Delinquency Among Young People, Research Proposal Example

Introduction

Youth crime rates in America are the subject of research and statistical analysis. There have been studies concluded by many government agencies to determine trends. However, delinquency among young people is influenced by many factors; such as parental involvement, education and sociological background. Family structure statistics are scarce in Florida, therefore, the authors would like to compare trends and housing statistics with juvenile crime rates based on race. The current proposal also addresses the question whether this relationship is based on family conditions, age, location and sociological patterns.

Thesis

Several statistics and reports will be analyzed and compared based on states records in order to prove the thesis and reveal the reason for juvenile delinquency. The purpose of the study is to help determine the most vulnerable teenage groups that need state support and special attention to prevent them in engaging in gang crime and substance abuse and aggression. Focusing on girls in Florida, suggesting that they are more vulnerable than boys,

The authors would like to prove the thesis that:

“Conviction for juvenile delinquency among females than males in Florida.”

The research would examine parental involvement, the family structure, housing conditions, schooling and sociological background comparing the variables based on states in order to determine the difference between national and Florida statistics.

Research Data

Studies (Schroeder et al., 2010, Wardle, 2007) will be analyzed, alongside with crime and housing statistics from the Census Bureau, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Literature from previous research will also be reviewed in order to determine the right variables and research methodology. The data on housing will be provided by the Housing Characteristics Data Brief (2010) by the Data Census Bureau.

The below table shows the comparison of female juvenile offense cases based on state comparison for the year 2011. Florida is on the 3^rd place.

Sex by State, 2011

The total number of juvenile offenses in the state is 19,057,542, and this means that there are more female offenders than male ones in Florida, or they get convicted more often. This adds up 51 percent of the total juvenile crimes.

The estimated female population of 10-24 year old juveniles living in the United States is 9,736,166 compared to 9,321,376 of males. However, historical data will also be used to determine the trends and the reasons for the high rate of delinquency. Examining the conviction and reporting rates, the authors would like to investigate whether higher delinquency rates among female juveniles are the result of higher prevalence of delinquent behavior or higher reporting rates.

The Easy Access to Juvenile Court Statistics will provide historical data on detention and court proceedings. On the national scale, in 2010 out of 381.500 cases involving female offenders, 212,600 were non-petitioned. However, out of a total of 986.700 court cases involving male offenders, only 422.400 petitioned cases are present. This suggests that on the national level, there are fewer cases referred to the court involving female offenders than males, and males are more likely to be petitioned. Reviewing the 2010 statistics of Florida court cases, the authors would like to review whether delinquency of males and females is treated equally by the criminal justice system.

References:

Alfrey, C. (2010) Juvenile Delinquency and Family Structure: Implications for Marriage and Relationship Education. Web.

Census Bureau Statistics. Crime Rates by State, 2008 and 2009. Web. U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012

Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Web. <http://www.djj.state.fl.us/research/delinquency-data/delinquency-profile>

Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Brief. U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration. U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. Web.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Web. <http://www.ojjdp.gov>

Schroeder, R., Osgood, A., Oghia, M. (2010) Family Transitions and Juvenile Delinquency. Sociological Inquiry, Vol. 80, No. 4, November 2010, 579–604.

Wardle, L. (2007) The Rise Of Juvenile Delinquency. Journal Of Law & Family Studies. Vol. 10. 83-110.

Wilson, H. (1987). Parental supervision re-examined. British Journal of Criminology 27(3) (Summer):275-301

Puzzanchera, C., Sladky, A. and Kang, W. (2012). “Easy Access to Juvenile Populations: 1990-2011.” Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezapop/