Juvenile Delinquency Theories of Causation

Many theories have been advanced to explain the cause of juvenile delinquency. Some are quite sophisticated, whereas others are predicated on rather basic “instinctive” conclusions that may or may not have a basis in fact. Many juvenile curfews are based on an instinctive conclusion that youths are likely to be victimized or get into trouble after certain hours. For example, in August 1994 the Town of Vernon, Connecticut, enacted its first juvenile curfew law. It forbade persons under 18 to be in any public place or business. The rationale was that town leaders had noticed groups of juveniles loitering in town, and prior to the law a teenager had been murdered. Surveys also indicated that youths were fearful about gangs, weapons, and victimization. According to leaders, the curfew was passed for the protection of young people and to reduce the incidence of delinquency. From Sunday through Thursday, the prohibited hours were from 11:00 P.M. until 5:00 A.M., and on Friday and Saturday the prohibited hours were from 12:01 A.M. until 5:00 A.M. Unfortunately for the town leaders, the curfew law was held to be unconstitutional because it unfairly restricted the right of free movement, and hence the equal protection rights of juveniles.