Teens sometimes go completely off the hook and get themselves involved in petty crimes. If they are not discouraged or pulled out of the path, then they are likely to fall deeper into a life of crime. As a parent, it is your responsibility to keep an eye on your youngsters and do whatever it takes to keep them away from a life of crime. However, it’s easier said than done because a lot of parents these days have absolutely no idea about juvenile crimes. That is why they are often unaware of the problem even when it is right in front of them. Realizing this lack of awareness, we decided to outline the most common types of juvenile crimes that kids could get involved in.

Larceny

At a young age, kids aren’t capable of pulling off something big, but the small-time crimes give them the thrill that they’re seeking. They start with larceny and their criminal tendencies rise when they get away with it. They steal from unsuspecting people and swipe things that’re easily disposable or inexpensive. Not a lot of people report such incidents because the thing that gets stolen isn’t really worth a great deal of fuss. Since it doesn’t get reported, no one goes looking for whoever committed the crime, so the child gets away with it. Now instead of thinking themselves as fortunate, kids become overconfident and start to think that they are capable of getting away with anything.

Assault

When youngsters become overconfident of their ability to get away with anything, they fearlessly assault defenseless people. They bully students at school and beat them up at every chance they get. Pushing or shoving people out of the way becomes almost a habit for them. Furthermore, they just can’t stand someone disagreeing with them. They keep on arguing unless the other party gives in. If the other party stubbornly stands its ground, then they get a beat down.

Illegal Purchases

Smoking, drugs, and alcohol are considered cool among a lot of kids, especially those with delinquent tendencies. They go out of their way to get their hands on them and this can get them in a whole lot of trouble. First of all, they could go to prison if reported and caught. Secondly, they can get addicted to all of these substances. Just to deal with this addiction that they have brought upon themselves, they start to seek money, and to get it, they once again go back to larceny crimes. However, this time around, they don’t limit their thefts to petty things. Instead, they begin aiming for things that can earn them a huge chunk of cash. They rob stores, steal cars, stick people up for cash, become drug distributors, etc.

It’s tough to reform delinquent kids as once they have experienced everything, even jail, then they aren’t afraid to do anything. This is why parents must stay on their toes to prevent their youngsters from getting involved in such activities in the first place.