Juvenile Crimes, Weapons and School Violence

Times have changed when it comes to violence in schools. It is not uncommon in many schools around the country (mostly at the middle and high school levels) to have police on campus and to perform daily weapon checks on students. The current scene makes a parent's role all the more important to educate their children against the use of violence to resolve problems, especially at school. Following is a list of items that turn up at schools that are actual weapons, or are used as such, and have been involved in  juvenile crimes in schools.

Handheld Items Used as Weapons

• Knives are one of the most common items used to threaten and assault others; they are easy to access and they can be brought in from home.
• Baseball bats are readily available inside school compounds and can be used for assault.
• Hockey sticks have been used in some schools where small gangs exist and have been used against rival gang members or other students.

Firearms

• Handguns are the major source of problems when it comes to juvenile crimes, especially as related to gang activity. Children often get the guns either through local gangs or from home without their parents' knowledge.
• Machine pistols are less common but are a type of micro-semi automatic machine gun. These are used in more serious crimes that are normally gang related and are not nearly as prevalent as handguns.
• Assault rifles are even less common but have been used in school shootings on a periodic basis around the country. These are far more dangerous, are normally used by the military and include AK-47's, AK-74's and M4 Carbines. In 1999, the 13 year old boy who opened fire on classmates in Columbine, Colorado used an AK-47.

Drugs and Violence in Juveniles

It is worth mentioning that a majority of juveniles involved in the school shootings that have occurred in recent years were also taking some form of anti-depressant or behavioral psychiatric prescription drug and according to studies, there have been links to these drugs causing violence and aggressive or suicidal behavior.

Has your child been charged with a juvenile crime in Chicago?

If your child has been charged with a juvenile crime, realize that if he or she is convicted, it could have negative effects on him or her for the rest of their life. It would be in your best interests to contact a Chicago criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Your chances of avoiding a conviction will be greatly increased if you work with someone who knows the juvenile justice system well. At the Law Offices of Mitch Furman & Associates, we can help. Attorney Furman knows the differences in how the juvenile justice system works as opposed to the adult system, and can help protect your child's rights as well as his or her freedom. Don't leave your child's future up to chance.

Take advantage of our free consultation and contact a Chicago criminal defense lawyer in our office for effective and immediate help.