Criminal Justice 310-001 Hope for Holly.pdf

Running head: HOPE FOR HOLLY 1

Hope for Holly

Priscilla Elias, Brandon Ford, Jordan Gates, Jordan Mook, Griffin Pearson, Tyler Romero, and

Amber Taylor

Liberty University

Criminal Justice 310-001

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Abstract

The crime rate of adult criminal offenders, as well as juvenile delinquents, has significantly

increased over the past years. As statistics have shown the rapidly increasing crime rate to be

more visible among the juvenile population, it is important to acknowledge all eras contributing

to this rise. When considering the manner of a juvenile in relation to misbehaviors, one must

first realize that delinquency cannot be blamed on one problem itself. Juvenile delinquency

begins with the parents and the interaction with their children. Contributing factors such as

educational qualities, environmental elements, and governing interferences all play major roles

in the upbringing of a child. Numerous efforts have been made to create programs or instruct

facilities that help give positivity to such juveniles, ultimately attempting to change their heart.

Hope for Holly is an organization rooted on the belief of changing not only the hearts and

mindsets of juvenile, but their parents as well. With Christian-based foundations, religious

workers and volunteers, and Biblical Worldview aspects, Hope for Holly was not created to seek

a profit, but to show the hurting God’s love and ultimately make a better environment for

offenders and those closest to them.

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Criminology has heavily existed throughout America’s society, fluctuating from adult

offenders to juvenile delinquents. Numerous solutions have been made in an attempt to resolve

the problem of juvenile delinquency. Contributing factors such as parental influence,

governmental interference, and educational compliance all aid in determining the future of the

present and upcoming adolescents. Positive organizational programs are to be constructed in

order to provide a healthy and safe environment for troubled and easily influenced youth. Hope

for Holly is a helpful organization created to aid in positive upbringings of adolescents, in

essence to creating a progressive and nourishing environment for their parents.

Crime has occurred in the world since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Crime finds

its origin in sin, however the influence of family has been a primary tool used to stir the

upcoming generation in a negative way. This passing of criminality from one era to the next is in

large part due to the family and the examples set forth by the parents. The question is not

whether criminal behavior will be passed down from these unfit parents to their children, but

more so what quantity of children will evolve into the same lifestyle as those before them. Every

individual, including children, is responsible for his own actions, yet the finger is often pointed

towards the parents for introducing their adolescents to such unacceptable behavior. Vice

President Joseph Biden was once quoted saying, “Little boys who grow up in homes where

domestic violence is occurring are 100 times more likely to become abusers than boys in

violence-free homes” (Crisis Connection). Just as Vice President Biden stated, when children are

around or involved in a home where violence and criminal activities are taking place, they are

inclined to repeat those same offenses later on in their own lives.

Contributing Origins

When one is found questioning how Americans fight this war on generational crime, the

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answer concluded is anything but simplistic. In fact, most studies not only originate the

family as a source of generational crime, but they insist that the family is the main promoter

behind it. For example, Dr. Fagan of Heritage Foundation wrote, “In the case of future violent

criminals, these tasks [living life], in the absence of the love, affection, and dedication of both

parents, becomes perverse exercises, frustrating the children’s needs and stunting their ability to

belong.” Due to the reality that family is where most learned behavior stems from, whether

caused by violence or a lack of love, the family influence holds major weight in the choices that

a young person will one day make.

Governing Intercession

Not only does the family have the potential to create juvenile delinquents, it also can

make finding a solution to the problem nearly impossible. When families refuse to care for their

children, teach them right from wrong, or simply love them, no urgency is found to change the

future generation in a positive way. Not only do the parents encourage bad behavior through

their own actions, but oftentimes do not take responsibility when their child becomes involved

with crime. With that said, the government is often found left with the problem of dealing with

the delinquents. More times than not, it becomes evident to the government that terminating the

issue of juvenile delinquency seems to be merely impossible. The government, by law, is

prohibited from interdicting in family matters and cannot do anything to implement change until

either the juvenile or parent breaks a law. This plays a role in the production of generational

crime, due to the fact that the government does not hold grounds in resolving crime before it

happens, but moreover must discipline the individual after the crime has been committed. Case

in point, the amount of influence a family has on a child is considerably greater than that of an

imposing government.

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Influence of the Christian church

The government usually cannot intercede between a family and a child unless one of the

two has committed a crime. However, Christian churches are often brought in as middlemen

between the government and broken homes. The Christian church oftentimes serves the

community by investing a moral role model into a juvenile’s life in circumstances where the

government was legally unable. Pastor Jeff Pearson of the Bridge Church shared that in addition

to spreading the Gospel of Christ with broken families, he also invests his own personal time

pouring into the lives of young men who are destined for disaster. Pastor Jeff shared, “It is the

duty of the church to go out into the world, find broken people where they are, and to share the

love of Jesus” (Personal Communication, 2014). In addition, he added, “The church was not

created to stand as a building; the church is the called out people of God who are meant to listen

and go and where God calls” (Pearson). Pastor Jeff acknowledged that more times than wanted,

he sees the same families repeatedly in court, his office, or around the community struggling in

life because it becomes so common for one or both parents create and influence a bad example

upon the child. In conclusion, this leaves the church an opportunity to truly minister and mentor

those who are headed down a road of generational crime.

Education

An important factor to take into consideration when dealing with juvenile delinquency is

the educational system and how it influences adolescents. For most juveniles, the school is a

major influence on the worldviews that they develop and what they ultimately make of

themselves. With this being said, it is very important that schools not only provide quality

education, but a successful environment that promotes value leading to prospering students,

instead of juvenile delinquents.

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One of the most influential factors in youth development is the environment in which

they are placed. Although certain people will respond differently to a particular environment, the

majority of people will respond in a somewhat predictable manner. Based on this presupposition,

it is theoretically possible to create a school environment that would produce mostly successful,

non-delinquent students. Although it may be impossible to create a school environment that

completely eliminates juvenile delinquency, it is possible to optimize the environment, utilizing

students who are less inclined to engage in delinquent activities and are given opportunities to

become successful when approaching adulthood.

Dropouts

According to statistics, failure within the school system commonly translates to

delinquency. With this being said, more successful students are much less likely to engage in

delinquent activities. There is a direct correlation between the number of students that drop out

of school and the number of students that become delinquent. By nature, students who drop out

of school are not necessarily any more prone to crime than graduates, but such dropouts do not

have nearly as many job opportunities as graduates do. Many dropouts feel that they are forced

into a life of crime due to a lack of sense of opportunistic advantages in generating success.

Influence of Teachers

Not only does the education of students influence delinquency rates, but also the

influence of the teachers instructing them can make an impact on the choices students make. The

positive influence of teachers is especially important for juveniles with dysfunctional families,

such as teachers who act as role models for their students. Teachers should not only set the

example for the students in educational knowledge, but in all aspects of their lives. When

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viewed as role models, teachers will be observed in every aspect of their lives by the influenced

students.

Kim Gates, an elementary school art teacher, believes that the structure of our educational

system contributes to juvenile delinquency and a restructuring of this system would reduce such

poor adolescent behavior. She also stated that it would be helpful to separate students who are

known delinquents from others in order to provide a more positive environment. A system that

eliminates the delinquent culture groups found prevalent in many schools would not only help

students stay out of trouble, but also eliminate many negative influences and peer pressures to

commit delinquent acts.

Educational Content

A factor that cannot be ignored when dealing with juvenile delinquency is the actual

content that students are being taught in schools. It is very important that students are not only

taught to only obey laws on the sole basis of staying out of trouble, but also safeguarding a life of

best interest. If students are taught to understand why certain laws exist, they are more likely to

hold a worldview that supports our legal system and consequently minimize juvenile

delinquency.

Family

The family unit plays a major role in determining the lifestyle of a child. From this

influence, the child will learn vital values an attitudes that will ultimately control his future

actions that will occur as life progresses. Any type of malfunction, disruption, or change to the

family unit may result in a long-lasting affect on a child. The type of parenting an authorized

guardian utilizes is very critical in determining how the child will act as he or she grows older.

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Effective parenting can help avoid factors such as emotional and social problems, which are

often promoters of delinquent behavior.

The incidents that occur in the early years of a child’s life will shape his perception and

values on many life choices. Research indicates that parents who have a secure marriage raise

children who are secure and independent (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). When a child is raised in a

stable environment with love, affection, and discipline received from his parents, he is able to

learn key concepts and values that will utilize a sense of security as they grow into adulthood. In

opposition, a child who is raised in a broken home of divorced parents or surrounded by

consistent arguing will produce a mentality of dysfunction and calamity as a social norm.

Blended Families

Blended families, also known as stepfamilies, are statistically proclaimed to be less stable

than families of two biological parents. Children who have resulted from parental divorce or

family separation are more likely to demonstrate behavior problems and hyperactivity than those

from a family that is together (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). Not only are blended families less stable

than those that are unblended, but they also leave the child or children with feelings of rejection

and possibly jealousy. If a marriage results in divorce or separation, the influence of the situation

placed upon the child may lead them to feel as if they are being rejected and the catalyst of the

separation. This feeling of rejection may be hard for the child to experience, causing a notice in

acting out; this is an early sign of possible juvenile delinquency. The effect that a broken home

has on a child is substantial in comparison to those who grew up in a home with two biological

parents, secured in both themselves and their marriage.

Family Deviance

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A number of statistics have shown that parental deviance does in fact have a powerful

influence on delinquency in children (Siegel & Walsh, 2014). There are many factors that play a

role in this concept, the first one being genetics. If the parent of a delinquent youth suffers from

neurological conditions that are associated with antisocial behaviors, these conditions may have

been inherited genetically. The second factor aiding to parental deviance is substance abuse. If

one or both parents are abusing drugs or alcohol, the child may follow in his parents’ footsteps,

simply resulting from the influencing example of what he has witnessed. Also, substance-

abusing parents may produce children with neurological impairments linked to delinquency.

Thirdly, the factor of reduced parental skills also has an effect in parental deviance. Deviant

parents usually do not have close relationships with their children. These parents are more than

likely having substance abuse problems, which takes time and energy away from caring for their

children. In conclusion, parental absence has a leading effect in parental deviance. When a

parent is absent from the home, the child is affected greatly. Studies have shown that absence

due to incarceration has a greater effect on children than absence due to death (La Vigne, Davies

& Brazzell, 2008).

Broken Families

A broken family is often depicted as one of divorce. The effect that this type of family

style has on a child is substantial. It has been found that a child raised in a family disrupted by a

parental death adjusts better than a one of divorced parents. When dealing with the issue of

divorce, sons seem to be more affected by the post-divorce absence of their father. Sometimes a

boy’s father is the only person he can go to when presented with a problem, or just needs a

friend, but when a divorce has occurred, the father is less likely to be around to help out his son.

A divorced father who remains actively involved in his child’s life will reduce the risk of

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delinquency. On the other hand, daughters of divorced parents are more affected by the quality

of their mother’s parenting and the post-divorce conflict. The extreme levels of parental conflict

may drive the girl to cope in ways that are unhealthy or delinquent. It is extremely important to

have both biological parents in a child’s life (Siegel & Welsh, 2014).

Christian Worldview

The Biblical view of family is that once a man and woman marry, they are to be fruitful

and multiply (Genesis 1:28). In the New Testament, evidence is found on training a child.

Proverbs 22:6 reads, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not

depart from it.” God wants His children to each have secure, loving families. He has set forth

clear instructions in His word to marry, have children, and train them in the Lord. Unfortunately,

existing in a fallen world causes sin to take place, allowing for disobedience unto God. God

gives free will, permitting the knowledge to differentiate between right and wrong. Participating

in worldly doings and coinciding with its standards leads to dysfunctional family factors, such as

divorce, broken homes, blended families, family deviance, and ultimately death.

Children do not have the power over their parents’ actions, but do have power to control

their own and how to respond to their families’. Although some may result from the ideally

“perfect” home, a difference can still be made to impact those surrounding them. There are

children throughout the world, consisting from the closest neighborhoods, to far out lands who

are suffering from poor parental influences. Although the truth may not be evident to them, do to

the poor exposure shown within the home, a Christianly duty is to be manifested, reaching out to

those who are hurting.

Government

The government, in any state, plays an important role in determining the care and

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responsibility of any person under the age of eighteen. According to the dictionary, most

circumstances require that the biological parents, whether married, divorced, or single, must

provide a safe environment, education, and housing to their children. These requirements can be

mandated by the courts if the parents are deemed as being unfit for the care of their children.

Though states may differ in some respects to the laws, most follow these basic principles in

caring and raising children. Depending on the particular state in which a child has been

neglected, the U.S. Supreme Court may be able hold the determining factor regarding the

circumstances of that child (Child Custody).

In an article written by Sarah Torre and Ryan T. Anderson entitled “Adoption, Foster

Care, and Conscience Protection,” it is suggested that an estimated 100,000 children are waiting

to be adopted. With this number, taxpayers are at the realm of providing such government need.

During their lifetime underneath of this government system, children will cost an average of one

billion dollars in support and assistance, according to a data release in 2007. The goal of the

government is to find permanent residences for these children in effort to remove them from the

government system. Throughout the United States, there are over 1000 agencies that are faith

based. This delivers a unique and often well-sought agency in providing placement for children.

With these agencies in place, private agencies have been threatened, and in some instances,

adoption processes have been hindered. The government is involved by allowing certain

agencies to provide childcare for the children waiting to be adopted. The government, along

with the private sector, need to negotiate a common ground in organizing placement of these

adolescents. In an effort to ensure that children are being placed in permanent living

environments with loving and caring families, the government must allow all agencies to have

their rights on religious freedoms and teachings. This will enhance the chances of placement in

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permanent homes for many children underneath government rule (Torre and Anderson).

Child Custody

In regards to custody battles, the custody of the child or children is usually ordinated in

the divorce decree. During this process, the determination of the child’s living arrangements and

visitation rights of each parent will be declared. The terminology used in this circumstance is

physical custody, where the child will primarily live. The term joint custody relates in situations

where the custody of the child is shared between both biological parents. Most custody cases are

heard and determined by family courts. The Uniform Child Jurisdiction Act was originated in

1967 and updated in 1997 to protect the rights of divorced parents with regards to custody of

their children in the event of divorce. With this Act in place, the distance in which a child can

live from the non-custodial parent is specified (Child Custody).

Child Placement