Tips to Prevent Juvenile Delinquency, Drug and Alcohol Abuse

With summer vacation at least a week underway for most Utah teenagers, many parents are looking for ways to prevent juvenile delinquency. In some cases, more than just delinquency.

Idle Hands are the Devil’s Playthings

The first area where parents should look when trying to prevent juvenile delinquency is how their children keep themselves busy when they’re not in school. More importantly, if their children keep busy when they’re not in school. The statistics can be startling. Studies show that teenagers who don’t participate in activities after school are almost three times more likely to take part in illegal or unsafe behavior, from drugs and alcohol to sexual activity.

Most schools have after school programs tailored around student interests, such as sports, performing arts and other clubs. If these things don’t interest your child, find out what is interesting to them and locate those groups or classes in your community. Programs exist for everything from art and photography to 4-H and BMX racing to martial arts and music lessons. Students can also volunteer for nonprofits, such as Boys & Girls club or Big Brothers/Little Sisters, and many local businesses hire teenagers for part-time jobs.

In addition to being ways to prevent juvenile delinquency, these activities also look good on resumes and college applications. If nothing else, keeping busy keeps them safe. Statistics also report that the highest risk for teenagers becoming victims of violent crime is during the hours immediately after school.

What About During the Summer?

Obviously these statistics get worse with summer vacation and children having even more free time. Parents like to believe that their teenagers will make the right decisions if they have too much time on their hands, but a quick glance at the news shows that isn’t always the case.

If you’re concerned about your child during summer vacation, don’t fret. Just fill that extra time. If they liked learning an instrument, how about another one? Maybe they can take on another “little brother” or “little sister.” Maybe that part-time job can become full-time over the summer. While many parents might complain about the costs of additional activities, think about it this way: Wouldn’t you rather be paying for BMX lessons than bail?

Hopefully these tips to prevent juvenile delinquency will do the trick. However, if your child is already in trouble, make sure you know their rights. Don’t wait to contact an experienced and professional juvenile defense attorney.