Teenhood: A Troubled Time

Teenage Delinquents

Before we get into the subject itself, perhaps we should consider the meaning of the title. What is teenage delinquency? It can be defined as the rebellious attitude which teenagers showcase as they reach the age of adolescence. Teenage delinquency is not a small matter and it presents a large concern to the general public for if not curbed, these teenagers are potential criminals in the future and might cause even more problems for the society. We hope that after you have read through this information, you would be able to understand more about teenage delinquency.

When teenagers reach a certain stage of adolescence, many of them are likely to want to challenge the limits which are set for them. This might be probably due to an increased level of sex hormones in their body or most commonly because of peer pressure. Mostly, teenage delinquency comes in the form of disruptive behavior, aggressiveness and rebelliousness. The majority of most states around the world consider those who are under 18 as 'juveniles' but these juveniles may also be charged as if they were adults should the crimes they commit be too heinous (murder).

Common Forms of Teenage Delinquency:

Theft/Shoplifting

This is one of the more prevalent forms of delinquency in Singapore. Teenagers often shoplift not because of the fact that they were unable to afford the stolen object but more for the reason that they were doing it for 'kicks'. They enjoy the sense of satisfaction if they manage to escape without getting caught and with each successive 'raid', their confidence grows and so does their thirst for these 'kicks' grow and leading to even more cases of stealing. This is a large concern for many people for these teenagers might come under the wrong impression that they can always shoplift and get away with it for there would ultimately be a day in which they have to answer for their wrong doings.

Fighting

While not being as common as shoplifting, there are also cases of gang fights in which there are teenagers involved in. Participants are mostly males as teenage is the time in which they are flushed with sexual hormones (testosterone). Such teenagers can be very aggressive at this point of their life and may start a fight with the slightest of provocation. Forms of provocation can be as subtle as staring or simply because one party does not like the other party's facial features. During gang fights, teenagers use a variety of weapons which can cause fatal wounds, from beer bottles, wooden sticks and even knives. This form of offence is considered serious and can lead to expulsion from the offender's school.

Underage drinking/smoking

Another common form of delinquency is the act of underage offences. Teenagers who have reached a stage of their life often believe that such acts which only an adult can do are cool. They believe it makes them look more mature and perhaps more sexually attractive to the opposite gender for they crave attention. Such offenders usually harm themselves with such acts for there is no benefit from smoking or drinking as it only harms the human body and smoking in public places can prove to be a nuisance to the surrounding people.