Characteristics of a Juvenile Delinquent

Expert Insight

• The following conditions and behaviors increase the likelihood that a juvenile will engage in delinquent acts: child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and dropping out of school. Experts contend that the more these and other risk factors are present, the greater the likelihood of delinquent behavior.
  
  

Theories/Speculation

• Clinical profiles of juvenile delinquents suggest that they generally have poor relationships with family, peers and school.
  
  

Time Frame

• The Justice Department found that juvenile arrest rates increase with age, with the highest arrest rates occurring among juveniles between 16 and 18.
  
  

Identification

• African-American and Hispanic youths are disproportionately represented among juvenile delinquents relative to their proportions in the overall juvenile population.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Many people associate adolescent males with juvenile delinquency. However, the Justice Department found that delinquent acts by adolescent females have risen steadily. In 1998, adolescent girls accounted for one-fourth of juvenile arrests.