Delinquent behavior has become an increasing problem today. Many parents need to work to make a living for their children, and often times these children are left to take care of themselves if only for a few hours. After school programs and other similar situations have been developed to give children something to do and somewhere to go, but this behavior still remains a problem. So, how can society deal with delinquent behavior?

Most state and federal statutes expunge the records of juveniles once age 17 or 18 is reached (1). The justification for this action is that it allows young men and women who have been guilty of committing crimes to enter into adulthood without the stigma of a criminal record.

As a social problem, delinquency is related to adolescence. Society often labels children as delinquents, thus making them feel they are a part of a specific group, one that is considered to be untrusted. In the past, children were expected to perform certain tasks that were specific to family life. In the early 19th century, as Western societies prolonged childhood dependency, the expected age of independence was postponed. Through the second half of the 19th century and into the 20th century, problems specific to this postponement emerged.

It was from the problems the question was asked can society deal with delinquent behavior? Attempt was made early on to hide these problems. For example, a 16-year-old girl who become pregnant was rushed into marriage, and the entire incident was kept quiet. Young boys who skipped school were simply told this was not appropriate behavior and to not do it again.

A 1995 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice noted that the murder rate for adult offenders had risen 9 percent between 1983 and 1992, while the same rate among juvenile offenders had jumped 128 percent. During this time, jovial arrests for aggravated assault had gone up 100 percent. (2)

According to a 1991 survey juveniles between the ages of 12 and 18 were held responsible for approximately 28 percent of all personal crimes. These included: rape, robbery, aggravated assault and theft from a person. These high numbers definitely signify a problem that needs to be resolved.

No matter the time period, delinquency is often tied to poverty, but as history has shown us, this is not always the case. In earlier times, most delinquent situations were a result of children who had nothing better to do than be out on the streets. Since nothing was expected of them, they did what they pleased. There is, however, an important aspect of delinquency that was somehow missed along the way. Privileged children began taking part in bad behavior simply because they could. Since they were not expected to conduct such acts, they were not even viewed as possible suspects in various crimes. They were also not watched as closely because they were expected to take part in main positive activities. Unlike their impoverished counterparts, they were seen as the good children, the ones who would never do such things. Sometimes even the impoverished children were blamed for actions taken by those who were privileged and were forced to suffer the punishment instead.

Society definitely distinguishes the difference between the rich and poor even today. The truth about delinquency is children from all walks of life can and do take part in it. It should not be tied to a specific class, area or social status, and instead, the real problem should be addressed. Why have these children become delinquent?

The question of whether or not society can deal with delinquent behavior should not be a difficult one to answer. It just means that certain measures need to be put in place. Parents need to know where their children are as much as possible, and school officials need to talk to parents about their children skipping class and bad behavior instead of just making a phone call or sending home a note to be signed by the parents. It's time to get back to the basics of family dynamics. If parents gave their children more responsibility at home, and put in place a system that would require them to own up to it, these children would be spending more time there instead of out looking for something to do. For society, the question of whether delinquent behavior can be dealt with begins in the home with the family.

Divorce has played an important role in the delinquency of children. The absence of two parents in a household means that the single parent who has custody must work in order to make a living for the entire family. This also means children are left at home alone more often than if there were two parents in the home. This is also the case with parents who have joint custody of their children.

The question of how this problem can be rectified is not an easy one. Before an answer can be found, the problem must first be detected. To do this, parents will need to begin looking at the behavior of their children and monitoring more closely where they are and what they are doing. Often times, children who are delinquent grow up to be adults who are still criminals. That is why the problem should be taken care of when the children are young so that first time offenders will have a better chance of never committing a crime again. Because their records are expunged, they are given the opportunity to live their lives crime free without any trace of what they were held responsible for as children. If parents are able to take a more active role in their children's' lives, perhaps they will be better able to identify the problems and take care of them before they occur. The need for more affordable after school programs is great, which will also serve to cut down on the number of crimes taking place because more children will be occupied with other activities and will not be out on the streets with so much time on their hands.

REFERENCES
1. Funk 1996, Pg 887
2. Cato Journal, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Spring / Summer 1998)