Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Various socioeconomic reasons have been advanced for youngsters getting involved in criminality. Among them is the absence of family supervision, which creates a gateway for deviant behaviour.

Lanny Davidson, chairman of support group Fathers in Action, argues that society has failed young boys and they are now an endangered species. Commenting on the startling statistics, Davidson says that many young males would not be in jail if their fathers were part of their lives.

"Too many boys are growing up in female-headed households and, because they don't have a strong father figure, they often go astray," Davidson argues. He states that fathers being away from children is "very dangerous", adding that one way to stop this is to give custody of boys to their fathers in instances where both parents do not live together.

Households devoid of fathers have been blamed for churning out many of society's delinquents. In the United States, for example, 85 per cent of prison inmates had no fathers at home, according to data from the Texas Department of Corrections.

incarceration odds increased

Additionally, a study conducted by the University of California's Cynthia Harper and Princeton's Sara McLanahan concluded that each year spent without a dad in the home increases the odds of future incarceration by about five per cent.

While access to local research on the subject could not be had immediately, The Sunday Gleaner, in perusing data from the Correctional Services, found that many of the youngsters behind bars have committed dangerous crimes.

Seventeen-year-old boys are the most problematic in the offence of illegal possession of firearms, accounting for 16 of those locked up over the period. Four 13-year-olds were also locked up for this offence

victims of crime

Children's Advocate Mary Clarke believes that many juveniles in the system were themselves victims of a crime - normally abuse.

"If we do not treat them now, they will probably end up in the adult system," she warns.

The Children's Advocate also notes that incidents of wounding, assault and malicious destruction of property among children is an indication that juveniles are not employing anger management and conflict-resolution techniques. She says this indicates that an integrated approach to saving the nation's children must be undertaken as a matter of urgency.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com