Often times, it is a regular street cop with little experience in the classroom. Also, it is almost impossible for the children to stick to the lecture material they learned in a few class hours and pit it against the stresses and strains of peer influence. I believe that if someone younger, possibly a graduate student, taught these classes, that the programs might benefit the children more. Giving them someone that they can relate to and can look up to will help them form the necessary bonds that will help them steer clear of delinquency. The age group that this control theory intervention would target is pre-teenage group. Parents would also benefit from this type of intervention. With the pre-teens, it would show them the importance of family bonds and therefore hope to deter delinquency. If adolescents are able to form these bonds before the severe anxiety of peer influence, then it will strongly assist them as they continue into adulthood. For parents, it will be helpful to show them the positive aspects of developing strong family and societal bonds throughout their child's life. I believe that, no matter how hard it may be at times, parents should do anything in their power to strengthen the relationship that they have with their child. .
Children depend on their parents and family members for encouragement, protection, and support as they learn to think for themselves. Without proper supervision, children do not receive the guidance they need. A comparison of supervised and unsupervised children has shown that unsupervised children often have a higher level of behavioral problems. Parents would be taught to insist on knowing where their children are at all times and who their friends are. Parents should also never leave young children home alone, even for a short time. Parents should strongly encourage school-aged and older children to participate in supervised after-school activities such as sports teams, tutoring programs, or organized recreation.
