Juvenile delinquency is an issue that has impacted the criminal justice system and other social institutions. Subsequently, studies have been conducted to determine whether organizational-based extracurricular activities prevent juvenile delinquency. Scholarship has, however, produced mixed results. Some scholars argue that extracurricular activities keep juveniles busy throughout the year. Thus, preventing juveniles from participating in delinquent acts. In contrast, other scholars have found that juveniles involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports-based activities, have not had the intended effect. This chapter aims to examine inner-city youth programs (ICYPs). More specifically, a detailed examination of multiple program types will be discussed. The intended purpose of this chapter is to inform interested parties so they can have a better understanding of the impact these programs have on the daily lives of juveniles and communities. The net result is to help advocate for refined individual- and institutional-based practices moving forward.
TopIntroduction
Juvenile delinquency is an issue that impacts communities, institutions, and individuals (Anderson, 1999; Clear, 2009; Jones, 2009; OJJDP, n.d.; Rogers, 2014; Shailja, et al., 2022). Subsequently, a great deal of attention has been devoted to addressing this issue within the United States (Anderson, 1999; Goffman, 2014; Izzo & Ross, 1990; Jones, 2009; Jo Wilson, Lipsey, & Soydan, 2003; Lipsey, 2009). On the national stage, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) advocates for refined practices and increasing public awareness to better inform stakeholders about juvenile delinquency (OJJDP, n.d.). It should be noted that the work by OJJDP and others (Lipsey, 2009; Rogers, 2014) is not limited to one state or geographic region. Instead, the substitution is that every state grapples with this social issue. However, the resources available to each state are unique and multi-faceted.
As a result, state-wide initiatives and grassroots directives have been created as a response to the unique attributes of a state or community. For example, Chicago, Illinois, has dealt with persistent gang-related violence over a considerable period (Hagedorn, 2006). Programs such as “Becoming a Man” address the impulsive nature of juvenile males through cognitive therapy (Prochaska, 2013), whereas “Working on Womanhood” focuses on improving the lives of at-risk juvenile females within Chicago through counseling and clinical mentoring (Ford-Paz et al., 2019). These programs help to illustrate that the issue of juvenile delinquency is not isolated to one gender. Instead, the problem persists across genders.
Understanding the shared and unique challenges faced by male, female, and transgender juveniles is crucial to better understand the individual and community nexus. For example, Clear (2009) has highlighted the overlapping issues within inner cities and their impact on juveniles. For example, high incarceration rates within communities of color translate into limited exposure to parental figures and positive role models. The limited exposure to pro-social mentors impacts juveniles by exposing them to practices that advocate for the demonstration of violence (Anderson, 1999; Jones, 2009). The underlining prognosis is the erosion of prosocial goals and attributes, which results in assumptions that communities and individuals cannot be improved.