Root Causes of Adolescent Criminality in Cirebon City: The Influence of Social Environments and Economic Factors

Natalia Sihombing S.Pd Kamis, Agustus 27, 2026
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FORMOSA NEWS

Juvenile delinquency and criminal behavior among young people do not emerge spontaneously; rather, they are triggered by pressures from the social environment and inadequate economic conditions. This was revealed by Salfa Giftia Rayyanty and Agus Dimyati from Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati in a criminological study published in 2026. The research highlights how family dysfunction, negative peer associations, and a lack of social supervision serve as primary drivers behind the involvement of adolescents in street violence.

The rapid evolution of modern social dynamics frequently triggers various forms of social deviance, including the prevalence of inter-group brawls among adolescents in several regions, such as Cirebon City. The phenomenon of street gangs, often referred to as "content gangs," demonstrates that many youths fall into criminal behavior due to a drive for identity formation and the need for group recognition. Amidst this search for self-identity, weak controls from families and schools render young people increasingly vulnerable to deviant behaviors, including narcotics abuse and the carrying of sharp weapons.

In examining this phenomenon, the study employed a normative legal research method utilizing statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. Data collection was conducted through library research, gathering primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials to analyze the correlation between socio-economic conditions and adolescent criminal behavior.

Based on criminological and legal analysis, the study identified several key points regarding the factors driving juvenile crime:

  • Family Environmental Factors: Dysfunctional family conditions (broken homes) and improper parenting styles—ranging from excessively authoritarian to overly permissive without supervision—contribute significantly to weakening a child's self-control.
  • Peer Influence: Intensive interaction with groups that tolerate violence leads adolescents to adopt deviant values in order to gain social recognition.
  • Economic Factors: Poverty, social inequality, and limited access to adequate education create life pressures that push individuals toward breaking the law.
  • Substance Abuse: The use of narcotics is proven to impair adolescents' rational judgment, making them more susceptible to being dragged into mass violent actions.

The implications of this research emphasize that juvenile crime prevention cannot rely solely on repressive law enforcement. Local governments, educational institutions, and police units need to strengthen preventive measures through optimizing family functions, improving the quality of character education, and enhancing environmental supervision to ensure the younger generation avoids the dark cycle of criminality.

Author Profiles

  • Salfa Giftia Rayyanty – Researcher and student at Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Indonesia, focusing on criminology and criminal law.
  • Agus Dimyati – Lecturer and researcher at Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Indonesia, actively exploring legal, social, and criminological issues.

Research Sources

Natalia Sihombing S.Pd

Diposting oleh Natalia Sihombing S.Pd

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