Juvenile Delinquency

The behavior in question for this topic paper is juvenile delinquency, which is described by Bartol as "...behavior against the criminal code committed by any individual who has not reached adulthood, as defined by state or federal law" (Bartol, 2008). Smith defines juvenile delinquency further as "...offenses that would not be crimes if committed by an adult, including running away, violating curfew, underage drinking, truancy and incorrigibility...delinquency includes violent offenses like assault, and non-violent offenses" (Smith, 2008). Furthermore, this paper will focus on a prevention program surrounding gang involvement of those youth that are delinquent. Gang affiliations have been associated with higher incidence of crime and victimization and schools pose a problem with regards to violent crime