Effective Ways to Prevent Juvenile Delinquency

Talk to Children When They Are Young

• Young children spend most of their time with their parents or primary care-givers. As such, the early childhood years present an ideal time to prevent the emergence of delinquent behavior in later years. The establishment of a relationship of trust between parents and a young child helps facilitate continued communication into the teen years. Parents can take advantage of the precious early years of their children by spending quality time with them so they feel loved and protected.

Monitor Socialization

• A parent's job does not end once a child reaches adolescence, however. During this period, parents must know who their child's friends are and stay abreast of his or her activities. It is important not to be too strict or oppressive of teens, however, or they may rebel. Instead, show a general interest in meeting their friends and maintain a welcoming home environment so that they feel comfortable inviting friends over. In the computer age, particular attention must be paid not only to in-person social interactions, but also to online exchanges, profiles and visits to social networking sites.

Minimize Free Time

• Minimizing an adolescent's unstructured time is another way to prevent delinquent behavior. After-school or summer activities such as sports, clubs and jobs are an excellent option. Volunteering is an activity that can keep teens occupied as they serve their community. It is important to give young people access to that which most interests them. While major cities offer a host of activities for young people, teens in rural areas could have fewer options. Therefore, it is important to be creative in finding activities that interest rural teens, as boredom is strongly linked to delinquency.

Promote Independence

• When teens are independent and self-confident, they may be less likely to succumb to negative peer influence that leads to juvenile delinquency. Instead, they can rely on their own standards of right and wrong when making decisions and engage in behaviors that correspond with their own personal convictions and beliefs. Depending on their personality, maturity and responsibility level, independent teens may not even require the establishment of a curfew. Instead of punishment, a system of rewards based on access to the activities that they love could make delinquent behavior less appealing.