Racial Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System

1311 Words6 Pages
The Effect of Race on the Juvenile Justice System I. Introduction Popular studies believe that there is a correlation between juvenile delinquency and children in single-parent homes. It is true especially for adolescent males between 12 and 15 years of age who grow up in homes without fathers. This population is more likely to become juvenile delinquents than males in the same age group that come from two-parent families. It is clear that the child’s mental, physical and psychological needs are not being met in his home environment. The traditional parental role is one of caregiver, role-model, and nurturer. When the father is absent from the home this causes a schism within the home that, if not filled properly, can contribute to the delinquency of a child. The child usually begins exhibiting behaviors such as lying, stealing, misbehaving in school, and fighting. If not checked these behaviors accelerate into anti-social behavior directed towards other children and the community. Currently there is no information available as to the exact reason why being without a father affects these young males. Yet, the very fact that the child is without a father-figure in the home does affect the child’s psychological behavior. The child’s emotional development can not help but be affected by this. They may have feelings of loss or guilt about the father not being in the home. The child may feel responsible for the parent’s leaving the home. Children sometimes accept blame for things going wrong at home when they really should not. While researching the literature on children from single-parent homes and juvenile delinquency some of the same factors presented regarding delinquent behavior. The literature also reports that without stability in their lives these children are at risk to be victims as well as perpetrators of violence. Therefore, for the purpose of this

More about Racial Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System

Open Document