The Influence of Juvenile Delinquency and Its Impact on Learning Effectiveness in the School Environment

Abstract

Adolescence is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood. It presents unique challenges: while adolescents are viewed as more mature than they were as children, they are not yet considered fully responsible. From a psychosocial perspective, this is a time for identity formation—a period when young people discover who they are and determine their life's direction. Peer groups play a crucial role during this stage, as they constitute the adolescent's immediate social environment; peers can influence whether a young person adopts positive behaviors or engages in negative ones. Let us briefly consider some of the prevailing issues: (1) the moral degradation of the younger generation, evidenced by the prevalence of promiscuity and student brawls among those in secondary and high school; (2) alarming levels of unemployment among the educated; and (3) a severe decline in national morality, which has negatively impacted students' academic performance. Consequently, it is vital for educators to provide character education. Character education is an effort to teach children to make wise decisions and apply them in their daily lives, thereby enabling them to contribute positively to their communities (Ratna Megawangi, 2004:95). This article aims to describe various issues affecting adolescents and the resulting impact on students within the school environment—such as promiscuity, bullying, alcohol abuse, smoking, theft, and illegal street racing—all of which significantly affect a child's development and diminish their interest in learning, whether in formal or informal educational settings.