Mental Health and Juvenile Delinquency 1

MENTAL HEALTH AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 1

Mental Health and Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency is on the rise. Too many youths are turning to trouble. Is there an answer to this dilemma? Can society help? The answer is yes, to both. Many of the youth, unfortunately, are dealing with mental illnesses and cannot, or will not, seek help. Because of this, the link between juvenile delinquency and mental health issues is much stronger than once thought.

First, we must look at what we are dealing with in terms of mental illnesses. As many as 50% to 70% of juvenile offenders have mental health issues (Schubert, 2011, pg. 1). There must be some direct correlation between the two. In Schubert’s 2011 study, there is more of a connection between substance abuse and juvenile delinquency. Still, this poses a problem because substance abuse often goes along with mental illness, as those who suffer from mental illnesses often seek an escape from their situation (whether it be a depressive disorder, anxiety, etc.). Additionally, under “Risk and Protective Factors, by Domain” in Shanders’s “Risk Factors for Delinquency: An Overview,” lists antisocial attitudes, as a risk factor for delinquency (1997, p. 4).

Next, we are seeing many cuts in various budgets throughout the United States, and with these cuts come the trouble of finding early treatment for the juveniles suffering from a mental illness. In Solomon Moore’s 2009 article, “Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System,” Moore makes a point to tell the reader that there is not enough availability of good care in communities, and therefore many offenders are being sent to prison (p. 2). He even goes on to state that prisons are becoming the new asylums. This dilemma presents itself when we do not provide care for those who need it. In this case, one equals the other. Unless we provide aid for those in need, we are going to see a rise in offenses.

Moreover, there is a case for those who cannot receive the right treatment because schools do not have the right treatment. For instance, in Pennsylvania this year, the governor did not pass the education budget until the spring. This is something that is usually done by the start of the new school year. Therefore, with no budget, schools could not provide the needed services for juveniles with mental health disorders. Juveniles then feel even more lost and confused. This leads to chronic absenteeism, which leads to getting into trouble instead of being in school (Way, 2015). If not in school, the opportunities to get into trouble are out there. Furthermore,“not all juvenile courts are well enough financed or equipped to handle this level of work” (Stoddard, 2011, p. 212). Therefore, monetary issues are not only in education.

While juvenile delinquency is a much bigger than the problems discussed within, it is a problem that seems to have a deep connection with mental illness and it is a problem that will continue until more research is completed and more money is allocated toward this research. Because there is a high correlation between those who commit a crime and their mental health, more must be done to conquer this problem. It is much bigger than one can fix with simple tweaks. Help is needed by those who have a mental illness and those around said person need to be educated on what to do and how to help his/her loved one.

References

Moore, S. (2009, August 09). Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System. Retrieved May 03,

2016, from

Schubert, C., MPH, & Mulvey, E., Ph.D. (2011). Serious Juvenile Offenders: Do Mental Health

Problems Elevate Risk? Retrieved May 03, 2016, from

Shader, M. (1997). Briefing: It's a well-known fact that although half of those ... U.S.

Department of Justice,314(7084), 1-11. doi:10.1136/bmj.314.7084.3a.

Stoddard-Dare, P., Mallett, C. A., & Boitel, C. (2011). Association between mental health

disorders and juveniles' detention for a personal crime. Child and Adolescent Mental Health,16(4), 208-213. doi:10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00599.x.

Way No. 10: Mental Health Funding. (2015, September 29). Retrieved May 03, 2016, from