Why Juveniles Commit Crimes, by Joseph A. Wickliffe
Guide Entry to 00.02.07:
To those teachers who may wish to use this unit, it is designed as an educational tool to give you an idea about what children go through in life, the causes and effects. Once you understand why juveniles commit crimes, as a teacher, you will be able to better understand what resources are necessary to prevent our children from becoming juvenile delinquents.
Whether this material is taught as a part of curriculum or as part of Social Studies, as a teacher, you can use it with many disciplines to get students' attention, and to understand what crimes are against the law and the consequences of committing these crimes.
Once you read the unit, you will understand the particular set-up of the family and how it influences the children, and why they commit crimes. The historical facts of crime and delinquency are hard to understand because we really do not always know what goes on in the minds of children. But despite that, as a teacher, educator, community member, family member, or worker in the justice system, we can steer children away from crimes if we can all work together.
This unit presents ideas for lesson plans, and explains how to use the lesson plan to develop your own strategy to help shape children into responsible citizens.