Kayla Brooks

Ms. Sanchez
English IV
28 April 2015
How After School Activities helps with Juvenile Delinquency
Barbara Coloroso said, If kids came to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it
makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it
makes our job more important. What Barbara Coloroso said is exactly right. Kids are what they
are because of the time that is invested in them. After school activities, are one of the things that
can be done to invest in the children of the future. Children can be the future teachers, doctors,
lawyers, or president, and without investing in them they will end up being the next inmate, or
McDonalds worker. After school activities, including with extracurricular activities help with
keep juvenile delinquency low by giving them a way out of of the juvenile court system because
these programs provide supervision, a way to stop life in the streets and potentially joining
Gangs, and a way to keep them from violence, drugs and alcohol.
After school activities can play a huge role in how children spend their time. The best
kind of after school programs are those that offer social skills, and build character according to
Result Filters. Although after school activities are helpful, one first must look at what happens
when a child does not go these activities, and the effects it has when they do not. Juvenile
delinquency acts as a cause, and effect when children are left unsupervised after school. (Rivera)
The hours that are most prevalent for juvenile delinquency is 3-6p.m. (Newman) The key to
influencing children are when they are young because this is when they are most influential, and

are ...marked by emotional volatility, and strong needs for peer approval and respect. according
to Newman. If not positively influenced they are negatively influenced that leaves them down
the wrong path.
The importance of keeping children on the right path is keeping them out of trouble, and
one of the ways one can do this is to make sure one has supervision for his, or her kids at all
times. However, for some, this is not always an easy task. Eleven million children are left alone
after school.This is eleven million children that are left alone for negative influences, like drugs,
alcohol, gangs, and other vulgar behavior. Four million from the ages of six-twelve are left alone,
and one our of three beginning at the age of twelve, and higher are also left alone after school.
This is because only 20% of children spend their waking hours in school. (Newman) That means
that the other 80%, children are left with no supervision to do what ever one may chose.
After school activities give the best solution to the unsupervised kids. This is because
after school activities are legally bound, and have a responsibility to provide support, and safety
to its participants. ( Olsen, 1) After school activities are not the type of programs that parents, or
the legal guardian of a child would have to worry about the care of the child. It is a safe
environment that a child learns from, and benefits from. It is also a great thing that is offered
because it provides insight to career exploration, skill development, service learning, etc.
(Benavente) Many kids do not get this at home, so for children to be able to be in an environment
where it is beneficial to them is awesome.
Along with supervision, after school activities can also keep children from entering, and
becoming involved with gangs. Gangs are very powerful, and children can become involved with
them if their not careful. Crime can happen at any time, however most juvenile crime happens

after 3:00 p.m. After 3:00 p.m. is triples. This shows a link to crime, and what happens after
school hours. With the work again, with supervision, this does not have to happen. However,
when juvenile crime does take place it often acts as rape, robberies, and assaults. Everyone of
these acts of crime, are involved with gangs. This also does not even count other misdemeanor
crimes, not federal offenses. Gangs can influence children at a very young age. According to
Newman, youngsters can begin to hangout with gangs around twelve to thirteen years of age.
They then join if they are greatly influenced at the age of thirteen, to fourteen. Surprisingly,
fourteen is also the age that many are first arrested.
Gangs are influential. They are influential because they provide support that many
children do not have. Many low income families are single parent homes, and lack support. A
gang from Chicago that has 150 years sentence said that Kids look up to us... and find they
got more than they ever had before.. He also further explained that one of the strategies that
him, and his gang members did to attract children was to have activities like picnics, and games.
This same gang eventually before he entered prison, having ten thousand members. After school
activities have the same picnics that these gangs have, however they have positive, and beneficial
support. Gangs seem to to have support, but that support results in leading children to prison. A
Chicago Police officer explained it like this, If we are going to win the fight for the souls of
Americas children, if we are going to make America safe for our families, then we are going to
have to invest in the services that help kids get the right start they need in life. (Newman )
After school activities most importantly keep children away from drugs, alcohol, and
violence. Drugs, alcohol, and violence are very influential toward children. Teenagers have a
questioning type mind set. Teenagers try new things, and do new new things that they might not

have done if it was not for peer pressure. When peer pressure is in effect, young children, and
teenagers need someone, or someplace that they can go to get support. Twenty-five percent of
eighth graders in Monitoring the Future Study said that they have already gotten drunk. Sixtytwo percent of twelfth graders has also already gotten drunk as well. After school activities are a
way of helping children keep clear of alcohol, or drugs. Alcohol is a depressant, and it being a
depressant many think that it will make the pain, or problems go away. Teenagers turn to it when
there is no other option. (Gaughen,19) Seventy-five percent of teens say that alcohol is easy to
acquire. (Gaughen,21) Alcohol, and drugs are proven to be easy access, and with after school
activities the access to them so easily can be declined.
Along with drugs, and alcohol, there is also violence. The three play a role that acts
together. In an empirical study after school programs drastically reduced the opportunity of
committing a crime. (Gaughen, 21) Stopping crime is the key to stopping juvenile delinquency. It
is not easy for a child that sees crime as a normal aspect to life, and not repeat. After school
programs offers another option. It offers, and shows that crime does not have to be apart of
someones life. It is only, simply a choice. In studies, for every 100 males, only 8 were convicted
that went to an after school program. Those that did not, 50 were convicted. Projects without a
Boys and Girls Club had 50% more vandalized housing units, and 30% more drug activity than
those with new clubs. (Newman) Again after school activities, is seen as an option stop the cycle
of crime. It stops if while it is juvenile delinquency, and before it turns into murder, or any other
serious offenses.
Even though after school programs are beneficial, many do not look at them as that way.
Many question how they are funded, the transportation, and the staff to operate the actual

program. Many children do need transportation after school. If not, children are left unsupervised
it only makes the problem worse. Not only is transportation questioned, but the funding is a huge
issue when it comes to after school programs. Most after school programs require a fee that must
be payed before a child can enter a program. This is how most of the time an after school
program is funded. When it is funded by this method, low-income families are unable to pay,
leaving low-income children left out. However, if it is not funded by this method, after school
programs can not stay a float. An after school program costs around $4,000 a year. This equals
up to be $30-$40 a week. (Halpern) If after school programs are meant to be for low-income
families, and stopping juvenile delinquency, with this funding method, it is impossible to work.
Despite the ridicule, and questioning of after school programs, they can work. In Kinston,
North Carolina, there is an after school program called, The G.A.T.E. The G.A.T.E. stands for
gang awareness training and education. It began in May of 2008. The G.A.T.E. is a 7,000 square
facility that has computer labs, has a conference room that can be used for small group sessions
for kids that need it, arts, or music activities, and a video room. It also provides a safe, Christian
environment. It began when there were art sessions offered two days a week. These classes were
the work of 5 students, and 2 police officers. The participants were Jasmine Coleman, Caleb
Fisher, Tavon Green, Officer Kevin Jenkins, Tayler Morgan, Alexis Monshay Sutton, and
Sergeant Dennis Taylor. The G.A.T.E. has played a huge role in improving the juvenile
delinquency in Kinston. It has become an effective, and is a great example of what after school
programs can do. (The Gate)
After school programs are beneficial because they help with keep juvenile delinquency
low by giving them a way out of of the juvenile court system because these programs provide

supervision, a way to stop life in the streets and potentially joining Gangs, and a way to keep
them from violence, drugs and alcohol. They are a way to help, and to invest in childrens future.