Criminal Justice Policy Issue Essay

Total Length: 1218 words ( 4 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 3

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Criminal Justice Policy Issue

One of the increasing major concerns in the field of criminal justice is the rising fear of crime in public by juvenile violence, also known as 'youth violence'. This paper would discuss a selected journal article that is based on this issue and would highlight its key findings, issues, recommendations and the summary based on the discussion of the chosen issue.

The article chosen on the selected issue of 'youth violence' is "Youth Violence: Do parents make a difference" written by Laurence Steinberg. The author talks about the decreased rate in youth violence in America, especially the school related violence. The author makes a point that although school violence cannot be controlled or can be to a very limited extent with the help of surveillance cameras in the schools, but stricter measures need to be taken in order to completely eradicate it from America. The society, Bipartisan Working Group on Youth Violence, can take special actions in this regard. The authors also pointed out factors that contributed to youth violence and served as linkages in this crime. Moreover, the role of families is also highlighted vividly in this regard.

Key Findings and Issues

Bipartisan Working Group on Youth Violence identified six main issues including parents and families, school security, prosecution of law, community programs, pop culture and media, and health (Steinberg, 2000, p. 31). There were certain themes such as prevention and early intervention for lessening youth violence, schools being primary locations for identifying youth violence, and accessibility of health programs and mental health services etc. The article further discusses the role of families and factors shaping youth violence: first, violence either due to their families having past records of involvement in violence or distorted families such as domestic aggression and fights between parents; second, by the time the children reach adolescence, violence can also be triggered due to the biological factors and more inclination towards this crime; third, children with serious mental health problems such as stress and trauma are more prone to involvement in this violence; fourth, negative parenting; sixth, school problems of one type or another, especially academic performance links to negative parenting and ultimately results in youth violence; seventh, the most active factor for youth violence is peer pressure.


Another key finding in the article is that the general research supports the fact that the children that are involved in violence have disturbed family backgrounds, such as criminal records, hostile or aloof parents. The socioeconomic, ethnic and household issues also add to negative parenting, resulting in youth violence. One more major factor playing its role in youth violence was parents' disengagement with their children, such as not knowing what subjects they were opting, what kind of grades they were scoring and what comp any they were with. The article specifies that causes of negative parenting are poverty, parental mental health problems, lack of community support for such families, and negatively spread information about parenting and its effects.

It would not be wrong to say that popular culture plays a significant role in aggravating youth violence. Media and the portrayal of gun violence as 'cool' perceptions….....

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"Criminal Justice Policy Issue" (2016, June 21) Retrieved May 5, 2024, from
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"Criminal Justice Policy Issue" 21 June 2016. Web.5 May. 2024. <
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Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

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"Criminal Justice Policy Issue", 21 June 2016, Accessed.5 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/criminal-justice-policy-issue-2158776