1 | P a g e J u v e n i l e D e l i n q u e n c y | A b e g a i l T . S o n a s

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

Final Project

Personal Insights

Knowledge gained

The concept of juvenile delinquency had become clearer to me. Juvenile delinquency does not only

entail those acts by youth that are against the law, it also encompasses behavior that deviates from normal

behavior. Examples of juvenile delinquency intensity vary from very simple ones to huge ones. Examples of

simple acts of juvenile delinquents are the following; getting coins from parent’s coin purse without permission,

lying about simple things like if one has finished his/her assignment or not. Examples of more ruthless acts of

juvenile delinquents are the following; alcohol and drug addiction, stealing, murder and other heinous crimes.

Family is the fundamental institution. Home is where the youth first develop their values and beliefs. It is

their family who influenced them most. It is the foundation of formation of good morals and principles. At home,

it is very important to strengthen the values of the youths because this determines what most likely the youth

will be in the future. Once the foundation is not strong, when the youth go out of their homes and have friends

who are of no good influence, most likely these youth will do the delinquent acts they learned outside their

homes. Needless to say, when even at home, youth do not see a good role model from their family members,

for example the mother is a gambler, the father is hot tempered, alcoholic, and steals to have money to buy

alcohol, siblings are stealing to have food on their table since parents do not have jobs. Where will the youth

2 | P a g e J u v e n i l e D e l i n q u e n c y | A b e g a i l T . S o n a s

develop their moral not to steal when they are forced to do such because their parents are irresponsible?

Poverty is also a factor. Most likely, the youth cannot finish schooling because their money is solely for the food

and parents do not value education, since they themselves do not finish their schooling. The living environment

or community is also a factor. The youth will learn different delinquent acts from their neighbors. Some are

having pot session at the back of their house, some are stealing from the local sari-sari store, some are being

killed in the ‘tong-itan’ (or gambling place) because of the ‘heightened’ emotions due to gambling gain and most

especially loss. I am not saying that all and only poor youth are doing delinquent acts, that the rich youth are not

doing delinquent acts. I am not discriminating. I am only trying to explain the factors why youth commit

delinquent acts.

Sometimes, there are some acts that many people do nowadays that are being accepted because many

people are doing it. And they even think it is alright to do such acts. People do not realize that what they are

doing is inappropriate.

Early intervention is really important. Law enforcers should not only focus on running after the ‘big’

syndicates, thinking that the youths cannot do something that ‘harsh’ as what the big syndicates can do. Yes,

right now maybe youths cannot do what those big syndicates are doing, but in the future, these youths will grow

old and become part of big syndicates. Law enforcers should not undermine what the youth can do when they

are still youths and especially when they grow old as law breakers. Sad to say, this is only a cycle of developing

law offenders.

The Philippine law should be altered such that juvenile delinquents will be properly ‘punished’ even when

they are not yet in legal age. Here in the Philippines, youth law offenders do not go to jail if they are under the

legal age, they only go to government facilities wherein programs for helping them are not being reinforced

3 | P a g e J u v e n i l e D e l i n q u e n c y | A b e g a i l T . S o n a s

properly and strengthened. That is why the youth keeps on repeating their criminal acts because they know

they will not be punished for doing them.

Applicability of knowledge to current task

I can say that I can relate to the topic of juvenile delinquency, since as a youth, I committed some

delinquent acts, though not the ones that is against the law. I can clearly remember the incident when I did not

pay the tricycle fare because I really don’t have money. It happened when I was in high school. The public

school I am attending is located in Paranaque and I live in Las Piñas, so that requires me to take tricycle and

jeepney. Beside the fact that big portion of my small money (baon) is allocated for the fare and the remaining

small portion is for snacks and simple immediate school requirements like ballpen, folder, bondpaper, and

photocopying pages of books (students don’t buy their own books) and test papers. The latter ones are the

more important than snacks so most of the time I don’t buy snacks and I only chat with my classmates during

snack break (good thing was that students were only required to be in school half day, I take good breakfast for

me not to feel hungry and I ate when I arrived home). To make the story short, I spent my tricycle fare for

immediate school requirement.

I was very nervous because it was my first time not to pay the tricycle fare. When I was about to get off

the tricycle, I was wondering what I will do if the driver noticed that I did not pay yet. Luckily, the driver did not

notice. But since then I promised to myself not do it again and secure my tricycle fare no matter what happens.

Maybe if my parents failed to teach me moral and values, I will not feel any guilt of not paying the fare

and I will keep on repeating it. And I will even repeatedly do other delinquent acts like stealing from my

classmates, skipping classes, bullying other students, not respecting my teachers, and others.

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Impact of the experience to one’s teaching role/ future teaching role

Teachers are the second parents of the youths. School is the youths second home wherein they build

relationships with their schoolmates and build a ‘family’. School should fill in to the things not met at home.

As a future teacher, it is important not to focus only in teaching the cognitive aspects. It is also important

to touch the hearts of the students for them to be inspired to study. Teachers should make the students feel

they are at home in a sense that they trust them instead of having fears towards the teachers. It is very

important for teachers to know the family background of the students, for them to fully understand the reason

why the students are acting that way. In this, the teacher can offer help not only to the students but also to the

parents in whatever problem or difficulty they are facing with right now. Maybe the parents do not know that

their child is experiencing such thing. It is important that there is a full cooperation coming not only from the

school but especially also coming from the family. Once there is a denial of the problem in the side of the family,

the problem/situation will not be properly addressed and efforts will be wasted. Parents

and teachers conference is a good way of providing chance for parents and teachers

to meet and talk about the welfare of the child especially in terms of school progress.

This way, the teachers can provide essential feedback about the child’s actions in

school and the parents can also provide essential feedback about the child’s actions at

home.

Abegail T. Sonas BS IT 4

October 12, 2011

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One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human

feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the

soul of the child. ~Carl Jung

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