“On Finding Hope and on Fighting Fate”: The Case Study of Two Delinquent Boys in High School
Erick T. Baloran
Discipline: Education
Abstract:
Juvenile delinquency committed by school adolescents is a public issue that has been a foremost
concern of the government, educators, parents, and counselors globally. This qualitative study aimed
to explore the cases of school-aged adolescents in conflict with the law. It specifically sought to
understand their experiences and determine the factors why these students broke the law. A
qualitative case method was employed on two school-aged adolescents in high school who were
chosen to undergo an in-depth interview. The interview was transcribed, translated, and coded to
produce themes. The typical case committed by the participants of the study was murder. Some
factors influence school-aged adolescents to commit crimes, including peer pressure/influence,
family-related problems leading to negative peer engagement, and alcoholism. Further, the challenges
they faced were horrendous punishment and emotional distress. Regarding their hopes and desires,
these young offenders hope for personal transformation, reintegration into society, and to pursue
education. Implications emphasize that schools may create long-term intervention programs for
students at risk of committing juvenile crimes by conducting values reformation activities and
implementing effective forms of spiritual development that should be sustained at school and home,
which will involve parents and the community in general.
References:
- Cabico, G. (2019). Children in conflict with the law are victims too — r i g h t s g r o u p s . R e t r i e v e d f r o m https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/01/18/1886192/children-c onflict-law-are-victims-too-rights-groups.
- Elemia, C. (2017). Beyond juvenile delinquency: Why children break t h e l a w . R e t r i e v e d f r o m https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/151423-why-children- break-law-juvenile-justice.
- Esiri, M. O. (2016). The influence of peer pressure on criminal behaviour. Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 21(1), 08-14.
- Jinghai, J. (2018). It’s Time to Hold Juvenile Offenders Responsible f o r T h e i r A c t s . R e t r i e v e d f r o m https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1003350/its-time-to-hold-juvenile- offenders-responsible-for-their-acts.
- Juergens, J. (2021). The relationship between alcohol and crime. R e t r i e v e d f r o m https://www.addictioncenter.com/alcohol/alcohol-related-crime/.
- Konaszewski, K., Niesiobędzka, M., & Surzykiewicz, J. (2021). Resilience and mental health among juveniles: role of strategies for coping with stress. Health and quality of life outcomes, 19(1), 1-12.
- Macaraeg, P. (2019). How Many Child Criminals Are There in the Philippines? Retrieved from https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/news/children-crime-statistics-philippines-a00287-20190129.
- Mwangangi, R. K. (2019). The role of family in dealing with juvenile delinquency. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 7(3), 52-63.
- Onyango, D. A. (2015). Effects of authoritarian parenting model on learner participation in early childhood education science class Kabondo division, Homabay county, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
- Shields, G. & Clark, R.D. (1995). Family Correlates of Delinquency: Cohesion and Adaptability. The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 22, 93-106.
- Sim, W. (2016). Japan's frustrated youth a ticking crime bomb. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/japans-frustrated-youth-a-ticking- crime-bomb.
- Stoddard‐Dare, P., Mallett, C. A., & Boitel, C. (2011). Association between mental health disorders and juveniles' detention for a personal crime. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 16(4), 208- 213.
- The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2018). Juvenile Deliquency. Retrieved from https://www.ojjdp .gov/ojstatbb/victims/index.html.
- UNICEF (2006). Children in conflict with the law. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/chinese/protection/files/Conflict_with_the_Law.pdf.
Philippine E-Journals 
