The Roots of Juvenile Delinquency Poverty and Economics

CALIFORNIA CHILD POVERTY BY COUNTY, 2011-2013 COUNTY CALIFORNIA POVERTY MEASURE (CPM) RATE FOR CHILDREN Statewide 24.3% Monterey/San Benito 31.0% Los Angeles 29.5% Santa Barbara 29.1% Orange 27.0% Merced 25.7% Ventura 25.5% San Diego 25.3% Stanislaus 25.1% Fresno 24.9% Lake/Mendocino 24.5% Tulare 24.2% San Francisco 23.9% Santa Cruz 23.9% Riverside 23.1% San Bernardino 21.4% Madera 21.3% Kern 20.6% Humboldt 20.4% Yolo 20.3% San Joaquin 20.2% Santa Clara 20.1% San Mateo 20.1% Napa 20.0% Solano 20.0% Alameda 19.9% Kings 19.9% Sonoma 19.7% Del Norte / Lassen / Modoc / Siskiyou / Plumas / Nevada / Sierra 19.4% Sacramento 19.2% Contra Costa 19.2% Sutter/Yuba 19.0% Marin 18.9% Butte 18.4%

Family Poverty In California Federal Poverty Level for a family of four = $23,000 16% of California Families fall under this definition of poverty Adding cost of living differences – California’s poverty exceeds 24%

Impact of Poverty on Children More health problems Less likely to enter school ready to learn Less likely to graduate from high school More likely to be involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems

Causes of Poverty Lack of employment Inadequate wages High cost of living Inadequate housing Limited transportation Limited educational opportunities Limited access to child care Inadequate social safety net

Social Class A group of individuals or families who occupy a similar position in the economic system of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services.

Significance of Social Class Typically defined by occupation Determines income and wealth Determines social status, upward mobility, job stability etc.… Determines an individuals place within the social hierarchy Impacts children’s life opportunities and upward mobility

Adam Smith: Wealth of Nations ‘Wherever there is great property, there is great inequality. For one rich man, there must be at least five hundred poor, and the affluence of the rich supposes the indigence of the many’

Economics, Capitalism and Income Inequality Means of production in the hands of the few (factories, land, buildings, money) Goal is to produce surplus (profit) Profit margins are higher if salaries are kept low Executives and owners strive to keep salaries low to increase profits Increase profits creates wealth When profits are not shared among producers (workers), wealth becomes concentrated among the few at the top Concentration of wealth and obsessive drive for profit leads to worker exploitation and accelerated income inequality

Changes in the economy of the decline of high wage manufacturing jobs

Major Changes in the U.S. Economy Technological globalization of the economy movement of capital (capital flight) shift from manufacturing to information and services (from high wage to low)

Regulating Income Inequality Government Policy Labor Unions/Collective Bargaining

Disproportionate Impact of Income Inequality on Communities of Color: The African American Example African Americans employed in manufacturing after World War II (auto, steel, rubber, chemical) Unemployment rate in1953: Whites = 4.6% African Americans = 8.5 Unemployment rate in 1964 Whites = 5.9% African Americans = 12.4% Movement of manufacturing jobs to suburbs leaving Black population in urban settings Jeremy Rifkin End of Work

Poverty Rates Approximately 14% of Americans live under the official poverty level Poverty rate for African Americans is 25% in total and 35% for those under 18

Family Structure and Poverty National Center for Fathering

Other impacts of poverty Social isolation Segregation Destabilized families

Poverty and Juvenile Justice Sturdy Beggars Pauper classes Dangerous classes Undeserving Poor Under Class

Poverty by Race/Ethnicity

Poverty and Delinquency Public assistance economy Illegal economy

Crime and Poverty