The rate at which juvenile crimes are being committed in the United States has dropped significantly in the last decade. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement, as a spike in juvenile delinquency has been noted in the last two years. If you are a parent, or even just a responsible teenager that wants to remain in the know, here’s a list of crimes that American youths are found to be guilty of.
Vandalism
By definition, vandalism is any act that is involved either directly or indirectly with damaging, disfiguring, changing or even littering at a public place, or a private property which does not belong to the offenders. Offensive graffiti is the most common act of vandalism, followed by deliberate assaults on public property.
Vandalism is often considered to be a gateway crime by criminal psychologists, because it enables the offender’s more severe criminal instincts. Vandalism acts as a way for the offender to get past the mental barriers we all have about breaking the law and committing crimes.
Assault & Battery
Both teenage boys and girls are guilty of being engaged in multiple cases of minor to severe fights. Assault is when someone is physically threatened, with serious intention of making true on that threat. Assault and battery is a more severe crime where the assaulting party causes physical harm to the threatened party by attacking them.
If you or someone else who is close to you is facing charges of assault and battery, know that it can potentially ruin the juvenile’s future prospects permanently. Immediately consult the experts at a lawyers’ office like campolidefense.com to see what options there are to make the best out of the present situation. It is not unlikely for teens to be wrongly accused of assault and battery, even if they were simply defending themselves. Experienced, compassionate and intelligent legal representation is a must at this point.
Breaking and Entering
It should be duly noted that breaking and entering is not the same as vandalism, but the crime can be compounded in a court of law if the evidence suggests that all three were indeed committed by the defending party. Sometimes, teens break into homes on a dare, while at others, they might break into an abandoned or closed facility for urban exploration. However, cases of breaking and entering with the intention of stealing and vandalizing are quite common as well, unfortunately.
Larceny
Larceny, or theft, is always high on the charts among youths who often do it simply for the sake of getting an adrenalin rush, or for being labelled as “cool” by peers. It can be anything from shoplifting at the mall, to stealing cars, but the magnitude of the crime will determine how the juvenile sentencing will be carried out in court.
Unfortunately, gang involvements are also quite common in youths, although the numbers have come down to a good degree in recent years. However, if an underaged individual gets involved in organized crime, it does not bode well for their future on either side of the law.