Juvenile Delinquency - MedFriendly.com

Juvenile delinquency means continuous criminal

(illegal) and/or antisocial behaviors by a minor who

cannot be controlled by the authority of his/her

parents, causes danger to others, and whose actions

become the concern of police or other law

enforcement agencies. A minor who engages in

juvenile delinquency is known as a juvenile delinquent.

FEATURED BOOK: Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile delinquents have not yet reached an age in which they can be treated as an

adult according to the laws of the community, although exceptions to this exist and some

juveniles are treated as adults. The decision of whether to charge a juvenile defender as

an adult or as a juvenile is left up to the prosecutor (district attorney).

If a juvenile delinquency is not charged as an adult, the individual is still subject to legal

action, according to laws and procedures that relate to minors. As such, there are

juvenile courts and juvenile detention centers. There are also at risk youth programs,

youth boot camps, juvenile boot camps, juvenile rehabilitation programs, and Scared

Straight programs designed to help juvenile delinquents stop their antisocial behaviors.

Juvenile delinquency also means breaking of the law by a minor that is not punishable by

death or life in prison. Juvenile delinquency is also known as youthful offending or youth

crime. Juvenile delinquency comes from the Latin word "juvenus" meaning "youthful," and

the Latin word "delinquere" meaning "to fail." Put the two words together and you have

"to fail youthful," meaning youths that fail.