I have chosen to research the effect of status offenses on juvenile delinquency. For those unfamiliar, status offenses are legal infractions which are only able to be committed by juveniles

Respond to these two posts in your own words. APA format 7 th ed with a turn it in report min. of 250 words each

Discussion 1

                 I have chosen to research the effect of status offenses on juvenile delinquency. For those unfamiliar, status offenses are legal infractions which are only able to be committed by juveniles (i.e., persons under the age of 18). While they are often determined by local legislature, some common examples of status offenses are things like truancy, breaking curfew, violating the restrictions of a driver’s license permit, underage consumption of alcohol, and underage use of tobacco and tobacco products (Siegel & Welsh, 2017). The latter is the example I will focus on during my research by evaluating the effects of the 2019 amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, known as Tobacco 21, which raises the legal age to purchase and possess tobacco and tobacco products from 18 years to 21 years (Tobacco 21 [T21], 2022). The question to be asked here is whether or not a juvenile is capable of performing cognitively on the echelon required to produce a rational choice reasonably comparable in nature to that of the expectations of society. In the government’s eyes, they are not capable of this venture. Furthermore, the same argument is had toward young adults aged 18 to 21 years. By eliminating the access young adults have to tobacco products through this legislation, juveniles are exposed to less accessibility as well (Siegel, 2018; T21, 2022).

The Importance of this Research

                Every year, approximately 750,000 juveniles are arrested for crimes ranging widely in seriousness. Of this amount, roughly 150,000 are for status offenses (Siegel & Welsh, 2017). By evaluating the effects of the Tobacco 21 legislation on juvenile delinquency, specifically that of underage use and possession of tobacco products, we may be able to determine just how beneficial or hindering the use of such legal methods are on bettering today’s youth. If it’s determined that the Tobacco 21 legislation has ultimately been successful at significantly reducing juveniles’ use of these products, then it could stand to reason that other such forms of legislation related to status offenses may also prove successful in their own ventures. Additionally, by evaluating these same statistics, it could possibly lead to further explorations in the underage use of tobacco by Geographic's, ethnicities, age groups, sex, sexual orientation, etc. There is an important rabbit hole to follow and that’s why I would like to dive down the hole (Siegel & Welsh, 2017; T21, 2022).

References:

Siegel, L. J. (2018). Criminology: Theories, patterns and typologies (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. C. (2017). Juvenile delinquency: Theory, practice, and law (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Tobacco 21 (T21). (2022, May 6). Tobacco 21 – Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation.

Tobacco 21. Retrieved from https://tobacco21.org/

Discussion 2

I chose to base my research on sexual assault and harassment within the military. This is something I feel strongly about, as being a military member myself. Though there are numerous initiatives to end sexual harassment and sexual assault within our military, all branches of the military struggle with it today. I believe there is much to learn about this topic and ways it can be mitigated further. Since 2004, the Department of Defense has focused on the mitigation of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Since Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfled, ordered the process for aiding victims, more effort has been put into programs among each branch of the military (McCabe, A. et al., 2020). In 2018, 6.2% of women serving in the military reported enduring sexual assault, while .7% of men reported the same (McCabe, A. et al., 2020). Keep in mind, this is just the individuals who decided to report it.

I plan to base my research off reports made within each branch of the military of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Conducting this research is important because it brings awareness to the ongoing issue. It’s also essential in developing effective prevention programs, reporting methods, and identifying risk factors. This can lead to the betterment of others as more effective prevention programs will lead to less harassment and assault within our military, allowing for men and women to do their jobs.

References:

McCabe, A., Jachade, A., Giles, D., & Schobitz, R. P. (2020). Responding to Sexual Assault in the Military: Policies and Practice. Psychiatric Annals, 50(10), 427-431. https://doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20200914-01