At Risk Students And Juvenile Offenders

Statistics show that juveniles are responsible for a large portion of violent crimes. They commit one-third of all burglaries and commit one in seven of all homicides. Juvenile crime has increased across the board. Many juvenile offenders who are arrested stop committing crimes and do not go on to become repeat offenders but in the past 10 years there has been a large increase in repeat offenders in the juvenile category. There is a large group of juveniles that are not deterred by the thought of punishment. Many states have lowered the age at which a juvenile can be charged with a violent crime.
In most cases juvenile courts attempt to rehabilitate juvenile offenders rather than punish them. Juveniles rarely get long prison terms; they are also given special treatment by having their name kept from the public.
What is Probation?
Usually the first step with a first time juvenile offender is to offer probation. Probation involves a sentence in which an offender remains in the community under the supervision of a probation officer for a specific amount of time. Probation is the sentence that most judges apply for juvenile offenders. During probation, restrictions are set and the offenders are ordered to obey laws, obey their parents and attend school. Many times, restitution, or a repayment to the victim is required. Two-thirds of the juveniles in the court system are currently on some measure of probation.
Pre-Delinquent Behavior
A parent should be aware that pre-delinquent behavior is often a precursor of juvenile tendencies. This is behavior that often leads to breaking the law. While there is no single cause of delinquent behavior, there are certain risk factors that place young people at risk for becoming a juvenile delinquent. The following factors should be a cause for concern if a parent finds a child experiencing life with these factors present.
Having family members with a criminal record contributes greatly to young people getting involved in a life of crime. Younger family members learn that it is acceptable to be involved with criminal activity by modeling themselves after the older family members.
Failing in school is also a red flag for parents. Students who fail in school or who drop out are very high risk for getting involved in violence. Part of this stems from having too much idle time while the other factor involves the fact of the failure causes them to have a negative self-esteem and a poor self-worth.
Another indicator is when a juvenile seems to lack empathy. Empathy is the ability to share in another’s emotions or feelings. Juvenile offenders often lack the ability to see a situation the way another person sees it. For example a juvenile offender may not understand how vandalism hurts the victim.
Changing the behavior of a juvenile offender often takes intense effort and not giving up. For many offenders, the behavior must be taught. Sometimes they must learn the basic difference between what is right and wrong. They may also need to learn ways to avoid peer pressure and how to say no. It is during this crucial time that parents may need to seek outside help. Counselors, pastors, and school teachers are often great resources for young people. Parents should never hesitate to ask for guidance when dealing with at-risk kids.
Ten ways to change behavior in at-risk kids
improve family relationships
spend time with other trusted adults
ask trusted adults for feedback
work to improve self-esteem
choose friends who obey laws
make repayment for wrong actions
become involved in school activities
develop job-related skills
volunteer in the community
join a support group
Where to Go For Help
Programs that help at-risk kids the most are the ones designed to teach specific skills or change behavior. These programs help train offenders and help them deal with anger and conflict. One successful program is Young Juvenile Offender Program (YOGI). This program offers several types of help from social skills training to anger management. Only 15 percent of the students who graduated from this program re-offended. This is in direct contrast to 40 percent of juveniles who did not attend and reoffended.
Some other support groups are available in different states, Al-Anon, National Domestic Hotline, and other support groups are listed in the local phone book.

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