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juvenile delinquency

juvenile delinquency

4 4.9
Behavior by young people that breaks the law
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒuːvənɪl dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/
translation icon : delincuencia juvenil
  • The community organized a workshop to address the rising issue of juvenile delinquency among local youths.
  • juvenile delinquency and crime
  • juvenile delinquency rates
  • problem of juvenile delinquency

Examples

  • The prevention of juvenile delinquency is considered an essential part of crime prevention.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Two demographic variables appear to be important for the explanation of juvenile delinquency: age and sex.

    Academic text (2005)
  • In a lot of the papers, they say rock and roll is a big influence on juvenile delinquency.

  • As seen from these numbers, the rate of juvenile delinquency is notably high.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Juvenile justice programs are intended to reduce juvenile delinquency.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Thus, juvenile delinquency is a serious and multidimensional problem that is on the rise.

    Academic text (2018)
  • In many countries all over the world, whether developed or underdeveloped, juvenile delinquency is a serious concern for citizens and authorities.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Moreover, researchers also think a variety of scholastic factors impact juvenile delinquency.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Newspaper and magazine stories stoked the nation's fears about juvenile delinquency.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Writers touted band membership as an antidote to juvenile delinquency and gang membership.

    Academic text (1993)

Antonyms

lawfulness
  • Formal
1 4.7

Being allowed by law

How Serious

felony
  • Specialized
310 5.5
prank
  • Informal
202 3.2
crime
1.4
juvenile delinquency
4 4.9
misconduct
  • Formal
131 4.6
mischief
34 2.7
violence
  • Offensive
2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

juvenile + delinquency

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'juvenile' (a minor) + 'delinquency' (wrongdoing/offense), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer 'wrongdoing by a minor.' The noun phrase follows a common modifier+head pattern and has clear equivalents in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'delincuencia juvenil'), supporting immediate comprehensibility.

Etymology

Juvenile delinquency comes from a simple picture: juvenile means 'young' and delinquency means 'wrong or bad behavior'. Imagine a young person walking off the right path into trouble, and that's why the phrase means 'illegal or antisocial behavior by a minor'.