Name seven factors that influence the ways police handle juvenile suspects?
When a juvenile delinquent is suspected of committing a crime there is usually a difference in the way he is treated. A juvenile delinquent is treated different from an adult; this is because they are expected to be under the care of their parents.
1. The seriousness of the offense- most of the juvenile are arrested for minor offenses like shoplifting. However when accused of major offenses they are to be treated as a criminal. 2. The police organization – some police department are organized into teams that deal with certain crimes like drug organizations. These teams investigate and arrest teenagers like adults.3. The community – some communities are less tolerant to any form of crimes regardless of the age of the person. 4. The wishes of the complainant – some complainants are usually not willing to press charges when the crimes are committed by minors.5. The demeanour of the youth – some youths are less apologetic to crimes and rarely are they allowed to go out into the society. . However the reverse attitude can lead to less punishment. 6. The gender of the offender – young women are viewed as less aggressive and more of victims of circumstances and commit crimes as a reaction. 7. The race and social class of the offender – teenagers from low income social class are bound to be convicted more than teenagers from high income classes.
Is the basis for arresting a juvenile the same for arresting an adult? Explain. What are the differences, if any?
The basis of arresting a juvenile and an adult are the same because the state of a crime does not change, however the difference is in the actions done afterwards. When an adult is arrested as a suspect for being involved in a crime, he can be held for forty eight hours but a juvenile can be released. The immediate guardian is contacted and is allowed to bail out the juvenile and when that is not possible the teenager is taken to a juvenile cell. Adults are taken to a holding cell and they are only allowed to talk to their attorney.
The differences in the way juveniles are treated is because for the adult, law is supposed to punish while for the juvenile it is supposed to rehabilitate to create a responsible citizen of the country.
