From the Latin delinquentĭa, delinquency is the quality of delinquent or the act of committing a crime. The offender is the one who offends; that is, who commits a crime (a violation of the law).
Delinquency, therefore, is linked to people who break the law and to all crimes. For example: “In this neighborhood you can no longer go out on the street: crime dominates every corner”, “The government promised new measures to combat crime”, “The crime of the ruling class is the main scourge of this country ”, “If we do not confront crime, we have no future”, “Social inequality is linked to the growth of crime”.
By implying unlawful conduct (contrary to the law), crime is subject to punishment as stipulated by law. This penalty will depend on the type of crime committed.
Used to name the group of criminals, the concept of delinquency is associated with a group of people who are outside the system and who must be reinserted into society. The sentences that are served in prison are aimed at the task of resocializing criminals so that they can return to form part of society as productive and non-harmful elements.
It is important to establish that there are different types of crime. Thus, for example, we find the so-called juvenile delinquency which, as its name indicates, is that which is carried out by minors. The abuse of alcohol or drugs, living in a complicated environment, being part of violent gangs or suffering from some mental disorders are some of the main causes that lead young people to commit crimes.
The juvenile courts are the judicial bodies in charge of carrying out the resolution of the crimes committed by those. In this way, their sentences can determine from internment in a specific center to the payment of fines through the performance of community work.
On the other hand, we find what is known as organized crime. This is the one carried out by a group that is perfectly structured, that has its hierarchies and that conscientiously plans each and every one of the criminal actions that it is going to carry out.
In the year 1929 it was when for the first time this last term was used and it was used to refer to all the actions that the mafia was carrying out. From that moment it began to be used more frequently until it reaches our days where it is used to cite all those crimes that are committed by groups of three or more people with the clear objective of getting money, jewelry or even power. Against this type of crime there are entities such as Interpol.
The fight against crime is an important part of State policies since its actions violate the rights of citizens. In all parts of the world, but especially in big cities, crime claims thousands of lives every year, making this problem one of the main social concerns.
