Juvenile delinquency is a concerning factor for many parents. When children engage in unlawful activities and show violent behavior, they become a threat to society. While most people tend to avoid interactions with such kids, there is a dire need to understand their challenges and help them become better people. To understand how juvenile delinquency and mental health correlate, let’s dive into the details before you seek behavioral health services.
What is Juvenile Delinquency?
Juvenile delinquency refers to the act of engaging in unlawful behavior as a minor or young individual (younger than the majority’s statutory age). It is antisocial conduct in kids that leads to legal action. Juvenile delinquency is often aided by poor mental health and harsh upbringings.
Common Contributing Factors
The link between juvenile delinquency and mental health is more crucial than most people imagine. Several factors contribute to developing this relationship. We have covered a few below to give you an idea.
Undiagnosed Mental Health Conditions
When children grow through their juvenile stages, they can develop mental health problems for multiple reasons, including lack of attention from their parents, harsh surroundings, and improper diet. Some kids also have mental health problems by birth. However, parents often fail to recognize their children’s mental health issues and overlook the need to see a doctor. When kids are left undiagnosed in the early stages, they develop poor habits and behavior, leading them to juvenile offending. Undiagnosed and untreated mental health problems majorly contribute to unlawful behavior.
Trauma and Other Stressors
Many children grow up in abusive environments. They become traumatic in the early stages and have an impact on their upbringing. Moreover, other environmental stressors, like unstable family relations, bullying, and exposure to different types of violence, greatly contribute to juvenile delinquency. These factors adversely affect children’s mental health, leading them to unlawful conduct as they grow older. Leaving such issues unaddressed can worsen their condition. Seeking children’s services can be an effective way to deal with these problems.
Substance Abuse
Some kids grow up in unfavorable environments and become prey to substance abuse. They indulge in drug interactions at a very young age, leading to complete dependency on certain substances. When their parents fail to catch the problem and its cause earlier, such kids become violent and selfish over time. Substance abuse often co-occurs with mental health disorders, leading to delinquent behavior in children. While such problems can be addressed, parents often fail to pay attention to their children’s shady habits.
Peer Influence
Sometimes, children with healthy family environments end up being delinquent. Association with violent peers and surroundings influences them to take part in unlawful activities. As these associations grow stronger, they develop violent behavior and cause problems for their families.
Peer influence is one of the major contributing factors to the correlation between juvenile delinquency and mental health.
How to Address Juvenile Delinquency?
Children engaged in unlawful activities and violent behavior need love, care, and attention. Pushing them away and punishing them for their behavior may negatively impact their well-being. If you know someone going through the same problem and want to help them become a better person, get in touch with Philadelphia Family Voices today to seek behavioral health services.