Socialization plays a key role in the gender gap in delinquency, as adolescent girls are often socialized differently. The experiences of girls and boys are strongly influenced by gender, which changes their interactions in society. Men and women are controlled and linked differently, suggesting that they cannot make the same decisions and take different paths of crime. Social attachments are important for both men and women, but different aspects of attachment are relevant for each gender. [52] The degree of participation in social settings is an important predictor of violent crime for men, but not significant for women. Men tend to be more connected to their relationships with their peers, which actually has a stronger impact on their behavior. [53] [54] Association with delinquent peers is one of the strongest correlates of juvenile delinquency, and much of the gender gap can be explained by the fact that men are more likely to have friends who support delinquent behaviour. Peer offenders are positively and significantly associated with delinquency among men, but peer offenders are negatively and insignificantly associated with delinquency among women. [54] For women, family relationships were found to be more important. Adolescent girls tend to be more connected to their families, so separation or lack of socialization between family members can significantly predict their likelihood of committing crimes in adolescence and even adulthood. When the family is disturbed, women are more prone to delinquent behaviour than men. [50] However, boys tend to be less connected to their families and less affected by these relationships. [53] For minor offences such as fighting, vandalism, shoplifting and carrying weapons, gender differences are limited as they are more common for both men and women.
Elements of social connection, social disorganization, routine activities, opportunities and attitudes towards violence are also linked to delinquent behaviour among both men and women. [50] Regardless of how crimes committed by adults are classified, juveniles are generally not convicted as adults in the criminal justice system. Although this may be the case, minor offences and status offences for very serious offences are usually dealt with by the juvenile court system. Diversion is an alternative to court that involves referring the youth directly to a community program or service for up to six months. If authorized, a juvenile court counsellor may provide the youth and the young person`s parents with a distraction that requires the youth to participate in a community program or service, behave well, and comply with any other agreed upon conditions. Examples of common diversion programs include community service or reparation programs, victim-perpetrator mediation, counselling, and juvenile court. If a minor succeeds in a diversion, the complaint will be dismissed without further action. If the juvenile does not comply with a diversion, the juvenile court officer may file an application and refer the case back to court.
In some situations, transfer to adult court is mandatory. If a juvenile judge finds a probable reason for a minor 13 years of age or older to have committed a Class A felony, such as first-degree murder, he or she must refer the case to adult criminal court without a transfer hearing. In addition, an accused 16 or 17 years of age of committing a Class A, B1, B2, C, D, E, F or G crime must be transferred to an adult criminal court without a transfer hearing if one of the following occurs: (1) a juvenile judge establishes a probable ground for the offence; or (2) a prosecutor obtains an indictment. No. Unlike adults accused of crimes, minors are not entitled to bail. However, whether a juvenile is placed in safe custody or not, the court must hold regular hearings to consider the need for continued detention. A minor must be given a first hearing within five calendar days if he is taken into custody and within seven calendar days if he or she is placed in unsecured detention. Further hearings on the need for safe detention are held at intervals not exceeding ten calendar days, unless the juvenile waives them. Further hearings on the need for continued unsafe detention are held within seven working days of the initial hearing and every thirty calendar days thereafter. At any hearing on the continued need for continued detention, the state must demonstrate with clear and convincing evidence that continued detention is necessary and that no less restrictive alternative is sufficient.
Juveniles have the right to be represented by a lawyer and, if they are suspected of being delinquents, the court appoints them a lawyer. Youth and their parents can also present evidence, call the court and hear witnesses. What happens if a Juvenile Court Counsellor receives a complaint? Although youth reform has proven to be an effective and humanizing approach to combating juvenile delinquency, it is a very complex area where many debates are still ongoing. For example, many countries around the world are discussing the appropriate age of a young person and trying to figure out if there are crimes so heinous that they should be exempt from understanding. Based on these discussions, legislation needs to be constantly updated and taken into account as social, cultural and political landscapes change. Education promotes economic growth, national productivity and innovation, as well as the values of democracy and social cohesion. [72] Prevention through education has been shown to discourage minors from committing crimes, helping them strengthen peer-to-peer bonds and understanding.[73] A young person`s parents or guardians must appear in court with the young person and bring the young person to all scheduled hearings. The court may order a parent or guardian to provide transportation to the sessions, to attend parenting classes, to pay for treatment or services for the minor, and to pay the minor`s lawyer`s fees.
The court may also order a parent or guardian to request a mental health or addiction assessment and to follow any recommended treatment. A parent or guardian can be found in contempt of court if they fail to comply with court orders. Yes. In certain circumstances, juveniles suspected of being delinquent or unruly may be detained by a law enforcement officer or a juvenile court adviser. However, the term “arrest” is inappropriate and detained juveniles cannot be placed in an adult prison. A juvenile who is remanded in custody may not be detained for more than 12 hours or 24 hours if part of that period falls on a weekend or holiday, unless an application by the juvenile has been made and a judge has issued a safe or unsafe detention order.