A steady rise in violent crime among juveniles in Texas has sounded warnings that preventative measures are needed.
In fiscal year 2023, 8.2% of youth admitted to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) committed homicide, which translates to 1 in 12 youth admitted to the institution under the age of 18. This figure is a sharp increase from 1% of youth admitted to TJJD in 2018 who committed homicide.
Additionally, the number of youth receiving determinate sentences in TJJD increased from less than 20% in 2018 to 33.6% in 2023. A determinate sentence means that an offender is sentenced to a set period of imprisonment or incarceration without the possibility of parole, which is traditionally used for more serious crimes such as murder, robbery, and sexual assault.
As rates of violent youth crime rise, so does the number of children and teens needing mental health treatment.
According to TJJD, youth aggression and the need for mental health treatment are at an all-time high. A lack of mental health treatment for young people puts them at higher risk of committing violent crimes.
A recent Dallas County Community Needs Report revealed that youth mental health has worsened since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with depression among Texas female adolescents increasing by 31% from 2017 to 2021.
Since 2018, the number of TJJD youth hospitalized for homicide has doubled, firearms offenses have increased by 50%, and felony drug charges have skyrocketed from 1,317 in 2018 to 7,978 in 2023.
According to the CDC, homicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 24 nationwide.
A similar pattern was seen in juvenile crime in Dallas.
Last year, 247 people were murdered in Dallas, and about 43% of the victims were in their teens or 20s, according to the city’s crime analytics dashboard.
As of September 5, 166 people have been murdered in Dallas so far this year, including 75 people in their teens or 20s. Thirteen 18-year-olds have been murdered in Dallas so far this year, the most of any age group.
While many young people are victims, just as many are also perpetrators.
Two teenage girls have been charged with murder in the July shooting death of a young man near Victory Park. The victim’s age has not been released.
Communities are encouraged to implement prevention strategies to prevent further increases in violent youth crime rates.
According to the CDC, a healthy home environment, especially during childhood, can prevent children from becoming involved in crime.
Additionally, quality education in the early years makes a big difference: school-based programs, after-school programs, and mentoring programs can impact a child’s life.
Because many children who become violent juvenile offenders grow up in violent environments, the CDC says street awareness efforts and changing community norms are critical.
Dallas is home to Café Momentum, a paid internship program for young people ages 15 to 19 who have been in the criminal justice system.
At the cafe, troubled teens work as servers, busboys and cooks and receive guidance from coaches in life and social skills.
Programmes like Café Momentum play a vital role in providing the community support young people need to move their lives away from crime.
