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In modern times, the issue of juvenile delinquency has become a
major concern in many countries around the world. From the United States to
South Africa, towns and cities are plagued by teenage hooliganism, lawlessness,
and an increase in drug and alcohol abuse. Gangs of youths, both male and
female, are attacking law-abiding citizens, robbing shopkeepers, and organizing
pitched battles among themselves. Juvenile courts are overcrowded with
offenders, while "approved" schools and borstals are full to overflowing.
However, despite the efforts of government, schoolmasters, clergymen, and
parents, the trouble seems to persist, and its causes are not fully understood.
Society as a whole cannot be blamed for this problem, as it only affects a small
proportion of young people. The vast majority of young people are hardworking,
moral, and responsible individuals. Unfortunately, these worthwhile young people
receive little publicity, while the worthless ones make the headlines.
The post-war "beat" movement in America may have contributed to the problem of
juvenile delinquency. This nihilistic philosophy encouraged an attitude of
personal irresponsibility among young people, rebellion against established
authority, and the pursuit of dangerous vices such as drug and alcohol abuse.
Unfortunately, these vices were also made fashionable by a spate of plays,
films, and books. The concept of "teenagers" as a separate class of individuals
aged between 13 and 19 was a commercial invention by American businessmen. Many
families aspired to make their young people precocious and give them adult
status, as it was a status symbol in society. The businessman produced a range
of consumer goods aimed specifically at teenagers, including clothes, pop
records, and drugs, and where the restraints of home, school, and church were
inadequate, the damage was done. However, once again, only a minority of young
people were affected.
Other factors also contribute to juvenile delinquency. Young people have always
rebelled against authority, but not often with modern violence. Youthful energy
combined with overindulgence can lead to boredom, which can result in
delinquency. Young people have a sense of disillusionment with an adult society
that solves international disputes by war and holds the threat of nuclear
destruction over humanity. A modern factor that contributes to the problem is
the decline of common home activities that embrace all members of a family, such
as watching television. Feeling insecure in society and denied real adult
interest, thousands of young people have found what they lacked in gangs, often
pathetic little organizations that exist to dominate other gangs in an area or
go to war with authority, including the police. Many individual acts of
criminality have been due simply to gang pressure on the boy or girl concerned.
The problem of juvenile delinquency is a challenge to the conscience of society.
We must be careful to distinguish between the hardcore young delinquent, who has
existed in every age, and the juvenile who is the victim of the gang or of the
unfortunate circumstances of his or her background. Detention and constructive
hard labor remain the only answer to the hardcore young criminal, and physical
punishments may be a deterrent, but they are brutalizing.
Society has a responsibility to care much more for its juveniles. This care
begins in the home and involves concern, love, and interest by parents. The
school can only supplement, never replace this, and good social or sports clubs,
while desirable, are not an alternative. Religion and morals must be firmly but
kindly taught from an early age. Bad company, drink, cigarettes, and drugs must
be discouraged. Perhaps the most important factor of all is that young people
must be encouraged to find a real ambition in life and be given help to attain
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