This assignment will assess the following course objectives:

• Explain the scope and nature of juvenile delinquency.
• Analyze biological, psychological and sociological theoretical explanations for juvenile crimes.
• Assess the influence of gender, family, and social forces on juvenile behavior.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system in preventing crime and rehabilitating offenders.

For this assignment, you will write a 1,500-2,000 word case study that analyzes the scope, causes, and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system with respect to a particular type of crime commonly committed by juveniles.

To begin, you must identify a type of crime commonly committed by juveniles. Perform research on the scope of juvenile crime and the types of crimes that juveniles commonly commit (assault, breaking and entering, drug possession, drug sales, robbery, vandalism, larceny, etc.). Identify and analyze five different theories, influences, and/or social forces that are common root causes or contributing factors to juveniles committing the type of crime that you've chosen. Provide a well-reasoned evaluation of the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system in deterring crime, rehabilitating offenders, and providing relief to the victims of the crime addressed in the case study. Conclude the case study with three recommendations for improving the juvenile justice system.

The case study assignment should contain the following sections:

• Introduction
  • Identify a type of crime commonly committed by juveniles and explain why you selected this crime for the assignment. Describe the basic elements of the crime. Explain the scope of juvenile offenders for this type of crime, and identify the impact that this crime has on communities.
• Root Causes and Contributing Factors
  • Identify and analyze five different theories, influences, and/or social forces that are common root causes or contributing factors to juveniles committing the type of crime that you've chosen.
• Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Juvenile Justice System
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system in deterring crime, rehabilitating offenders, and providing relief to the victims of the juvenile crime addressed in the case study. Discuss recidivism rates of juveniles and factors that contribute to re-offending.
• Recommendations for Improvement
  • Based on your research and analysis, make three recommendations for improvement in the juvenile justice system. Explain the basis for your recommendations and support them with research and/or data.

Using Sources

You may refer to the course material for supporting evidence, but you must also use at least three credible, outside sources and cite them using APA format. Please include a mix of both primary and secondary sources, with at least one source from a scholarly peer-reviewed journal. If you use any Study.com lessons as sources, please also cite them in APA (including the lesson title and instructor's name).

• Primary sources are first-hand accounts, such as court decisions, statutes, text of legislative bills, and other legal documents.
• Secondary sources come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals, such as the American Business Law Journal. You may use resources like JSTOR, Google Scholar, Cornell University Law School's Legal Information Institute and/or FindLaw to find articles from these journals and related case law. Secondary sources may also come from reputable websites with .gov, .edu, or .org in the domain. (Wikipedia is not a reputable source, though the sources listed in Wikipedia articles may be acceptable.)