Juvenile Delinquency: South Korea vs. United States Comparison Essay by Nicky

This paper discusses how both the United States and South Korea have issues with juvenile delinquency that can be observed from a sociological viewpoint, and how sociology and culture are major influences in the problem of juvenile delinquency in both East and West. Through an examination of the causes of juvenile delinquency in South Korea and the United States, characteristics integral to the problem of juvenile delinquency regardless of culture and geographic location can be isolated with implications for solutions worldwide. The paper concludes that although they are on separate sides of the world, the United States and South Korea face many of the same problems when it comes to juvenile delinquents and how, in both countries, the lack of a definite role for criminal justice personnel is among the contributing factors, as those who struggle to determine how juvenile offenders should be dealt with cannot propose affective solutions. The paper further concludes that it is societal factors--like school, family, and economics-- that play an important role in the forming of U.S. and South Korean juvenile delinquents.