Juvenile Justice

As our world turns day by day, our children are seeing and learning. They do what they see when they don’t know any better, and many of them find out that spontaneous repercussions follow hand in hand. Things that they do wrong now can highly affect their abilities to become responsible adults in the future if they are left “unnoticed”.

Disciplinary actions start in the home. Unfortunately, so does the cycle of abuse. Children often associate attention with both negative and positive reinforcements. When a small toddler repeats the word “No” all the time, it is obvious that their world is sufficed around negative influence rather than positive.

Cycling away from the abuse tactics may be difficult. We want our children to mind, behave, but still be children. Redirection is one of the best ways to work with smaller children, while positive enforcement works well with adolescents. Talking, not screaming, can help your child to recognize the difference in what they have done wrong, what the consequence is for their action, and allows them to maintain an open line of communication with you the parent.

However, there is a fine line in knowing how to talk to your kids versus talking at your kids. Talking to your kids allows them to respond and to verbally assess the damage that may have been done. Talking at your kids, however, subconsciously asserts them to be quiet, respond only with body language, and notifies them that they have succeeded in receiving attention, though not the right kind.

Parents are not taught to be parents. Nor do they receive a guide on what they are supposed to do in any situation, regardless of the adversity of it. Parents should talk to their kids about smoking, drinking, and the dangers of drugs. Many of them don’t know how, and many of them would rather skip the subjects and not know. Unfortunately, it isn’t until too late that the parents begin the discussion, when their teens have already been under the influence of peer pressure and given in.

Talk with your children. Help them to understand the rules of the game of life. Be assertive and calm, but let them speak as well. The old rule of children should not speak unless spoken too no longer applies. Open communication lines with your children and let them know that you are there for them, even as busy as you may be. You may not be wonder mom or dad, but you can be the best parent you know how to be.

Criminal justice careers have many different spreads. These security specialists are the ones that help to keep the streets clear of perps, pedophiles, narcotics, and gangs. It is an important and dedicated job of the person who is involved in criminal justice to make sure that the safety and secure life we know and love stays in tact.

Special victims units, juvenile defenders, and even homicide detectives are specially trained in many different things. One thing they have in common is children and adolescents. They work to understand that these little guys not only have our undivided attention, but the ones that are criminals are properly associated with. Forensic psychologists are especially important with juveniles as they must know and continue to learn how and what these children are and why they do what they do.

One of the big things to understand is child psychology and child development. Knowing where a child is supposed to be at a certain age versus where they actually are can make a difference in a case. The world of difference between a child who has been abused and one who has not is massive, and many times these delinquents that are seen are victims along with perpetrators.

Mental disorders in children is more common than what many detectives realize before they book a juvenile. These, including pervasive development disorders, are some of the causes behind why kids are the way they are. Some children are controlled by medications, while others are controlled by intensive therapy.

Finding out who the kids are and where they come from is another key aspect. Statistics show that children from families in poverty are more apt to become registered criminals than those in higher income families. At the same time, neglect and abuse is equally found on both sides of the line. Knowing these facts of the child and their family can make the difference in how a juvenile is prosecuted, defended, and charged in general.

Keep up to date with all of the information on juveniles today. Medical research and more develop data that is increasingly provided as proof in the defense of a child. Each day, another statistic is proven, added or subtracted. It is up to the criminal justice officer to make sure they are knowledgeable of all the facts first.

As a juvenile delinquent, some kids are aware of what they are doing, while others belong in a different class. These children and teens are classified by certain mental and social disorders. It is important for all officers to understand the psychiatric dysfunction that can appear in children from the time they are counted as juveniles, no matter what the crime is.

Even probation officer requirements include the study of some psychiatric development in humans. Children who have been properly diagnosed can be easier to spot. However, there are some that can be hard to find, exclude, or even notice. Children who are abused show significant signs of the abuse, especially if it has been a long time of their lives. Though the signs may not be physical, signs in abuse victims are hyperactivity, physical and verbal violence towards others, and even self inflicted “accidents.” Younger children can be difficult to work with because they are not able to properly tell someone what is going on.

Other children can show signs of social or mental disorders that have nothing to do with abuse from the home. Schizophrenia, though stemmed in six different categories, is not always easy to spot. Some children are pathological liars, going to the point that they believe the lies that they are telling to be as completely true as snow is white when it falls. Anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders can lead to a dysfunction in routine, along with leading to serious offenses due to lack of nutrition in one’s diet.

Some social disorders develop at such an early age that there is no control over them. These would include autism and social learning disabilities. ADD and ADHD are two other social cognitive disorders, making these children act out their aggression due to inability to express feelings in societal appropriate manner. Children with these cognitive disorders tend to look for acceptance, and many times, crime is what finds them and accepts them as they are.

Keeping in check with updated versions of medications, findings on medical disorders, and regular updated training can help all officers who work in this field. Questions for psychiatrists from officers can help to understand these disorders more, and student questions can help to develop a better ruling of how to prosecute juvenile delinquents.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is becoming one of the most common juvenile disorders there are. But when a child or teen commits a crime, is it right to use this disorder as their defense?

With ADHD, many things have to be considered. Prescriptions that the juvenile has been given is the biggest one. Because these prescriptions contain a form of methamphetamine, juveniles have the distinct issue of being “lost” or “unaware” of their actions. However, some juveniles who have been on the medications for so long become addicted, and literally cannot function without them. these include all forms of Ritalin, Adderal, and Welbutrin.

Is it really ADHD? The truth behind this is that there is no actual test for ADHD. When the disorder was discovered, it was merely a setback in the pediatric world. Doctors, psychiatrists, and pharmacy technicians did not have a way to really diagnose this disorder or its close cousin, ADD. To this day, a diagnose is a result of questioning the parents and visually observing the child in action.  Once a child ranks at a certain amount amongst other children their age in attention, disruption, and other factors, they are then diagnosed.

So is ADHD a legitimate excuse to get out of a crime? The answer is behind the juvenile’s eyes, not what a doctor has to say. Many of these kids have the ability to distinguish right from wrong, and know what they are doing when they do it. Many times, they just want to be part of something, and if committing a crime is part of the “in crowd,” then so be it for them.

The decision on whether or not a juvenile with a mental disorder is a criminal will be solely up to the ones who arrest him or her, and the judge that stands at their trial.