Juvenile Crimes Archives

Facing criminal charges is harrowing, and the consequences of a conviction can be devastating. When the charges are for juvenile crimes, the impact could be even more severe. Fortunately, the Florida juvenile justice system is not punishment-oriented like the adult criminal justice system, but geared more toward rehabilitation.

Raising a child is undoubtedly one of the most challenging jobs there is. Parents typically correct their children's behavior constantly, hoping to have them grow up to be responsible and well-behaved teens and later adults. However, a certain level of mischief must be allowed, and the challenge is to prevent mischief from turning into crime. No parent in Florida would want to have to deal with accusations of juvenile crimes against his or her child.

It must be a shock for any Florida parents to be told that their child was arrested. Regardless of which juvenile crimes are alleged, parents would naturally want to speak to police as soon as possible to resolve the issue before it goes any further. However, this is a sensitive time during which care must be taken with what is said or done, and legal counsel might be the appropriate person to be present during any questioning and also to protect the child's rights during interviews.

The prevalence of cyberbullying was underscored by a criminology professor at a Florida university following the arrest of two teenagers. They face charges for such juvenile crimes after the suicide of a 12-year-old girl in early January. The professor, who is also a director at a research center for cyberbullying, says about one-third of children nationwide are victimized in this way. Furthermore, approximately 12 percent admit to having bullied others online.