In the early 1960's, the epidemic of juvenile crime began to take shape. The problem of juvenile crime is becoming an increasingly pressing matter in America. Anyone who watches the news or reads the newspapers is well aware of the intensity of America's juvenile crime problem. Establishing the causes of juvenile crime may help to deter it in the future. A proper solution cannot be executed until the root causes and reasons are exposed. There are undoubtedly many factors contributing to juvenile crime, but the focus should be on those which contribute the most: extremes of poverty and poor education. If these factors are so obvious, why do we not do anything to change it? We must give the children some opportunity and hope instead of just turning the other cheek and watching them go down the wrong path.
             The government's argument has been that not all poor people are violent and many that do grow up in poor areas do not become criminals. This is true, but the point is that growing up in a poor neighborhood drastically increases the likeliness of criminal activity. The media would lead you to believe that white-collar crime is rampant, but these crimes are not as common as those committed by the gangs and other violent youth. When trying to solve the problem of juvenile crime, most people are quick to suggest increasing law enforcement and harsher prison sentences (Ryerse). These solutions will help to a certain extent, but they are treating the effects of juvenile crime instead of the causes.
             Americans should be concerned that juvenile crime is being fueled by a lack of education and poverty. Juveniles from poor communities are not even interested in becoming educated because they are under the impression that there are not any decent paying jobs for them (Elliot 87). As Delbert Elliot states in his essay, "by not going to school, theses juveniles are not developing the
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