Childhood is a time of joy and innocence for most people: for others, life turns violent and so do they. Criminal acts of young persons are referred to broadly as juvenile delinquency. In some countries delinquency includes conduct that is antisocial, dangerous, or harmful to the goals of society. The general tendency is to limit the term to activities that if carried out by an adult would be called crimes, but in the United States since the 1980s juvenile delinquents are often referred to as “youthful offenders.” The age at which juveniles legally become adults varies from country to country, but it generally ranges from 15 to 18. Clearly the problem has skyrocketed: for example, in 1990 rates of arrest in California for burglary, theft, car theft, arson and robbery were higher among juveniles than among adults.
Sociological research has established such bases for predicting delinquent behaviour as the nature of a child’s home environment, the quality of the child’s neighbourhood, and behaviour in school. It has never been conclusively proved, however, that delinquency can be either predicted or prevented. It is far likelier that delinquency is an integral part of society and probably part of the maturation process that some children go through.
