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Rationale

The researcher has number of friends who are members of the community. This researcher led to

researcher spending some time in the community. During this time, the researcher became aware of

young teens have a lot of issue of juveniles delinquency through observation. The researcher has

observed over many years a number of young teens becoming involved in many negative and anti

social activities. This has motivate the researcher to investigate some of the causes, effects of

juvenile delinquency to this social matter.

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STASTASTASTATETETETEMENT OF THE PROBLEMMENT OF THE PROBLEMMENT OF THE PROBLEMMENT OF THE PROBLEM

What are the main causes of effect of juvenile delinquency in the community of East Wood

Park, St Andrew?

Research Questions:

1. What are the main causes of juvenile delinquency in our community?

2. How does Juvenile Delinquency affect the development of young people in society?

3. What are some of the common problems faced by young delinquents?

4. How can the problems that are associated with Juvenile delinquency be minimized?

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METHOD OF DATA COLLECTIONMETHOD OF DATA COLLECTIONMETHOD OF DATA COLLECTIONMETHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

The method used by the researcher to collect data for the research printed questionnaires.

The questionnaire as a tool for collecting data has a number of advantages:

� It requires little time to be completed

� It guarantees confidentiality since correspondents are not required to attach their name

� It can be done at the convenience of the persons required to have it completed

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NSTRUMENTNSTRUMENTNSTRUMENTNSTRUMENT USED TO COLLECT DATAUSED TO COLLECT DATAUSED TO COLLECT DATAUSED TO COLLECT DATA

QUESTIONAIRE

Note to respondents: The researcher is a student of quality academics conducting a research on

the causes and effects of juvenile delinquency in the community of East Wood Park. Your

participation is required for the successful Completion of this study, you are not required to write

your name and information you provide will be held in confidence. Place a tick beside a response

of your choice.

1. Gender:

Male Female

2. To what age group do you belong?

Under 9 years old

9-12 years old

13-15 years old

16-17 years old

Over 18 years old

3. What do you think is juvenile delinquency?

An individual who takes part in delinquent acts

A person with bad deportment who uses obscene language

One who turn away from his/her parents

A juvenile, which follow friends in negative activities

4. Is your community active with juvenile delinquency?

Yes

No

5. Have you ever been involved in juvenile delinquency?

Yes

No

Once

Regular

6. What are the significant effects of juvenile delinquency on youths in the community?

High level of truancy

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Early involvement to sexual activities

Vandalism of property

Trouble with the law

7. Which of the following activities does juveniles in the community mostly engage in?

Drug abuse

Stealing

Gambling

Sexual permissiveness

8. What are the most prevalent acts of delinquency displayed in your community?

Smoking/Alcohol

Robbery/ Stealing

Sex explicit acts

Gambling

9. How often do these various delinquent acts take place?

Every day

Every week

Five times per week

Ten times per week

10.Where are the possible places that juvenile delinquency occurs the most?

On the street

In the home

At school

At parties

11. Has anyone ever pressured you to participate in juvenile crime and violence?

Yes

No

12. If yes, by whom where you pressured?

School friends

Boy friend (s)

Girl friend (s)

A family relative

13. What do you think are the causes for juvenile delinquency?

Lack of love and support in the home

Physical abuse

Poverty

Peer Pressure

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14. What do you think is the most likely consequences of juvenile delinquency?

Jail time

Community service

School drop out

Proved school

15. What do you think can be done to reduce juvenile delinquency?

Increase community based activities

Counseling sessions in school

Education programs to help build self-esteem

Disciplinary programs for children with bad deportment

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PROCEDURES USED TO COLLECT DATAPROCEDURES USED TO COLLECT DATAPROCEDURES USED TO COLLECT DATAPROCEDURES USED TO COLLECT DATA

37 East Wood Range has approximately 130 households. It was calculated that a sample of 20%

was necessary in order to ensure accurate conclusions on the views of juvenile delinquency in

the area. (20% of 130=26)

35 questionnaires were prepared and handed out to the residents of the community.

It was expected that at least 26 of these would be returned. I therefore decided to choose the

households by a process of random selection, which will cater for all the requirements mentioned

above. I then wrote numbers of all houses in the community each on a slip of paper. Each slip of

paper was folded and placed into a box. A total of 35 slips were then drawn from the box, the

selected households were then issued with questionnaires and completed within one week. A

total of 26 questionnaires were handed back to the researcher. The questionnaire was distributed

to the young people in the community from age group 9- 17 years at approximately 12:00 am

midday. The researcher therefore received the questionnaires by collecting them at the end of the

day when all the respondents have finished answering them.

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PRESENTATION OFPRESENTATION OFPRESENTATION OFPRESENTATION OF DATADATADATADATA

FIGURE One: Pie chart showing the most prevalent acts of delinquency displayed in your

community.

According to the information shown in the diagram above forty percent 40% of this pie chart

indicated that the most prevalent acts of delinquency is robbery and stealing, thirty percent 30%

of sex explicit acts among youths in the community. While twenty percent 20% respond to

gambling and ten percent 10% stated that smoking and alcohol are the lowest responds.

10%

40%

30%

20%

Smoking and Alcohol

Robbery and Stealing

Sex explicit acts

Gambling

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Figure Two: Colum Chart showing the possible places that juvenile delinquency occurs the

most

According to the information shown in the diagram above forty percent 40% on the street

activities in the community was the possible place while thirty percent 30% indicated that in the

home occurs for juvenile. Twenty five percent 25% indicated that at school and five percent 5%

stated that at parties was the lowest responds.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

On the street In the home At school At parties

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Figure three: Table showing the person(s) that places the most pressure on juveniles to

engage in negative activities

TYPE OF RESPONSE NUMBER OF RESPONSE PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONSE

School friends 8 45

Boyfriend 3 15

Girl Friend 1 5

Relative 7 35

TOTAL 30 100

According to the table shown above forty percent 40% stated that delinquents mostly engage in

school friends, while thirty five percent 35% in their relative. Fifteen percent 15% stated

delinquents mostly engaged in boyfriend in the community. And five percent 5% got involved in

girl friend.

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According to the pie chart shown above thirty five percent 35% stated that the most

consequences of juvenile delinquency in the community is jail time, while another thirty five

percent 35% stated is community service. Twenty percent 20% indicated that school drop out are

likely consequences of juvenile delinquency. The remaining portion of the sample, ten percent

10% stated that proved schools were the most consequences of juvenile delinquency.

35%

35%

20%

10%

Figure Four: Piechart showing the most likely

consequences of juvenile delinquency in the community.

Jail time

Community Service

School drop out

Proved Schools

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Figure Five: Bar chart showing the main causes for juvenile delinquency.

According to the graph shown above forty percent 40% indicated that lack of love and support in

the home is the best solution for juvenile delinquency in the community, while thirty percent

30% stated that peer pressure would also be a good solution. Fifteen percent 15% indicated that

poverty is the best solution to decrease juvenile delinquency and another fifteen percent 15%

stated that physical abuse would be a solution for juvenile delinquency.

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Lack of love and support in the home

Physical Abuse

Poverty

Peer Pressure

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IIIINTERPRETATION OF DATANTERPRETATION OF DATANTERPRETATION OF DATANTERPRETATION OF DATA

There was unanimous agreement by the residents of East Wood Park, St Andrew that juvenile

Delinquency is prevalent in the community. Juvenile Delinquency is a major problem in the

Community as residents find that the young people of the area are not progressing and at the

Same time contribute to serious problems and threat, which in turn alter the development of

The community as well as young people themselves. It can be seen that all 35 respondents who

Participated in answering the questionnaire range from the age of nine up to eighteen years.

The age group under nine resulted to, From age shows, resulted to years shows. Out of the 35

Respondents who participated in answering the questionnaire.

In the researcher’s opinion, juvenile delinquency is a problem that affects the

community for many reasons. Firstly, it contributes to the increasing of Robbery, stealing and

the crime rate as the juveniles are usually involved in the school gangs and other criminal

activities which have lead to increase the levels of crime and violence in the community.

Secondly, juvenile delinquents are poor role models to the younger ones of the community.

This is because they glamorize negative behavior in the eyes of other young people.

Some of the main causes of Juvenile delinquency are lack of love and support in the home. This

is a situation where the Parent/guardian is not taking care of them or does not take an active

role in the raising of their Child/children.

Peer pressure is also a major impact because some youths force their Counterpart to engage

in negative activities, such as robbery, smoking, and physical abuse.

Some of the common problems that the community faces by the young delinquents are

Opposed to robbery and stealing. Many of the children today are pressured or influenced by

Their peer to engage in negative and wrong activities. Is another major problem that affects

many children which causes them to turn to the streets and portray nonchalant behavior.

Poverty, which allotted to is another problem why many children become delinquents. Many

parents may not be able to support their children respectively and this may cause many of

them to turn to stealing for materials things such clothes, jewelry and money. Lack of love and

support in homes is the major problem why there are many juveniles today. Many parents

today do not show their children any love and many times, they are not around to support and

guide them in their footsteps. There fore these are some of the main causes why juvenile

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delinquency is very prominent in society today. Juvenile delinquency usually attract wrong

norms of attention to other citizen of their unlawful norms and peer pressure from their friend

who are engaged in many activities to force them to do unnecessary things.

Juvenile delinquents are affected by poverty they may be socialized with others but they force

to do things on their own for example gambling and stealing.

Our country needs to cut down and children engaging in activity unfortunately subsets consist

of a general life of peer group in our country.

It has been proven that a certain number of juvenile delinquents have been products of

economically challenged households.

This makes the young juvenile predisposed to finding alternate sources of income and wages to

improve their ways of lifestyles.

Such circumstances may drive them into acts that are harmful such as robbing among other

criminal activities.

In the researcher’s opinion one of the main effects of juvenile to become delinquent,

is the level of crime among themselves in the community. Most of these young teens impede

themselves from attending school and having their selves on the street or in the community

engaging into harmful activities, while this is happening majority of these juveniles family is not

aware of what is happening so the juveniles get away with whatever is being done. Early

exposure to physical abuse activities is another main effect of juvenile delinquency as juvenile

becomes abuse and feel lonely so that they stray away at a very tender age and because of this

it allows their mind to have a more serious thinking towards certain things.

Harmful property in the researcher’s opinion would be the main effects of juvenile

delinquency in some cases. For instance, if the juvenile’s home was destroyed and having the

juvenile and his family nowhere to go the juvenile will therefore turn to negative activities

within or out of the community Trouble with the law was another main effect of juvenile

delinquency in the community as teens may have been engaging in activities such as robbing,

gambling and even smoking in their community and having a bad reputation on themselves and

maybe their family members.

After the researcher found out that, the best solution of juvenile delinquency in the community

was to show lack of love and support In the home.

This would let them feel as if they are wanted and not left out, if there is a problem that needs

to be addressed, without involved in anything guardians can sit and talk to these juveniles to let

them know what they did was discourteous.

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If parents are not present in this essential time of these juveniles life, another solution may be

offering counseling sessions in the community. Even if the parent is

present, most of the time teens wish not to communicate to their parents about certain things

so a guidance counselor within the community would have a great impact on these juveniles

way of living.

Doing proper role models in a community would be a good solution of juvenile

delinquency, as these teens would have an individual or members whom they can call their

role models and most definitely someone to look up to and socialize with about several matters

that they are having with.

For instance, if a juvenile is thinking about being abuse by drugs, if he sees his role model not

missing one day of school the thought of committing crime would withdraw from there

thoughts.

In the researcher’s best opinion, the best solution for juveniles delinquency is to create

recreational activities for young teens in the community. This would

definitely motivate these teens from engaging into negative activities within the community.

The community committee can come about several activities such as, youth club, sports day

and fair linking to a particular church in the community. Juveniles have a mind of their own

although they need to face the real way in society they cannot face it by themselves. Parents

need to play a vital role in their life of living juveniles need to have someone to show them

right from wrong when they make mistakes so that they do not make those wrong moves

again. The most crucial stage in an individual’s life is adolescent, and they will have to go

through a lot of struggling that they will have to face by their selves but cannot continue if they

don’t know which route to take and without a parent in a juvenile’s life, there is nothing more

Than involved in negative activities in our community and in society.

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STATEMENT OF STATEMENT OF STATEMENT OF STATEMENT OF FINDINGSFINDINGSFINDINGSFINDINGS

The researcher conducted has revealed a number of statements with regard to how prevalent

Juvenile Delinquency is in East Wood Park community. These include:

1. The most prevalent acts of delinquency displayed in the community is robbery and

stealing see figure 1.

2. The main cause for juvenile delinquency in the community is lack of love and support in

the home see figure 5.

3. The most likely consequences of juvenile delinquency in the community is jail time and

community service see figure 4.

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RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS

The researcher would like to make the following recommendations based on the finding

gathered in the research.

Firstly, the researcher recommend that importance of maintaining a good community

with disciplined teenagers cannot be overestimated, however the problem should be carefully

addressed. In order to maintain a healthy environment in East Wood Park St. Andrew. The

government, parents as well as the residents will have to contribute in playing their parts to

alleviate the many problems experience by the community.

One of the most important recommendations is to implement a program of educating parents

so that they will be aware about how they should go about in dealing with their children on a

daily basis. Many of the problems today are resulted from lack of education and with this

situation, which are face by concerned residents of the community educating the victims is

important as it will aid to facilitate self-development. Implementing a good, education system

will help to alleviate many of the problems associated with juvenile delinquency. Family

intervention is important as this will contribute to vital success and development, Some of

these steps are trust and willingness to help each other, targeting the needs and changes of

parents as well as those of the youths and identifying the vulnerabilities of youth such as school

failure or constant interpersonal conflict, and implementing topics and activities that address

these difficulties, such as conflict- resolution and anger management.

The government can put programs in place that will minimize the problems that are associated

with the activities of juvenile delinquency. These may include:

� Educational Awareness Seminars.

� Providing opportunities that will help them to contribute to their communities.

� Creating a forum for all ideas to heard and respected.

� Promoting long- term and short-term goals for change, both during and after the

program.

Secondly, the researcher recommended that members of the community could further play

their part by helping to govern many children. Many adults can make it their duty to help these

children when they see them on the street engaging in certain activities by giving them advice

to help motivate them and build their self-esteem. The local government can also build more

education

The findings show that juvenile delinquency is one of the most detrimental problems that the

community faced. It was also revealed that many of the children who are delinquents are

pressured by their friends or their peer to participate in wrongful acts. It was also revealed that

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many of the children who are juvenile delinquents stop attending secondary school between

the age group of fifteen to seventeen.

Many of the children that are school drop do not get the opportunity to attend school again.

The local government can therefore build more education facility such as HEART N.T.A trust to

help these young people to go back to school and learn a skill or trade.

In order to solve this problem I would do the following:

• Set examples by encouraging my peer to engage in positive activities and create youth

clubs in the community.

• Invite members of the community to contribute in keeping treats for the children to give

back to the children, because they are the future.

• Talk to my local government representative on the possibility of introducing laws to

make all delinquent acts an offense.

• Write letters to the editor of the newspaper concerning this issue.

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APPENDIXAPPENDIXAPPENDIXAPPENDIX

Pictures of Juvenile Delinquency

A small boy drinking alcohol A group of children defacing a property

Two boys engaging in smoking

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A group of children gambling on the street

A scene portraying robbery by some teenagers

A tool used to deface

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BIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.filthylucre.com/what-causes-juvenile-delinquency

CXC Social Studies Essentials, by Mervyn C. Sandy and Stephenson C. Grayson

Htt://www.filthucre.com/what-is-juvenile-delinquency

Htt://www.filthlucre.com/how-does-peerpressure-juvenile-delinquency