The class will consider the subject of juvenile delinquency from various perspectives including psychological, physiological, and sociological. Particular attention will be paid to the role of family, the school, and the peer group in promoting delinquency. This course will provide students with the tools to analyze and evaluate juvenile justice policies and programs.
Students, after or during, their academic career might be dealing with juveniles in a criminal justice setting. Different responses and approaches are used when handling juvenile criminality. These concepts are critical to properly assess, respond, and reduce crime within the youthful population.
At the end of the course students are able to define juvenile delinquency from a legal and sociological perspective and create and document a history of delinquency in America; generalize juvenile crime trends and measure rates of delinquency; differentiate between the various theories of delinquency and discuss how culture, diversity, social stratification, families, schools, neighborhoods and peers may play a role in delinquent behavior; discuss classical and contemporary research on the etiology of juvenile delinquency, with reference to original sources; and assess the extent of juvenile law-breaking behavior in contemporary society and trace its development (and the popular perception of its development).
Children are highly regarded within scripture and the criminal justice system. Therefore, biblical perspectives are used throughout this course to help aid and guide students to develop a merciful and rehabilitative mindset when responding to and handling juvenile delinquency. Students will have the opportunity to master the skillset for thriving in this sector as a leader for Christ. Learning to apply what is taught in the classroom to real-life issues allows the student to help others in the criminal justice field with an unbiased mind and thought process.
Missional perspectives of our role during this stage of criminality are addressed. Proactive, not responsive, criminal justice function is vital. Therefore, a missional mindset should be used and framed when conceptualizing and visualizing the proper response to this phenomenon. The Christian believer's tasks are to restore a sense of civility and responsibility to everyday life and to promote crime prevention and genuine rehabilitation for the juvenile delinquent.
Students should be able to discuss, evaluate, and analyze the differences and complexities of the juvenile justice system. This is fundamental and the first responsive stage within a young offender's life. Therefore, the proper response is crucial and will be established during this course. The meaningfulness of Christian social engagement and the ethics of church-state activism in the juvenile criminal justice system is also addressed.
Society and criminality are complex and diverse. Therefore, no single explanation of crime can be provided. Individuals commit crimes for various and combined reasons. Understanding the juvenile criminal mindset allows the student to gain real-world experience. This course provides a solid foundation and further expansion of knowledge of theory to enable appropriate responses.
Criminality is a critical and detrimental occurrence in youths. Therefore, criminality should be highly responsive during this developmental stage to stop the development of life-persistent offenders.
Juvenile delinquency and its response are very different from adult criminal justice systems. Rehabilitative justice is the preferred response and students are asked to define, analyze, and conceptualize the importance of this type of action. For the Christian believer, the practical aspects of this course help them to join the mission of God in redemption, reconciliation, restoration, and renewal activities in the world of the criminal justice system.
