Youth Crime is on The Rise

Introduction

Across the world this has been the major issue, rising rate of youth crime. Over the past decades in the United States, there have been reports about the growing problems with youth engaging in crime in large cities. In the outer and the inner cities, the rate of youth crime has also been increasing due to various reasons. Youth crime in the U.S has become an almost everyday occurrence. Recently, it has been reported that about two million American youths commit a crime annually. This issue has become a matter of intense discussion as to what promotes the rise of youth crime despitethe presence of laws and measures to prevent youth crime. Youth crime has become an issue of developing social most concern, both of its quantitative growth, for their growing qualitative danger. Youth crime is a feature of the societies that have attained a particular level of prosperity. The issue of crime is very complex. Obviously, it is clear that youth crime is on the rise in the United States.

Today, youth crime is getting worse. A quarter of the individuals aged 11 to 16 admits having committed a crime in the past year (Pound, 2018). A growing percentage of the youth confesses that they have engaged in crimes across the board, incorporating assault, shoplifting, vandalism, handling stolen goods and so on. This finding is a big blow for security personnel fighting against youth crime. According to a survey conducted by the Youth Justice Board (2015), it was found that at least the percentage of youths committing a crime in the form of assault, vandalism and handling stolen goods have increased. Most youth in the study confirmed that they had been victims of thefts of mobile phones. However, there are many crimes committed by the youths that go unreported for various reasons. Some youths fear of reporting offense due to fear of the police, but even with the absence of unreported criminal cases, youth crime is still on the rise. In 2017, approximately 50,000 youths age 17 and below reported to be held in the juvenile prisons or other confinement facilities in the U.S (Pound, 2018)

Youth Gangs

The number of youth gang members hasovergrown. According to a 2015 study conducted by Houston State University, that more than one million youth members have engaged in criminal activities through gang groups. The gang membership was estimated to be between 5 and 17 years in the U.S. It means that group of youths taken as deviant youth groups has increasingly become present in the U.S. Initially, the number of deviant youth groups did not exist in such a large number in America until the 21st century due to media violence. Gangs rove into the lives of the youthsover the mass media. Today, the mass media plays significant role in making youth gangs, where the youth learn things and practice what they see. The media, which praises gang behavior increases the likelihood of youths' interest in crime. Indeed, by viewing the mass media representations of gang associate character, some youth learn of unlawful means to get money. They absorb how to execute someone. They learn howshooting appears, how it is performed and how to run away from police without getting caught possibly. Recently, a sixteen-year old from Midlands was detained for purportedly firing two youths, slaying a 14-year old boy over a video game console (Gaither, 2018). The boy, Marquise Cromer was charged with attempted murder and possession of firearms. Cromer had prepared to buy a gaming stuffwhen a short fight arose when he tried to raid the youngsters. In another case, three teens were charged with shooting a 15-year old boy in Rock Hill, South Carolina (Suskin, 2018). The three youths tried to rob the 15-year old boy marijuana. These cases inform how the gangshave contributed to high crime in America.

Causes: why youth involve in crime(gangs)

Parents

According to the U.S Justice Department, the high violence among the youths has contributed to crime increase. Gun violence and gangs have added to the rise in crime in the U.S in the recent years. Today, most youths lack strong moral guidance from the parents, which makes them engage in crime. Parents are too busy with their work, thus they have little time to talk to their children. Youths are still in their developing stage, and they learn right from wrong by following adult examples throughout their life (Pyrooz & Sweeten. 2015). When parents are not available in their family, the youths lack moral guidance, which is critical to their growth. Furthermore, today, parents have a tendency not to acknowledge what is happening on with their children. When their work pressures multiply, they unintentionally abuse their children to release the stress. This has a negative effect on children life, especially the way he or she acts on a daily basis. In fact, a youth may suffer from moral poverty, which can follow their character into adulthood. If a child or a teen is not educated during the formative years of growth to show the moral actions, it is possible for him or her turn to crime because the act does not seem immoral or wrong. The American society is marked by parents who are too busy with their work (Pyrooz & Sweeten, 2015). Essentially, the teens or the youths are left under the guidance of the mass media. The mass media embraces the culture, which represent violence as an ordinary act. They are unable to make the moral difference between wrong and right.In fact, most youths have turned to playing video games regularly, which is basically utilized as a good way to have fun and relax. However, they becomeaddicted to video games. A lot of video games attract the child attention by violent graphics or even sex scenes. The impacts over time obsess the child to the extent of utilizing them sooner or later. So, it goes without saying that parents play a critical function in shaping a child personality. It is possible for a child to seek attention from peers when parents fails the oversight role.

Guns

The increased presence of guns has played a critical role in intensifying the number of crimes committed by the youths. Each year, at least 20, 000 children and youth below the age of 20 are murdered or hurt by weapons in America. The ability of the guns to cause death and their availability to the youths are the primary reasons guns are the second primary cause of death among the youths (Pound, 2018). Suicides account for approximately a third of all youth gun deaths and accidentalfirings for approximately 7% of those deaths. It is estimated that the youths residing in urban areas are at great risk for gun homicide because of the accessibility of firearms. In 2016, Las Vegas was hit by the deadliest youth gun violence. In this case, at least 50 rounds were unloaded into the air as knives were used by the youth and a large group of youth slashed and shot at each other (Bertolaccini, 2016). As a result, a young girl aged 15 years, Angelo Barboza died. Youths carry guns to school daily without being identified. According to Pew Research study 2015, nearly one in four high school students carry weapons such as a knife or gun (Pyrooz & Sweeten, 2015). Any form of weapon carrying among the youth is linked to an increased risk of crime. In fact, studies show that many students carry guns as weapons than other types of weapons in the U.S. It is estimated that around 16% of students carry guns in America, while 4% carry other types of weapons. Carrying guns in school have contributed to school shootings, which has become a major news event in the U.S. In fact, the number of school shootings has apparently increased in recent years from 58 in 2014, 76 in 2015, 234 in 2016, 317 in 2017, and 17 as per March 2018 alone (Wilcox, 2018). These statistics prove that youth crime is on the rise in America. The access to guns among the youth was connected with these shootings. The possession of guns plays a big causal in the crime of the youth and is playing a critical role in the crimes which the youth commit.

Substance Abuse

Over the years, there have been increasing cases of substance abuse among the youth in America. Substance abuse has played a major role in increasing youth crime. It is estimated that 80% of youth incarceration in the U.S is as a result of alcohol and substance abuse. According to the American Juvenile Justice System, four or every five teensarrested in the U.S are under the stimulus of alcohol or substance while committing their crimes, are arrested for committing alcohol or substance offense (Wilcox, 2018). In 2015 alone, 1.9 million of 2.4 million youth arrests had drug abuse and addiction engagement. Indeed, it is estimated that each year, at least 600,000 students between 18-24 years are assaulted by other students who are victims of alcohol (Wilcox, 2018). The facts that substance abuse in America is still high facilitate the growth of youth crime. Most youths who abuse drugs cannot control themselves and participate in crime without having sober minds. The result is that they find themselves behind bars while others go unnoticed. At home, parents do not recognize the behavior of their children because they are too busy with their work. The NCADD acknowledges the acute linkage between substance abuse and alcohol in the U.S, but the problem is still escalating (Wilcox, 2018).

Conclusion

As the youth meet new people on daily basis, they create relationships with other peers and possibly makes friends. These friends will have a good or a bad influence on them. They are very sensitive, and they are not fully aware of the difference between wrong and right. It is the time most youth developsa personality. The family life and the media can shape the youth’s life either positively or negatively. Parental negligence and exposure to violence is the primary reason for the youth to engage in crime such as sexual assaults, theft, school shooting and so on. Substance abuse is also a contributing factor of youth committing a crime. Parents have a responsibility to guide their youths and minimize all possible negative influence on their youth. It is important that parents are there to restrain their youths exposure to violence or life that may generate crimes. Unless measures are taken to prevent youth crime, the situation is getting worse. The government needs to increase the punishments for habitual youth offenders. The government should also ban the violent media which is not good for youth. They should take help of the same media to decrase the youth crime.