Social Distortion and the American Juvenile Justice System

Antiquity in the United States has become a pattern that is commonly utilized in order to achieve particular goals and systematic accomplishments.  Specifically, the American youth has been part of these goals and accomplishments, and thus forced to endure outrageous discourses of punishment and rehabilitation.  The United States’ foundation is based on principles of liberty and justice, yet justice and freedom has not been delivered to the juveniles who, unfortunately, commit crimes or other malum in se activities.  Moreover, the administration of justice toward these not fully developed people has fostered a regression to chaotic and bitter cultures in the particular country.  Labeling theories and other criminological notions convey these occurrences, yet the problem of horrific juvenile-related legal interventions still persists in the United States. 

In the United States, many juveniles who enter the dysfunctional juvenile justice system end up becoming adult offenders which, in turn, somewhat suggests that the youths’ legal system is a drafting system for the adult criminal justice system that is similar to recruiting players for a professional sports team.  Second to this, many organizations and independent good-natured people pick up the pieces once a child encounters the psychological mess that we call the juvenile justice system.  That is, many non-profit organizations or foster families take on the burdens that should have never occurred or, more importantly, the justice system should have resolved once a child entered its contrivances.  Poor parenting or improper guidance for a child is a slippery slope when having the best interest in the child in mind, yet the ability of the juvenile justice system to break-up families also seems to cause more terrible residual effects and mostly puts the blame on the youths who are processed into the particular legal system.  More specifically, the juvenile justice system operates on a proclivity that emphasizes justice for those who are legally unable to make responsible decisions and thus contradicts the illustrations of having a “best interest of the child” philosophy in mind.

Furthermore, the societal interpretations of justice in this country have embedded an unusual discourse that has permeated into a concoction of distorted individualism.  That discourse is a combination of subjugated perceptions that stem from capitalism and the desire to be unique in the United States – a form of conflict theory.  The aforementioned uniqueness comes in various fashions and becomes narrowed down when discussing specific elements within our society.  That is, and regarding the juvenile justice system, many ideologies are assumed by relegation of the national and local media outlets, fear that arises from these media devices and the communication that follows such media-related observations, public and personal morals, and historical incidences that are relevant to current situations.  This divulges the massive amount of social distortion and individualism that has occurred in the United States and how the American juveniles who enter the legal system are thrown to the wayside in some respect, as well as why the issues that cause these dilemmas are not resolved.