More and more heinous crimes are taking place daily. Surprisingly, in
some cases, the criminals behind these acts are not always adults.
According to the Criminal White Book, the serious offenses committed by
juveniles, such as murder, robbery, rape and arson, accounted for 4.4
percent, as of 2010. In particular, 2,107 minors were committed for sexual
offenses.
Moreover, crimes committed by boys under 14 are increasing. Therefore
many people insist that we need to reduce the leeway given to offenders in
this age group. Also, according to data from the Foundation for Preventing
Youth Violence, one in five students suffered from ostracism, verbal abuse,
beatings or extortion in school last year, and 31 percent of the victims
considered suicide more than once.
The issue of how juvenile offenders should be handled is contentious.
The treatment of juveniles is an ongoing dilemma. Still uncertain is whether
young law violators respond better to harsh punishments or to benevolent
treatment.
This study examines the recent status and countermeasure of juvenile
delinquency in Korea. The study consists of four main parts: Ⅰ. Introduction,
Ⅱ. The status of juvenile delinquency, Ⅲ. Legislative trends of juvenile
delinquency, Ⅳ. The countermeasures of juvenile delinquency, Ⅴ. Conclusion.