and complied into a database for review and analysis. The analysis process will be completed in Microsoft Excel and IBM’s SPSS, using analysis tools provided in both programs. Ethical Considerations The plan is to submit immediately to the Institutional Review Board for permission to conduct this study. The research requires a great amount of work, first in vetting the studies for inclusion into the database, and second, for reviewing enough research studies, books and case studies for inclusion into the literature review. Confidentiality will be maintained in this study by not including names of youthful offenders. Each case will receive an ID number in the database, as variables are the most important aspect of the analysis. No emotional statements about specific crimes, or any vilification of the subjects, will be made within this research study. Names of judges and of any jurors who have gone public with their statements. Victims of crime will also not be identified by name so as to protect them from further emotional stress, should they ever read this paper. Resources Atella, J. (2012). Insights: Juvenile Justice. The Minneapolis Foundation Online. Retrieved from Brumback, K. (2013). Teen Guilty of Murdering Georgia Baby in Stroller. ABC News Online. August 30 2013. Retrieved from LIC. (2013). Juvenile Programs. Legal Information Center (LIC) Online. Retrieved from NCWD. (2013). Project CRAFT. National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD) Online. Retrieved from Peak, K. J. (2012). Justice Administration: Police, Courts, and Corrections Management, (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Read More