Gang Resistance Education and Training, Research Paper Example

Juvenile delinquency has many diverse causes, ranging from a lack of support at home to the need to fit in with one’s friends. However, it is important to consider that juvenile crime differs significantly from crimes committed adults because young members of society often do not fully understand the consequences of their actions. Therefore, many community organizations have been established to bring this understanding to juveniles before they begin to engage in criminal activity. Increasing the prevalence of community organizations that provide juveniles with educational programs and resources to supplement what they are given at home could reasonably contribute to a reduction in the juvenile crime rate.

Many features including income, gender, academic success, and parental upbringing contribute to the risk that juveniles will become engaged in criminal activity (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). While researchers have gained some understanding with regards to the factors that predispose some youth for this type of behavior, it is challenging to predict which individuals will or will not engage in juvenile delinquency. Therefore, it is important to address the problems that are associated with early involvement of crime at the community level. Schools and local police agencies can work with community members in a manner that will help juveniles understand alternatives to crime and what resources are available to them if they find that they need support to make the correct decisions.

One of the most reasonable interventions that schools and police agencies could provide is knowledge concerning the ability of an individual to make choices with regards to their actions. Many individuals in low income neighborhoods feel pressured to join gangs or engage in other forms of delinquent behavior because they are encouraged to act certain ways by their friends (GREAT, n.d.). Thus, it would be beneficial to offer programs to young students to help them recognize when they are being subject to peer pressure and provide them with information to help them say no to participating in criminal activities. Currently, there are many programs of this sort available, such as D.A.R.E, which helps young children say no to drugs, and the G.R.E.A.T. program, which encourages gang resistance (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). If interventions are offered to children at an early age, they will be better equipped with the tools they need to make informed decisions regarding who their friends are and how to reject their invitations to become involved in delinquent behavior.

Providing children with the tools needed to reject becoming involved in delinquent behavior is a beneficial solution because peer pressure is often a factor in juvenile delinquency. Thus, it is our social responsibility to provide juveniles with help to avoid the negative influences that could contribute to their criminal involvement. It is challenging to help juveniles understand how they can make their own decisions and still retain the respect of their peers. Thus, increasing juvenile involvement in programs such as D.A.R.E. and G.R.E.A.T. will allow them to consider what they should do if they are asked to try drugs or join a gang before they are faced with this problem. Already having an answer in mind will allow these individuals to take immediate action and avoid succumbing to peer pressure. Ultimately, it is difficult to change the risk factors that many young children face, but it is possible to help them change their reactions in a manner that will help keep them safe and away from crime.

References

Great. (n.d.). Gang Resistance Education and Training. Retrieved from https://www.great-online.org/

Siegel, L.J., Welsh, B.C. (2014). Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. Wadsworth Publishing.