Many theories concerning the causes of juvenile delinquency crimes committed by young people focus either on the individual or on society as the major contributing influence. Theories 16 on the individual suggest that children engage in criminal behavior 17 they were not sufficiently penalized for previous misdeeds or that they have learned criminal behavior through 18 with others. Theories focusing on the role of society suggest that children commit crimes in 19 to their failure to rise above their socioeconomic status 20 as a rejection of middleclass values.
Most theories of juvenile delinquency have focused on children from disadvantaged families, 21 the fact that children from wealthy homes also commit crimes. The latter may commit crimes 22 lack of adequate parental control. All theories, however, are tentative and are 23 to criticism.
Changes in the social structure may indirectly 24 juvenile crime rates. For example, changes in the economy that 25 to fewer job opportunities for youth and rising unemployment 26 make gainful employment increasingly difficult to obtain. The resulting discontent may in 27 lead more youths into criminal behavior.
Families have also 28 changes these years. More families consist of oneparent households or two working parents; 29, children are likely to have less supervision at home, 30 was common in the traditional family 31. This lack of parental supervision is thought to be an influence on juvenile crime rates. Other 32 causes of offensive acts include frustration or failure in school, the increased 33 of drugs and alcohol, and the growing 34 of child abuse and child neglect. All these conditions tend to increase the probability of a child committing a criminal act, 35 a direct causal relationship has not yet been established.
