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JUVENILE CRIMES IN TARLAC CITY: A

CASE STUDY
A Thesis Presented to
The Faculty of the College of Public Administration and Governance
Graduate School Program
Tarlac State University
Tarlac City

FRANKLIN P. ESTORO
Police Lieutenant Colonel

2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company

Tarlac Police Provincial Office
Philippine National Police
Children in conflict with the law or juvenile delinquents are children who basically abide the law and deviate the society, who
also are at the stage of adolescence. The most crucial stage of development is adolescence. This is the stage wherein adolescents
undergo transition from childhood to adulthood. This study entitled Juvenile Crimes in Tarlac City: A Case Study was conducted
to three groups of participants who are twenty (20) CICLs, CICLs parents or guardian and WCPD personnel of Tarlac City. The
major purpose of this study is to describe the crimes committed by Juvenile and to narrate the experiences of the CICL it also
includes the formulation of measures to help the CICL and to identify the implication of the study to Public administration. This
study utilized qualitative research design in a form of case study as a tool. Thematic analysis was also utilized to interpret the data
that was collected. The themes that was extracted to address SOP no. 1 was Physical Injuries, Theft, Robbery and Illegal Drugs.
The leading cause of this phenomena was poor financial status and peer pressure, surprisingly, parent’s instigation and social media
was also one of the immerging reasons for the commission of such offense. Subsequently, for the themes thaw was extracted to
address SOP no. 2 there are nine (9) cases that was documented, upon thorough analyzation of the researcher it was found out that
having parents which is separated was the root cause why this juvenile commit crime. Measures to help CICL was also incorporated,
it identifies the three (3) major areas of concern to successfully combat juveniles turning into juvenile delinquency to address SOP
no. 3. And lastly, to for the fulfillment SOP no. 4, the researcher identifies the implication of the study to public administration
namely, implications to Provincial Government of Tarlac and towards Sangguniang Kabataan (SK). Recommendations are also laid
out to address the emerging problems.

Key words: Juvenile Delinquency, Child in Conflict with the Law (CICL), Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice System, Child Probation

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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Background of the Study

Children in conflict with the law or juvenile delinquents are children who basically abide the law and deviate the society, who
also are at the stage of adolescence. The most crucial stage of development is adolescence. This is the stage wherein adolescents
undergo transition from childhood to adulthood.

Anomie Theory explains that juvenile delinquency occurs because the juveniles do nit have means to make themselves happy.
Their goals are unattainable within legal means so they find unlawful means bi which to attain their goals.

Subculture Theory, another theory about juvenile delinquency that explains juveniles do not meet the social standards seek
validation from a subculture. The subculture group is formed of other juveniles who also do not meet the social standards.

Differentials Opportunity Theory believes that the juvenile may be successful during school but may fail to find gainful
employment. The inability to find gainful employment can lead the juvenile to be delinquent.

Cases of juvenile delinquency have been on the rise despite increased government effort to reduce them. There has been a
controversy on how to handle juvenile offenders with some people arguing that they should be treated like adult offenders. The
government has considered both public safety and the need to rehabilitate the juvenile offenders in its effort to fight this behavior.
However, this has not been effective in reducing the cases of juvenile delinquency. All over the world, an examination of the
juvenile justice system is being done. Among the areas of concern undergoing re-investigation is the philosophy of punishment
involving juvenile offenders and the process of bringing them into the juvenile system of justice.

According to the United Nation Children ‘s Foundation (UNICEF), there had been more than 50,000 young Filipino arrested
and imprisoned since the year 1998. Most of the offenses committed are robbery, theft, solvent abuse, and worse, murder. According
to the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD), children with the age of 15 – 17 have the greatest number of
offenses committed amounting to 46.96%, followed by 18 years old and above (19.05%) and 10 – 14 years old (9.17%) and lastly
children with the age of 5 to 9 (0.64%). They said that poverty is the major reason why minors are committing crime.

According to Nagle (2019) Crimes are on the rise and nowadays these crimes are committed not only by adults but by children
as well. There are a lot of possible reasons why children commit these crimes, and these reasons will be the main focus of this study.
This study discusses the influence of different factors surrounding a child that may negatively affect the child's psychological
development. In this study, the population consists of Filipino juvenile delinquents whose ages range from 15-18 years old. They
were interviewed through a focus group discussion facilitated by the researchers. Data from the interviews have been analyzed
using a three-phased variant of the Grounded Theory. The study found out that most juveniles perceive violence as a way of survival.
Most of them also believed that violence is justified when they use this as a means to survive, for example, to gather needed financial
resources or as a method of protecting themselves and their loved ones. As long as juveniles are continuously exposed to violence
and to have reason to commit them, they would continue to rely of violence as their primary mode of survival.

In the Philippines, urbanity is viewed with the combined concept of size, density and the presence of certain institutions
associated with an urban lifestyle like a town hall, church or chapel, public plaza, park or cemetery, market place, buildings for
trade activities and public buildings like schools, puericulture and a health center and library.

Demographic studies reveal some common characteristics of urban communities: (1) a heterogeneity of cultures with
concomitant differences in beliefs and behaviors; (2) differences among group members, with relationships between persons
restricted to specific needs; (3) increased mobility, impersonality and anonymity; and (4) people who vary in age, race, ethnicity,
norms and values. These are predisposing factors that breed urban criminality.

Comparatively, crime rates are higher in poorer neighborhoods and in areas with higher population density, deteriorated living
conditions and many unemployed members of the labor force.

Following the pattern of other countries, rapid urbanization, industrialization and migration to the cities are major factors that
contribute to higher crime rates in Philippine urban centers. Urban blight in the country is essentially a result of the sudden
unprecedented exodus of people from rural to urban areas. Progressively increasing difficulties in rural areas, exacerbated by the
natural and man-made calamities that the country continues to experience have resulted in massive migration to the cities. In-
migration, alongside natural population increase, accounts for the burgeoning urban population and the disparate rise of primate
cities like Metro Manila.

This unplanned urbanization likewise heightens the observable rural-urban disparities in growth. This strains resources and
creates problems in the internal city and metropolitan area. With the development of the economy through industrial investments
and with infrastructure support concentrated in big cities like Manila, Cebu and Davao, labor, capital and entrepreneurial talents
from the peripheries have been attracted to the centers.

These inequalities in resources, opportunities, power and access to social status rewards create alienation and frustration, and
develop into pockets or subcultures of violence, which lead to crime. Most criminologists, rightly or wrongly, also attribute urban
crimes to the lack of sound crime prevention planning and the apathy of the community towards involvement in anti-crime

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campaigns. Urbanization in the country has affected the structure and functions of the various social institutions – the family,
economy, polity, religion and education. Industrialization and modernization have led to the diminished functions of the family.
Economically, urbanization has worsened poverty.

In the Women and Children’s Complaint Desk (WCCD), cases of youthful offenders are afforded their rights but there are still
those who became recidivist and commit graver offenses. At first, these minors indulge themselves to petty thieveries, pick
pocketing and snatching. Children are exposed to the hardship of living as seen in the streets. Most of them beg for food and money.
They are exposed to different criminal dements in the streets instead of going to school for their future. Streets are now their
playground for these children. They play with their fellow’s beggars in the streets. As they grow up, they want more than a good
play. They play with life and death because during their teenage years, they begin to look for more than their playmates in the
streets, but for what they need to survive. Children and street are a common place for the society where mistakes are easily
committed by non-adults in their quest to find their means to survive. Children in this situation becomes more vulnerable and more
prone to committing crimes like pick pocketing, snatching and other street crimes to get their means to survive for the day. They
are more influenced by what they see, hear and learn from things. We cannot blame them because it is what the world now but it
would be a lot better if we help them learn from it by letting them to do it in the first place (Aala, 2013, et al.).

This study is comprehended by the researcher because he is bothered by the increasing number of juvenile delinquents based
on the records. According to the statistics of WCPD Tarlac City Police Station from 2021 there are a total of 22 cases of crimes
committed by juvenile delinquent in comparison by year 2022 that there are 16 recorded cases as of January to June respectively.
It was alarming considering that we are just half of the year yet we almost surpass the cases recorded last year and considering the
fact the we are still in the pandemic. The researcher is a member of the Philippine National Police which is task and mandated by
law to protect the community. This is for the reason that he was eager to pursue this study to prevent this so called “Pag-asa ng
Bayan” be lured to this criminal activity and be burden by the country in the future. Moreover, the researcher wants to rouse the
attentions of Local Government of Tarlac whose tasks are not only to supervise and organize the city but also help children in
conflict with the law, with help rather than punishment.

Statement of the Objectives

This study described and narrated Juvenile Crimes in Tarlac City.

In particular, the research sought to answer the following objectives:

1. To describe the crimes committed by Juvenile in Tarlac City.

2. To narrate the experiences of the Children in Conflict with the law in Tarlac City.
3. To formulate measures to help the Children in Conflict with the law in Tarlac City.
4. To identify the implication of the study to Public Administration.

Significance of the Study

This study is of vital importance to the concerned PNP personnel, government and private sectors, and community for the
awareness and information dissemination on the prevailing problem of juvenile delinquency. This is also of importance to assist the
PNP attain its mission to ensure public safety with the active support of the community.

To the Philippine National Police - Women and Children’s Protection Desk (PNP-WCPD), this serves as a baseline to further
review on the existing projects and activities being implemented in winning the hearts of the youth. This may be a basis to come up
with projects and activities to cater on strengthened community relations to deviate their interests in the commission of delinquent
acts in the area of responsibility in order to strengthen and meet the objective of PNP Patrol Plan 2030 in strengthening community
cooperation, collaboration and trusts to achieve gains against crime thru a more reinvigorated policy formulation at the top of agenda
with its stakeholders. Also, to fortify the institutional capabilities of the PNP by improving administrative and operational coherence
and efficiency; and to strengthen the police stations with the end goal of enhancing the quality of police services and relat ionships
with the community.

To the Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL), this may be an encouragement for them to lead a better life with their families
with sure and stable future.

To the LGU of Tarlac, this study serves as a guide to further understand CICLs for a better alternative in addressing the systemic
deficiencies in their government. The LGU may have a better decision opening the avenues on campaign against juvenile
delinquency. This is aligned in one of the objectives of PNP Patrol Plan 2030 to build on a positive relationship and active
participation between and among the PNP and LGU.

To the Future Researchers, this study is of importance to future researchers as a source of reading material to further encourage
them to pursue studies on community relations improvement to weaken insurgency in the locality and the save the people from the
false and luring offers of the insurgents conducting recruitment in their area.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study focused on the description and narration of CICL on the crimes committed. The research is a case study wherein the
researcher analyzed and interpret the data to be gathered from the participants through interview guide. It was conducted to twenty
(20) CICL out of twenty-nine (29) reported cases from the year 2022 in the province of Tarlac. The research was conducted solely
for calendar year 2022 in the locality of Tarlac City, Tarlac.

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Literature Review and Related Studies

During (2016) analyzed relationships among the types of abuse children experienced, types of offense (violent or non-violent)
children committed, and gender of Crossover Youth. The study demonstrated a relationship between emotionally abused juveniles
and commission of violent offenses. A large number of male juveniles experienced neglect and a small number of female juveniles
experienced emotional abuse relative to other types of abuse. Furthermore, neglected male juveniles and sexually abused male
juveniles exhibited strong association with commission of violent offenses. These analyses may provide incredible value in
providing effective psychological interventions specific to types of abuse children experience to militate against subsequent
delinquent behavior.

In order to investigate the effects of parental monitoring, parental involvement, ethnicity, and being U.S born on juvenile violent
and non-violent delinquency, an analysis was run using a public data set from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to
Adult Health (ADD). Prior research has focused on the types of juvenile delinquent behaviors but not specifically how their social
environments are related to these behaviors. It was hypothesized that social influences and/or factors such as parental monitoring,
parental involvement, ethnicity, and being U.S born will all be associated with juvenile delinquent behaviors. The findings of the
study showed no significant associations between parental monitoring and parental involvement with juvenile violent and
nonviolent behavior. However, there do tend to be trends indicating that the lower the parental involvement the more likely the
juvenile had non-violent behaviors. The research also shows a significant association between U.S born juveniles and violent
juvenile delinquency. Keywords: Juvenile, juvenile delinquency, non-violent behaviors, violent behaviors, public school, private
school, family structure, family type (Dunn, 2017).

Furthermore, there are a variety of factors contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. This study examined Los Angeles Risk
and Resiliency Checkup (LARCC) to determine the frequency and percentage of protective and risk factors regarding delinquency,
education, family, peers, and substance use and the individual. This study included 40 LARRC records from juveniles on probation
at Los Angeles Probation South Central Gang Unit. Risk factors that contributed to juvenile delinquency ranged from absentee
parents, significant crime in the neighborhood, gang affiliation, and drug and alcohol use. Protective factors that helped juveniles
resist delinquent behavior ranged from a supportive community, positive interaction with teachers, family support, pro-social peer
relations, and able to manage stress well. Results indicated no significant correlation between the number of prior arrests and the
risk level for male offenders (Crosby, 2017).

Similarly, Families come in many different structures and sizes, therefore; it is critical to examine how families impact children.
Empirical research has shown that a child’s upbringing has the potential to influence delinquent behavior. However, existing
literature using Fragile Families has not tested this association at the most recent wave. This thesis examines the relationship
between family structure, relationships with parents, conventional beliefs, parental incarceration and juvenile delinquency at age
15 using Hirschi’s social control theory. Data from year 15 of Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing is employed to test these
relationships using ordinary least squares regression models. Models one through four were used to investigate the impact of
demographics, family structure, parental attachment, parental involvement, and conventional beliefs on a delinquency index. Model
five includes all of the previous variables to examine the significance of all variables together. Results indicate support for social
control theory’s bonds of attachment, involvement, and belief. The family structures of two parent step-family and other caregiver
are no longer significant indicators of juvenile delinquency when parental attachment is considered. These results have implications
for family policy in the areas of family relationship quality and parental incarceration (Glad, 2018).

In comparison, delinquency has traditionally been viewed as a male phenomenon, often defined in androcentric terms, and
neglecting females in studies regarding delinquent behavior. However, females are the fastest growing subpopulation of the
correction population, which amplifies the importance of understanding the nature and etiology of their offending. Recent research
has suggested that predictors of male juvenile delinquency do not adequately explain delinquency in females, because the
androcentric research ignores the damaging impact of sexual childhood abuse and other prominent family factors on female juvenile
delinquents. This study aimed to examine the impact of childhood parental sexual abuse on female juvenile delinquency from a
social developmental perspective by testing a sub-model of the SDM using a longitudinal database of child abuse and neglect
(Nagle, 2019).

This study is aimed to measure the influence of youth employment, children living in single parent families, children living in
poverty and, youth dropout, on juvenile violent and property arrests. The study was conducted through quantitative research
methods, which focused on using secondary data, related to the issues in question. Analysis of the data was conducted to determine
if there is a statistically significant relationship between youth employment, children living in single parent families, children living
in poverty and, youth dropout, on juvenile violent and property arrests. Consequently, the study found that youth employment
influenced juvenile violent and property crime arrests. Children living in single parent families influenced juvenile violent crime
arrests but did not show any statistically significant relationship with property crime arrests. Haigh school dropout and children
living in poverty did not show a statistically significant relationship with juvenile violent and property crime arrests (Almutairi,
2017).

For many years researchers and theorists have argued and found empirical evidence for the hypothesis that intelligence is
inversely associated with criminal behavior and juvenile delinquency (Hirschi & Hindelang, 1977; Wilson & Hernstein, 1985;
Rushton & Templer, 2009; Walsh, Swogger, & Kosson, 2004). A specific aspect of intelligence, working memory, has also been
shown to be a risk factor for crime and delinquency (Cauffman, Steinberg, & Piquero, 2005; Syngelaki et al., 2009), likely through
its association with difficulties anticipating the consequences of one’s actions (Romer, 2012). Additionally, the constructs of
psychopathy and antisocial personality traits have also been shown to be strong predictors of criminal behavior and delinquency,
particularly violent offending (Hare, Clark, Grann, & Thornton, 2000). Recent research has demonstrated the possibility that

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psychopathy and intelligence interact, with the highest levels of offending observed among youth and adults high in both
psychopathy and intelligence (Johansson & Kerr, 2005; Hampton, Drabick and Steinberg, 2014).

Juvenile delinquency is a global phenomenon, and interest in comparative studies of juvenile offending and society’s reaction
to it has been steadily growing, despite the inherent difficulties of comparing juvenile justice processes across different regions.
Both adolescence and the concept of juvenile delinquency are social constructs that vary by time and place. To know what
constitutes a juvenile, or a delinquent act, requires detailed knowledge of a jurisdiction’s social, political, cultural, and legal history.
International data in the form of officially recorded contact of juveniles with formal institutions are scarce, and they are often limited
in their use for direct comparisons, due to divergent definitions and recording practices, or coverage of geographical regions. The
United Nations Surveys on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (UN-CTS) have the widest geographical
reach, but lack transparency of definitions or verification (Neissl and Singer, 2020).

Regarding gender and juvenile delinquency, compared to males, females are more likely to be detained for status offenses such
as truancy, running away, and underage drinking (Barrett, et al., 2015). This study used a large sample archival data from a state
juvenile justice agency. They examined the behavioral and demographic predictors of repeat offending for a sample of
approximately 34,414 females who had been referred for criminal offenses (Barrett, et al., 2015). The control group was a group of
34,414 female youth without a history of delinquency and matched on birth year and race. Data from eight different groups of
female juvenile offenders were drawn from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice Management Information System.
The sample included female juvenile offenders born between 1981 and 1988 each of whom had been referred to the SCDJJ on at
least one occasion. These sets of data were merged with the data from SC State budget and Control Boards Office of Research and
Statistics. That data was collected from the Department of Social Services, the Department of Mental Health, and the Department
of Education.

Gatilyo is a short feature film about Lino, a recently released juvenile delinquent, who tries to adapt to his community after
committing an accidental murder when he was 15 years old. The 20-minute feature, which uses the documentary style to manifest
grit and evoke pathos, exhibits how the juvenile delinquent finds himself rejected by society despite the support of a few individuals
who have become close to him. The film seeks to illustrate the importance and value of family, the basic social entity, and how it
affects Lino in dealing with the issues introduced by his immediate environment. Gatilyo aims to address male and female audiences
coming from the B and C classes who are aged 16-40 years old (Callope, 2013).

The research explored the perceptions and levels of empathy in Filipino children in conflict with the law (Filipino CICL).
Specifically, the study delved into the children's constructs of empathy, how it was formed and their experiences showing and
receiving empathy to and from other individuals. A semi-constructed interview and the Pagkamaunawain subscale from the
Masaklaw na Panulat ng Loob (MAPA) was utilized in order to gather the needed data. Data collected through the interviews was
analyzed through thematic and content analysis and the scores from the scale were showcased through descriptive statistics. Results
from the interviews showed that the children in conflict with the law had expereinced empathy mainly through their friends and
family, specifically the mother and father, and constructed their perceptions through the acts of empathy happening to them. Finally,
the researchers summarized that the Filipino CICL had capabilities of expressing and understanding emotions of others, empathizing
with them in order to fit in and be part of society (Lopez, et al., 2016).

According to Alcantara (2019) in answering the possible reasons behind juvenile delinquency in Manila, Philippines and the
problems with regards to juvenile justice, the researcher identify first the problems with juvenile justice wherein the Republic Act
9344 under Section 6 contradicts the bill that lowering the minimum age when it comes to responsibility in crime from eighteen
years old to twelve years old (18-12 years old) and the absence of counsel for the minor in order for them to realize that their actions
always have consequences. With that, numerous minors are growing into adulthood in many municipal and provincial jail. Next are
the causes and reasons behind why children or teenagers become juvenile delinquents—where they experience bad family
relationship, lack of communication between the parent and the child, lack of finances, lack of social and moral training and
substance abuse such as use of drugs, alcohol and etc.

In the report written by Conde (2019) the Philippine government is one step closer to prosecuting young children as adults, a
key plank in President Rodrigo Duterte’s abuse-ridden anti-crime campaign. On Monday, a congressional committee approved a
bill that would lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 9. If the Senate makes good on its promise to pass this version,
and it’s signed into law by the president, this would no doubt worsen the plight of Filipino children caught up in the justice system.
Proponents of the bill argue that children would be better protected from criminals who are trying to exploit them. But the law’s
impact would be punitive: children from 14 to 9 who commit serious crimes such as murder, illegal detention, or “carnapping,” or
violate the country’s draconian drug laws can be sentenced to “mandatory confinement” of up to 12 years. The national Commission
on Human Rights denounced the bill, saying that “punishing children for the crime and abuse of syndicates and other people is
against the state’s responsibility to look after the interests and welfare of children.” The Philippines representative of the United
Nations children’s organization, Unicef, cited neuroscientific research that shows that the brain is still developing into the mid-20s,
including the ability to inhibit impulses, weigh consequences of decisions, prioritize, and strategize.

In a local study by (N.a., 2022) it was discovered that a typical Filipino delinquent is usually a male between 14 to the prevalence
of juvenile delinquency is primarily due to poverty, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) considering that theft is the
common offense committed by children. Some of the latest juvenile delinquency statistics include: In 2012, police arrested 182
violent juvenile offenders for every 100,000 juveniles. Attitude, Legislation and Litigation towards Students, Outline How
Legislation, Policies and Procedures. Child – refers to a person under the age of eighteen (18) years old He, together with 3 of his
friends, is accused of murder for killing a member of a rival gang in 2014 – a crime punishable by reclusion perpetua. Philippine
Standard Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (PSCCS) Inventory of Statistical Standards in the Philippines (ISSiP) Civil
Registration It is easy to change under a controlled and healthy place.

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The purpose of this study is to determine the association of the Christian Values Education to the child development and how
it contributes to school community development at Benguet State University Elementary Laboratory School. Specifically, the study
sought to determine the relationship between the manifestation of Christian values and child development and the implication of
Christian values education to the school community development. The study utilized the descriptive correlation design. The study
was done at the Benguet State University Elementary Laboratory School and BSU Guidance Office in La Trinidad, Benguet,
Philippines. The most of identified Christian values have generally affected the five domains of holistic development of the pupils
because the school teachers have religiously inculcated values into their teachings and daily disciplines in school. However, the
physical was less affected by the values of repentance, obedience, and responsibility. Likewise, cognitive domains of development
were less affected by hope, trustworthiness and responsibility because which can be attributed to the rightful values that the teaching
at the school were able to instill in the pupils with the sound jurisdiction of good and bad behaviors. Christian values education and
holistic child development contributes in minimizing juvenile delinquency rate that leads to community development because a
community with a very low delinquency rate implies a good community (Li, 2021).

The MRD Program of Eastern Visayas State University enabled its graduates to acquire professional and technical
competencies in administering development undertakings in local communities. The evaluation studies proved that all projects were
in contributing to the socio-economic endeavors of stakeholders as perceived of being contributory to a sustainable increase in
production and income and in bringing about a sense of self- as a result of the interventions employed. The MRD' s relevance is
anchored on such dimensions as people empowerment, leadership development, and self- while the extent of provisions for the
sustainability of community immersion projects rests on continuous training, self-reliance, and self-direction. The program became
a catalyst for improvement of the social, economic and cultural lives of the people in villages where they were conducted. The
MRD model of EVSU, particularly its community immersion component, was deemed to be effective and could be adopted in the
maintenance of development schemes in the country and in improving the quality of life in communities as recommended by
AACCUP, a national accrediting agency for higher educational institutions. Therefore, this makes the University an agent for
change and progress in the Philippines (de Cadiz, 2013).

On the study that was conducted by Abella (2015) he found that external factors, including the environment outside the home,
peer pressure, and community rule, greatly influence the lives of children in conflict with the law. Furthermore, it holds that there
has been a strong positive relationship between the internal factors and the external factors identified, which thereby influenced the
respondents to commit delinquent acts. On the study conducted by Ramos, et al. (2015) he found out that all the factors except
external environment influence, which resulted in being not influential at all, are slightly influential in the committing of the crime.

Based on the result of data and documentary evidence gathered by Gahar (2020) the researcher arrived from the following
conclusion: Data from WCPD Investigators shows that there are three (3) common roots for high rates of youth gangs and
delinquency in Metro Manila, these are: Drug and alcohol addiction; Association with deviant peers for protection and company;
and Having alcoholic and drug addict parents, City Social Workers established that youth join gangs and delinquency because of
Antisocial behavior; Inadequate Moral Development; Inconsistent Parenting; Lack of Communication with Parents; School
Adjustment Problems; Low IQ; and Low Self-Esteem, Data from DSWD-NCR revealed the profile of youth gang members in
Metro Manila which includes male ranging from 14-17 years old; drop-out with elementary school level; from a family of 4-6
children; parents are low earning workers or unemployed; lack of education or low educational attainment; those that are maltreated,
abused and neglected; committed the crime of theft or robbery; committed crimes with peers; used drugs or drunk alcohol and in
handling youth gang and juvenile, the following stages in the Juvenile Justice Process are being observed and implemented: Law
Enforcement Initial Contact; Assessment of Discernment; Intervention and Diversion Programs; Inquest Proceedings; Preliminary
Investigation and Filing of Case; Detention of the Child Pending Trial; Court Proceedings; and Service of Sentence or Release on
Probation and the protocols of juvenile justice process, treatment and rehabilitation of youthful offenders is in accordance with the
provisions of R.A. No. 9344, as amended and the Family Courts Law.

Conceptual Framework

As central focus of this framework comprises of the topic which pertains on factors influencing the Commission of Juvenile
Crimes in Tarlac City. Thus, description and evaluation on the crimes committed by Juvenile and narration on the experiences of
the CICL was thoroughly classified in the study. Hence, this research has formulating measures to help CICLs in Tarlac City.

Moreover, through was to devise and propose measures to solve the prevailing problem and with the justified implications of
the study in the discipline of public administration.

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 Crimes  Measures
Children in Conflict Committed
with the Law  Implications to
 Experiences Public
Administration

Figure. 1 Paradigm of the Study

Chapter 2

METHODS

This chapter outlines the research methodologies utilized, the study's locale, data collection methods, research tools or
instruments, and statistical treatments required for data collection.

Research Design
The research design utilized involved was qualitative-case study. Qualitative-case study was appropriate for the study because,
as Rossman and Rallis (1998) have stated, “there are few truths that constitute universal knowledge; rather, there are multiple
perspectives about the world.” Merriam (1998) stated that qualitative-case study offers “the greatest promise of making significant
contributions to knowledge base” because it is “focused on discovery, insight, and understanding.

Sampling Design
Purposive sampling was utilized to identify twenty (20) CICL to be participants of the study based on the criteria.

Participants of the Study

The respondents of the study composed of three groups. First group are composed of twenty (20) CICLs house in the facility
of Regional Rehabilitation for Youth at Magalang, Pampanga that are from Tarlac city or committed delinquent activity in Tarlac
City. Second group are all the PNP personnel assigned at Women and Children Protections Desk (WCPD) Tarlac City and the Third
and last group are the twenty (20) parents of the twenty (20) CICLs house in the facility of Regional Rehabilitation for Youth at
Magalang, Pampanga that are from Tarlac city or committed delinquent activity in Tarlac City.

Data Gathering Instruments

The researcher employed self-made interview guide as a method in gathering data. The interview guide was designed in a
manner to enable the validation of the problems raised in the study and to seek their opinion regarding study. Follow up questions
was also conducted with the investigator-on-case and city social workers handling CICL cases in Tarlac City and securing
confidential records from the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division of Region III, with a non-disclosure
agreement (NDA) not to divulge the identity of CICL undergoing rehabilitation programs and court proceedings.

Documentary Analysis. Review of confidential lists of juvenile delinquents under investigation and monitoring of the police
and those undergoing community-based rehabilitation programs of the City Social Welfare Development (CSWD). Analysis of the
application of the laws, rules and regulations, departmental policies, and intervention programs which are relevant in the assessment
of Delinquent in the Philippines.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher secured the permission and approval of the concerned personnel, before administering the self-made interview
guide to the respondents. After the processing and gathering of the accomplished interview guide, the researcher combined and
summarized all the data to arrive at possible themes to be presented. The generated themes are analyzed, interpreted, and presented
considering the sub-problems of the study.

Data Analysis
The researcher used the method established by Braun and Clarke in doing Thematic Analysis by following the six steps which
are the researcher familiarized himself with the data, the researcher generalized initial codes, the process is the start of the
interpretive analysis of the researcher on the collated codes, the researcher reviewed the themes, the researcher defined and named
the themes and the researcher produced the report. This type of methodology is diverse and flexible which is comparatively straight-
forward compared to some others and therefore good for the novice researcher. Thematic analysis was used to facilitate answering

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the research questions by enabling the researcher to generate themes from the respondents’ accounts even as mean losing the
individual’s voice to some extent in the interest of highlighting the most important aspects of the overall data. The use of thematic
analysis allowed the researcher to capture and organize the data into patterns that provide meaning and answers to the research
questions. Themes was constructed from the responses of respondents and conversation with key personnel that would allow rich
and unpredictable content to emerge.

Locale of the Study

CICL from Tarlac Province that is housed in Regional Rehabilitation for Youth at Magalang, Pampanga.

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Ethical Consideration

The researcher maintained the confidentiality of their findings. There are on-site personnel who are responsible for monitoring
the place to ensure privacy and confidentiality during the administration of the survey questions. If privacy is breached, a
contingency plan in place. This may involve pausing the activity or switching to a dummy questionnaire until privacy is re-
established. If required, reschedule the activity for a later time.

The data was transferred immediately after the data collection to locked storage that is only accessible by the research team to
minimize the possibility that such data or information will be leaked to others. And after analyzing and interpreting the data, all the
survey questionnaires are destroyed.

Some of the research questions may cause other participants to feel embarrassed and discomfort; thus, the participants was not
be forced to answer any questions. The participants have the right to skip such questions they do not feel to answer, and they have
the right to withdraw their participation, and immediately, the questionnaires they answered was destroyed to prevent leakage.

No participant was named in the research, and their data was strictly held confidential. Thus, the risk of exposing to the public
their information and individual ratings was avoided. Covid-19 Protocols was observed.

Chapter 3

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the findings, analysis, and interpretations of data regarding factors influencing the commission of Juvenile
Crimes in Tarlac City.

1.0 Crimes committed by Juvenile in Tarlac City

Specific objective one (1) deals with the query in the crimes committed by Juvenile in Tarlac City.
According to statistics released by the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 2012 to 2021, about sixty (60%) percent of juvenile
crimes fall under crimes against property. These include theft, robbery, malicious mischief and estafa. On the other hand, crimes
against persons, which include rape, attempted rape, acts of lasciviousness, physical injuries, murder, attempted murder, seduction,
grave threats, abduction, and homicide, constitute thirty-six (36%) percent of the crimes committed by children covering the same
period. The last four (4%) percent of crimes committed by children in the Philippines from 2012 to 2021 involved violations of
special laws, such as Republic Act (RA) 9165 (prohibited drugs), Presidential Decree 1866 (illegal possession of firearms) and
Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling). While children and teenagers primarily figured in petty crimes, youth offenders are
allegedly getting younger and bolder. Some children are now figuring in heinous crimes that would send them to jail for life. In
2021, theft, physical injury and rape were the top 3 crimes committed by children.

In comparison with PNP statistics, the Juvenile Crimes committed in Tarlac City is congruent with the extracted themes and
data used.

Table 1

Crimes committed by CICL’s in Tarlac for S.Y. 2022 and Summarized themes extracted from the participants

Crimes committed by CICL’s in Tarlac for S.Y. Summarized themes from the participant
2022
Offense Turnover Offense Turnover
Theft 8 Physical Injuries 5
Malicious Mischief 4 Theft 4
Vehicular Accident 3 Robbery 2
Rape 3 Drugs Abuse 2
Illegal Gambling 2
Acts of Lasciviousness 2
Robbery 2
Attempted Robbery 1
Attempted Homicide 1
Motornapping 1
RA 9165 1
Resistance and 1
Disobedience
Total 29 Total 13

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1.1 Physical Injuries

It is defined as the damage to any bodily tissue to the extent that the tissue must undergo a healing process in order to be
restored to a sound and healthy condition, or damage to any bodily tissue to the extent that the tissue cannot be restored to a sound
and healthy condition, or damage to any bodily tissue which results in the death of the person who has sustained the damage. In the
participants account Physical Injuries is among of the highest juvenile crimes committed in Tarlac City. Among the participants,
five (5) of them have been reported of committing the crime. They shared:

CKP 1: Nakokosensya at nagsisisi ako nung “binugbog” ko siya. (I felt guilty and regretted when I "beat" him) (Personal
Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 2: Ako po ay nasa bahay lamang at ako ay hindi lumalabas pagkatapos ng “pambubugbog”. (I'm only at home and I don't go
out after the "beating") (Personal Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 3: Nagdulot ng problema ang aking “pambubugbog”. (My "beating" caused a problem) (Personal Communication,
November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 4: Nagsisisi po sa aking ginawang “pambubugbog”. (I regret the "beating" I did) (Personal Communication, November
10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 8: Pagsisisi po sa “pambubugbog”. (Repentance for the "beating") (Personal Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18,
2022).

There possible causes that may influence children into committing crimes, including: Abuse and Trauma, A number of children
are subjected to psychological and physical abuse in their own households. The psychological effect of these abuses not only causes
near-irreversible trauma, but also increases the risk of criminal behavior in later life. Studies show that child maltreatment can
double the chance that a child may become a delinquent during their adolescent stage and up to adulthood. One of the WCPD
personnel being interviewed agreed with the discussion above, the personnel claimed that mostly of the CICLs commit crimes
because they are a product of broken family, lack of guidance from their parents and family problems. Based on the interview guide
asked on the CICLs who committed physical injuries, they claimed that they witnessed their mother being abuse by their father or
they can’t share problems to their parents because they are always away from the house. Witnessing abuse carries the same risk of
harm to children's mental health and learning as if the children had been abused directly. It states that men who battered their wives
have gradually learned this act in their families when they were growing as a child. Similarly, women who fall prey to such violence
developed such attitude of bearing violence because they have learned it during their childhood when they frequently saw their
mothers being abused by their fathers. Bandura and his associates (1961) explained the power of social learning theory (e.g.
aggression) by observing others and imitating them. One of the largest contributing factors to delinquency is violence in the home.
Lashing out at others for the violence they experience at home is very common. Teens subjected to violent actions, or those who
witness it to others, are more likely to act at their fears and frustrations. They often have a “don’t care” attitude and this allows them
to get into trouble more easily. Neighborhood was also a contributory factor in which a child lives is violent, the children will tend
to be more prone to delinquency. Many people describe this as street survival methods because the child gets into trouble as a way
to stay out of trouble from area gang members or violent people. In many cases, when removing the child from this type of situation,
their tendency for delinquent actions is removed.

Family are expected to offer support and security coupled with unconditional love; they will always look to see and bring out
the best of the child even if they cannot see it on the child but in this case, it is the other way around. It’s important we understand
that a child is not born with criminal tendencies. There are always some factors that contribute to juvenile crime, leading them to
dangerous situations.

1.2 Theft

Theft is committed by any person who, with intent to gain but without violence against, or intimidation of persons nor force
upon things, shall take personal property of another without the latter's consent. Among the participants, four (4) of them claimed
that they committed theft. As they recalled:

CKP 5: “Pagkanakaw” ko po ng mga gamit ay nabili ko ang pagkain na gusto ko. Masaya po ako nakikita si nanay na masaya
siya na maraming pera. Pambili ng aking gamot.) (After I “stole” things, I bought the food I wanted. I'm happy to see mom happy
that she has a lot of money. Buy my medicine) (Personal Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 12: Nagnakaroon po ako ng lakas ng loob na “magnakaw” ng tinda dahil po sa napanood ko sa social media at makakain
ko po ang gusto kung kainin. (I had the courage to "steal" from the store because of what I saw on social media and I can eat what
I want to eat) (Personal Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 14: Nagawa ko ang “pagnanakaw” dahil mahirap lang kami. (I did the "theft" because we were poor) Personal
Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 15: Ako ay “nagnakaw” dahil wala akong pera. (I "stole" because I had no money) (Personal Communication, November
10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

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The causes of juvenile delinquency can be attributed to a plethora of issues in society, with some studies pointing to poverty
as the driving factor in pushing children to commit crimes. With a large percentage of juvenile delinquencies consisting of theft and
robbery, this assumption may not be far from the truth. Widespread poverty in the Philippines leads to a high rate of crimes of petty
theft. Theft is the most common crime because the Philippines has a cash economy, thieves and pick-pockets can easily gain access
to thousands of pesos. Petty thieves are unlikely to be apprehended unless a theft is discovered immediately. Economic deprivation
is seen as a major instigator in this regard. Three (3) billion people in this world are categorized as poor and living on a very lower
per capita income. UNICEF says more than 1 billion children are living in poverty worldwide. More than 20,000 children die due
to poverty every day. In a country where economic deprivation is rampant, it is common for people to engage in criminal acts. The
hunger and poor economic conditions are what leads many people to invest themselves in criminal cases. Furthermore, when people
are unable to earn for the longest time, they often start getting frustrated. The truth be told, by the latest research, the digital medium
and television play a very important role in telling people about how several criminal acts can be bought to life. We live in a time
where the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer every single day. One contributory factor also was Technological
know-how had opened doors for these children to be better acquainted with the world around them. According to the explanatory
note of the HB 922 of Party-list Reps. Irwin C. Tieng, Mariano Michael M. Velarde Jr. and Jose L. Atienza Jr., “The massive
influence of modern communication has brought minors immense awareness of their surroundings,” the Explanatory Note further
added. “Minors these days are more mature, and their perspective in life has greatly improved as compared to minors 10 years ago.
Accordingly, it is but timely to have our laws reviewed to adapt to the demands of the times.”

Juvenile delinquency is more common in poorer neighborhoods. While all neighborhoods are not exempt from delinquent
activities, it is believed they happen more in areas where children feel they must commit crimes to prosper. Theft and similar crimes
may actually be a result of necessity and not that of just a petty crime. The only true help for this situation is to make sure that
children in these areas have access to what they need and understand that they do not have to commit a crime to get ahead in life.
Peer pressure from direct acquaintances can have an effect on how a juvenile reacts to bad situations. If all of their friends are
committing delinquent acts, the child may feel pressured to do the same to be accepted. The best way to avoid this type of situation
is to be actively involved with who your child is hanging out with on a regular basis. Know their friends. Know about their friends’
parents. This not only instills confidence in your child to do the right thing, but it can also help parents keep their children away
from bad influences.

1.3 Robbery

The crime of robbery involves (1) the taking of the property of another (2) from his or her person or in their presence (3) by
violence, intimidation or threat (4) with the intent to deprive them of it permanently. According to participants accounts, two (2) of
them recalls committing robbery. Participants statement as follows:

CKP 13: Ako po ay “nanloob ng bahay” dahil sa kahirapan. (I “broke into the house” because of poverty) (Personal
Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 17: “Nagnakaw” po kami sa bahay ng iba dahil po sa barkada at mga udyok nila. (“We stole” from other people's houses
because of friends and their motivations) (Personal Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

The crime of Robbery is closely related to theft but robbery is much worst and penalty is high. According to the interview of
the chief of WCPD, these juveniles committed grave offense because their previous crime was done successfully and was not
apprehended, on their belief that they can commit again such crime and thinking that they want higher monetary gain, they tend to
commit much graver offences, such as robbery. One contributory factor that was also identified by WCPD is that a significant
percentage of children in Tarlac City grow up in environments where they are exposed to crime and misdemeanors. Children are
highly impressionable, which may lead them to recreate the criminal doings that they’ve either experienced or seen. This is highly
observable in marginalized communities, where children may be exposed to crime and misdemeanors at a young age, offering a
perspective that it is either normal or excusable. And the last contributory factor that that was identified by WCPD was some
juvenile delinquents in Tarlac City fall at school age range, with most of them not having access to traditional education due to
financial constraints or family issues. Formal education not only equips children with essential skills that they can bring into
adulthood, but it also gives them priceless information about their actions’ potential consequences. According to studies, the higher
the educational attainment that a child has access to, the lower their desire to take part in criminal activities. However, due to the
inability of marginalized youth in Tarlac City to be educated and given proper exposure to moral guidance, some children are
pushed into a life of crime.

Parental or adult influence is the most important factor in deterring delinquency. When a parent or other adult interacts with
the child and shows them what is acceptable behavior and what is considered wrong, the child is more likely to act in a way that is
not delinquent. It is very important for a child to have a bond with a good adult who will influence their actions and show them the
difference between what is right and what is wrong. Even if your child has committed an act of delinquency, their lives are not over.
You, as their caregiver have the chance to turn around their lives and show them how to change their ways. It starts with hir ing a
quality Tulsa juvenile criminal defense attorney so that they can receive a fair trial. Once they have gone through this process, as a
caregiver, you can begin to change the influences in the child’s life so that they can start fresh and go into adulthood with a clean
slate.

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1.4 Illegal Drugs

Drugs is any substance (other than food) that is used to prevent, diagnose, treat, or relieve symptoms of a disease or abnormal
condition. Drugs can also affect how the brain and the rest of the body work and cause changes in mood, awareness, thoughts,
feelings, or behavior. The illicit drug trade poses a grave threat to national security. The Philippines has become a manufacturing
center, processing shabu in clandestine and not-so-clandestine drug laboratories. Not only have illegal drugs been linked to the
commission of violent crimes, but they have also been strongly connected to the continued existence of threat groups in the country
today. Illegal drugs have spawned other big-time crimes such as money laundering and kidnapping-for-ransom. It was observed
that foreign nationals are involved in almost all the big-volume seizures of illegal drugs by government law enforcement authorities.
For the first quarter, seventeen foreign nationals were arrested. Confiscated from them were 297.53 kilograms of Methamphetamine
hydrochloride or shabu, 7.60 grams of marijuana resin, 7.21 grams of marijuana fruiting tops, 4 pieces of ecstasy tablets and 392
capsules of Bangkok pills. Nine transnational and 164 local drugs groups were identified to be operating in the country. Out of the
164 local drug groups identified, 16 groups were already neutralized thus, 148 local drug groups and 9 transnational drug groups
remain as a target for neutralization. Based on participants account, two (2) of them acknowledge that they committed act that
violates law related to dangerous drugs. According to their statements:

CKP 6: Ako po ay nakagamit ng “droga” dahil napasama sa mga barkada kaya po ako natuto sa bisyo. (I was able to use “drugs”
because I got involved with friends, so I learned from the vice) (Personal Communication, November 10,13,16, and 18, 2022).

CKP 16: Pakiramdam ko po ay walang makakatalo sakin pag ako ay naka “droga”. Ako ay natuto dahil sa aking mga barkada. (I
feel like no one can beat me when I’m on “drugs”. I learned because of my friends) (Personal Communication, November 10,13,16,
and 18, 2022).

The prevalence of illegal drugs in the Philippines has not been accurately determined. However, estimates by the UNODC
showed the annual prevalence for marijuana is 3.5 percent, amphetamine-type stimulants 2.8 percent, and ecstasy .01 percent of the
population above 15 years of age. According to the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2016, it is estimated that there
are 1.8 million drug users in the Philippines, which is equivalent to 2.2 percent of the population. There are a variety of factors that
influence illegal drug prevalence in the Philippines, namely geographic factors that make patrolling and protecting the country from
smugglers of methamphetamine and planters of marijuana difficult; economic factors such as poverty; social factors such as the
phenomenon of the overseas contract worker; media exposure and the decreasing moral fabric of the society; and political factors
such as policies, drug laws, and enforcement. According to some WCPD personnel the CICLs commit deviant behavior due to peer
pressure, morals and upbringing of the minor, and societal influences. The minor is put in a situation wherein they are being forced
by circumstances brought about by poverty and chance of opportunity to commit an undesirable behavior. Morals and values will
play a great part on the decision of the minor whether they will do good or deviate from the norms of the society.

Substance abuse in a home or by the child is a very common cause for delinquency. Children who are exposed to substance
abuse often do not have the necessities they need to thrive and are forced to find these necessities in other ways. Others, who become
dependent on a substance may also need to commit crimes to sustain their habit. Counseling and treatment for this type of situation
is the only real remedy to help these children. This type of situation can cause their self-worth to deteriorate and allow them to
commit acts that they would not otherwise have considered.

A lot of CICLs came from broken or blended family homes. This shows that parents play a huge role in molding their children
to be law-abiding. Others come from homes where poverty is stark so either one or both parents are often absent and busy working
rather than teaching values to their children.

For some cases, some CICLs manifest learning to live better lives or simply help parents in providing for their families but do
not know how to considering their young age so they resort to easy money. In other cases, the CICL lack guidance at a young age
and are often left by themselves, at times they are spoiled and do not experience disciple so they grow up thinking they can do
whatever they wish to do without regard for rules. CICLs manifest a need for belongingness so they find it difficult to say no to bad
peer influence. CICLS live in the moment, enjoy themselves and were not taught about boundaries so they are not aware about
limitations. They give in to their impulses without regard for the possible consequences. Some of them do not see any hope or a
bright future for themselves so they continue to commit offenses. Others feel that no one cares for them so they test limits and to
whatever they wish to do.

The early years of a child’s life are very important for health and development. Healthy development means that children of
all abilities, including those with special health care needs are able to grow up where their social, emotional and education needs
are met. Having a safe and loving home and spending time with family are very important. Wherein understanding why, a minor
commits a crime is essential to preventing future crimes from happening. Addressing the issue that has led to the choices that the
minor child has made can help them change their actions in the future. Many of these issues at an early age, adults may be able to
stop juvenile delinquency from starting. That’s why addressing issues on factors contributing to juvenile delinquency is important.

2.0 Experiences of the Children in Conflict with the law in Tarlac City

Experiences of the Children in Conflict with the law in Tarlac City are as follow:

Case 1. No Permanent Address

Kuku’s mother has been working abroad since he was younger. His parents separated when he was about ten (10) years old.
Since then, he has been living with either his paternal or maternal grandparents. His mother continued working abroad as well as
his father. Hence, Kuku was left to the custody of his grandparents. Kuku was practically raised by his grandparents as his parents

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were both working out of the home. When his father finally came home to the Philippines, he worked in a nearby province so he
was only able to come home during weekends. With his parents’ separation, custody was not settled so he transferred from one set
of grandparents to another. Unlike other cases of parents separating, Kuku did not feel that he had to choose between his father and
mother. Instead, he floated from one set of grandparents to another because both of his parents did not settle at home. Because of
this set-up, there was no sense of permanency in the home. Consequently, there was also no sense of security. These occurred when
he was too young to understand things. When he grew a bit older, he underwent the physical and emotional changes a young
adolescent normally undergoes. He was often with his friends. Like other young adolescents, he sought the approval of his friends.
However, as he often moved from one home to another, he did not receive adequate supervision to learn to deal with such changes
and how to get out of situations he should never be involved in that resulted him being involved in robbery together with his peers.
He and his companions planned to rob a gas station because they noticed that the watchman was always asleep because people
rarely filled to the station. They noticed that the watchman simply left the money near the window resting on a book. That day they
saw an opportunity to rob the gas station because he was fast asleep and they found out that he had been drinking last night. They
made sure that no one else was watching or could see what they were doing. When the signal was given, Kuku immediately took
the money and they quickly ran away with the money. They split the money behind the 7 11 near the gas station. Unbeknownst to
them, the guard of 7 11 was watching and he could see on their CCTV what the children did. He quickly picked up the children
along with the people hanging around and with his 7 11 co employee, after that they called the Police Station. When the police
arrived, they were quickly taken to the police station. Kuku feels guilty for what he has done and does not want to summon his
grandmother because she is ashamed of what he has done.

Case 2. Neglected since Day One

Jay Jay was newly born when his father, Ryan, attempted to give him to a physician in Tarlac City in exchange for money.
However, a confidential person contacted the Tarlac CSWDO and asked for advice on the incident. A social worker from the same
office then intervened and Ryan was prevented from giving away Jay Jay. Ryan was given livelihood assistance so he could keep
Jay Jay and have a source of income for the provision of the family’s needs. Jay Jay did not receive formal education. He was not
sent to school. Consequently, he only knows how to write his name and does not know how to read. He knows that he has several
siblings but does not know their names. He does not know his mother’s name but recalls that she passed away when he was ten (10)
years old because of lung ailment. He recalls living in the house owned by his paternal grandfather and being sent out of the home
by the same when his father took on a new partner. Life has been more difficult for Jay Jay since then as he and his family became
homeless. He learned how to sniff solvent and engage in illegal activities. He became part of Tribles Kommando, a gang of allegedly
with hundred members engaged in carnapping, robbery, and other criminal activities until he was apprehended by the police officers
on May 26, 2021. According to Jay Jay, he and his friends, who live in Barangay Sapang Maragul, just decided to rob a store on
May 25, 2021 after noting that it was easy to get inside the same. Because their group is very skilled at stealing, they immediately
found a house to rob. They went around the house first and after making sure that there was no one watching the house, they
immediately entered it. They first look for valuable items of high value such as jewelry, expensive items and above all money. They
make sure they can carry the things they are going to get so they can immediately run out of the house. After the robbery, they
immediately came out as if nothing had happened and pretended to be the owner of the house they broke into. Unbeknownst to
them, there was an intel agent police officer who pretended to be a balut vendor and investigated the incident. The intel police
officer immediately noted the identity of the children and their motorbikes. He immediately called his companions and quickly had
a checkpoint operation. The children happened to pass by the place where the checkpoint was placed and they were caught
immediately. The policer officers seized all the things they stole from the house.

Case 3. The Friendly Guy

Spongebob is an obedient child, what his parents say he follows. His grades were high and in fact he graduated from high
school with honors. SpongeBob keeps himself busy, prior to his college enrollment, by going out with his friends. His behavior
began to change when he was with his bad friends. At the time of the commission of the offense, he was still impulsive and valued
his peers’ approval before anything else. At the time, he wanted to be belonged so he went with his peers without thinking if they
will be a good influence to him or not. SpongeBob and his friends agreed to meet up and play basketball on the same day. One of
SpongeBob’s friends was bringing a packet of marijuana and asked SpongeBob to keep it while he was playing. When the game
started, spongebob was instructed to send a message about selling drugs to another person to wants to buy it. He knows that selling
drugs is bad and illegal, but because he wants to be part of his friends, he just lets it happen. The person who is going to buy
marijuana replied immediately and wants to meet immediately so that he can get what he wants. unbeknownst to them that they are
transacting with an undercover police officer who tried to buy drugs. Spongebob knew that his messenger account was also being
used to not recognize that his friend was the one who sold it but he just let it go. until they agree to meet in a crowded place for the
delivery and payment and the drugs. Spongebob was ordered to deliver the drugs to the buyer and he immediately obeyed, when
the drugs were delivered, the money was also delivered to him. when the money held, the buyer declared that he was a policeman,
his friends ran away and he was left with the police officer.

Case 4. Sampaguita
Cardo is the eldest of four siblings. His father is working at vulcanizing shop near the Office of the Registry of Deeds, Tarlac
City. Because of his father's work, he contracted Tuberculosis. In 2016 they separated. His mother remarried and now has two
children with her new husband who is a construction worker. Cardo was not able to go to school because at the age of 5 he was
already helping to sell sampaguita for his father and siblings to eat every day. At the age of 11, his mother taught him to steal. First,
they are going to the carnivals and fiestas, Cardo’s mother taught them how to get groceries or even cooking pan at the carnivals
and fiestas they are going to. They even steal big things. In one year, they can commit theft twenty (20) times. He sees that his
mother is happy every time they get home stolen things from others. Because of the teaching of his mother and he sees that he is
happy so he does the stealing for his mother. Sometimes they travel to other provinces of Tarlac. They go to Gerona and Gapan
Nueva Ecija to steal. When Cardo is caught by the police officers, He is taken back to his father's house. Whenever Cardo sees
something that he knows can be taken advantage of, He steal it, such as bikes, money and cellphones. Cardo also does this because
he has epilepsy and the other proceeds of the stealing goes to his medicine. He was caught again on October 10, 2021.

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Case 5. Evil Father

Arthur was in high school when his parents separated. Since then, he and his younger sister lived with their mother’s cousin.
They did not want to live with their paternal grandmother because the latter was already old. Their mother worked abroad while
their father continued to live in Tarlac but worked in Pampanga. Arthur grew up in a dysfunctional environment where fulfillment
of the family members’ roles did not conform to norms. He and his younger sister were practically raised by relatives because their
parents worked and lived outside the home. The dysfunctional environment’s effect on Arthur was aggravated by the separation of
his parents. Arthur did not have a strong support system to aid him through the changes. Instead, both of his parents continued to
work and live outside the home. Likewise, Arthur and his sister continued to live with relatives. The family set-up he and his sister
lived in was unlike a regular family where roles were distinct and clear for every family member. They had to move to another
home because of financial issues. The frequent movement and change in environment caused Arthur to have difficulty in trusting
his guardians deeply and opening up to them like he would when there is a secure attachment. Consequently, he resorted to peers
and vices in order to cope with his situation. He was exposed to influences and experiences he was too young and unprepared to
distinguish and deal with accordingly. One of his partners was caught in the act of peddling prohibited drugs and squealed Arthur
as one of his accomplices.

Case 6. Overwhelmed Guy

Jeremy’s biological father died in 2015 due to liver cancer. His biological mother married a Japanese national and they are now
living together. She holds a dependent visa for family members but is not yet a permanent resident in Japan. Jeremy studies in the
Philippines and his maternal grand aunt acts as his guardian. Accordingly, he went along with peers who did not have a good
influence on him when he was still a minor. He admitted that, because of his age, he was not thinking of his future when he
associated with those peers who introduced peddling of prohibited drugs to him. Jeremy was enticed to peddle prohibited drugs
himself when he realized that he can make much money out of it. He admits that he was not in need of money because his mother
provided for him financially. However, he became overwhelmed when he was able to buy what he wanted with the money he earned
from drug peddling and show off to his friends. Jeremy states that the PNP’s confidential informant (CI) was not a repeat customer
so he does not know what urged him to do business with the CI. When Jeremy saw the CI and the supposed customer, he felt that
the latter was a police officer. Nonetheless, he proceeded with the transaction which led to his arrest.

Case 7. True Friendship

Vincent finished Grade 6. He stopped studying when his father was imprisoned. At the time, their family sometimes skipped
meals because of poverty. Vincent decided to stop schooling so he can help provide for the family. He then went to work with his
uncle who was a vegetable vendor at the public market. Thereafter, he took on other jobs to have additional income. When his father
was discharged from prison, Vincent worked with him in a water refilling station delivering orders. As the orders lessened due to
the pandemic, Vincent was advised not to report for work anymore. To continue earning money, he looks for work as a porter at
the public market and lived with his paternal grandparents. Vincent has a friend who lived in a boarding house in Barangay Tibagan.
He often visited the said friend. They sometimes drank liquor together with the other tenants of the boarding house. Vincent decided
to visit his friend in August 2021 at around 1 am after his work. He then learned that there was a brawl at the second (2 nd) floor of
the boarding house that includes his friend. Thereafter, he was included in the group that was arrested.

Case 8. The Good Son

Carabao is an average student and has many friends. They are three siblings, he is the second. He goes to another place as
leisure with friends. His mother is a teacher and his father is a driver and pastor of Born Again Church. His parents raised him well
to be a good child. On July 10, 2021 around 7:00 in the evening. together with his friends, he picked him up at their house for a
walk. They were riding a motorcycle to the house of another friend. His friend encouraged him to steal from a store they passed by
because there was no is inside and no one else was watching. At first, he didn't like it and ignored it, but when he was told by as
“KJ” (Kill Joy) and there that he was no “Pakikisama”, his ears warmed up and followed his wishes. When they were leaving, it
happened that the PCP 5 of the Tarlac City Police Station is conducting a checkpoint. They didn't notice it at that time that there
was already a police checkpoint. They were shocked and thought that they might be caught and he didn't have a license, they sped
away to avoid the checkpoint. In shock, a police officer stopped them but they continued to drive to escape from the police. He and
his friend were surprised because the policemen were chasing them so they stopped. They lied and said they didn't notice the
checkpoint. They were taken to their precinct to be interviewed and questioned. He said that he was a minor so called the policemen
called his mother and father. They also admitted their wrong doings that they stole out of fear.

Case 9. “Ang Tsuper”

On night that changed the course of his life, Eugene was just going about his normal routine. He took out his tricycle and
transported passengers in an effort to help out his single mother, who were raising him and his four siblings. Life was hard for the
family – the children grew up without their father and Eugene could not afford to attend school. Eugene is 16 years old. He cannot
apply for a driver’s license as a minor and he was taking another risk by plying routes illegally with a colorum vehicle. But these
violations were not what got him into trouble with authorities. Plenty of minors get away with driving without a license, especially
in the provinces, and the same is true for tricycles without a franchise. Eugene was driving passengers that night. At one point he
picked up three men carrying a bag. They asked if there is anywhere nearby where they can pawn things. He drove them to the
place and accompanied them until they made the transaction. Little more than a week later, the police came to his house to take him
into custody. He was charged with robbery and selling stolen goods, along with the passengers he unwittingly assisted in committing
a crime. The three men were arrested and taken to jail. The underage Eugene, meanwhile, was taken to Pampanga.

Case 10. Parking Boy

Quezon is a street kid. He spends his days loitering around one of the commercial establishments in Tarlac City. As are most
other street kids, Quezon spends his time doing “Parking Boy” (guarding motorcycles and vehicles of costumers of the
establishment). At 12 years old, Quezon shows a marked slowness in apprehending conversations. His playmates need to repeat or

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explain my question to him first before he could understand. Although he initially started school, it turned out that he already started
but stopped only later on. There is also a marked slow physical growth. Quezon is short for his age, indicating a tendency of
malnutrition. While on the streets, he often get into trouble or quarrel with other boys, although he claims that it is only for self-
defense. When asked about school, Quezon readily gave an excited nod of approval on the prospect of getting back. At a tender
age, Quezon already experienced committing offending behaviors, such as taking belongings of other people and Physical Assault.
He was even brought to the police station for such behaviors. What is a bit alarming is that he sounds proud of doing it, and even
talks about it as an accomplishment rather than an offense. There seem to be no remorse in his words.

Case 11. Young but Old

Wanwan is a 11-year-old, Grade 3 student. She currently goes to school, being sent by his older sister. As a street kid, she has
also experienced getting into fights with other street kids. When wanwan punched his fellow children, he was teased by the bullies.
In the first few days when he was being teased by them, she ignored it because her teacher told her that it is forbidden to hurt others
because that is bad. But she is tempted again and again, every day as long as they see her on the road, sometimes she avoids not to
hurt others but there comes a time when she can't stop it anymore. When the bully approached her and she got opportunity, she
immediately punched him, losing consciousness and his mouth and nose were bleeding. She was immediately taken to the barangay
and taken to the Police station before being taken to the DSWD. Wanwan however, has not yet experienced committing other forms
of criminal behaviors. Ironically, she tends to acknowledge being at fault at some of those fights. Wanwan seem to be more mature
in thinking. She is also in better hands as her brother is taking care of her school after she was released from the DSWD facility
located at Pampanga.

Case 12. Intelligent Talker

Mingming is a grade 1 pupil. The only daughter of Mario, 36 and Melay, 33. Mingming often goes to the mall with his dad to
do Parking Attendant or tend to vehicles and motorcycles of costumers. Mingming prefers to stay at home and clean the house. An
intelligent talker, she is kind and obedient child. Even though they were poor, she worked hard to finish her studies. She wants to
graduate in college and become a doctor one day because her mother is always sick and always going back to the hospital. Another
reason why she wants to be a doctor is because the hospital always rejects them when her mother needs medical attention because
they don't have the money to pay hospital bills. Mingming bears a notable respect for people. But one day she is involved in fistfights
with her friends. Mingming and his friends are playing a game of arguing over who is more handsome, Joshua and Daniel. They
can't agree because one insists that Daniel is the more handsome and Mingming insists that Joshua is the one until they reach the
point where they are already displeased and reveal secrets until the two challenge each other to fight. Because of the encouragement
of their friends, they got even hotter. Mingming immediately punched his friend which caused her to fall down and hit her head on
the road, just in time a police patrol passed by the area and immediately took them away and brought them to the police station.
This may have something to do with her father being constantly reminded that she needs to fight her ground.

Case 13. The Bullied

Drake was abandoned by his mother and father. He was adopted by his grandmother (his father's mother) but later his
grandmother died so he was the only one to support himself. His neighbors know his situation so they are helping to provide food
and somehow Drake's allowance but it is still not enough because of the many requirements of the school, his sustenance is no
longer enough. Drake struggled much on his allowances and other basic needs in school to survive. Thus, financial constraints are
the main reason why some he dropped out of school. The influence of friends pushed and pulled him to deviate from school
activities. Sometimes they invite him to drink, smoke and do whatever vice they want to do. He tried to come back to school but
failed to survive and eventually fall out of school due to habitual absences. Most of the time he was bullied by their classmates and
by their teachers as well because of its bad smell and clothes that he wears again and again. Thus, blended situations arise when his
teacher is passing through the hallway, he shared that all his anger burst out and punch his teacher in the face. After he punched his
teacher, he quickly ran outside but was blocked by his classmates, because of fear he took a big rock to throw at his classmate who
would block his path. His teacher immediately reported what happened to the Police Station. Upon follow up operation Drake was
found at his grandmother's house crying and dumbfounded. Because he was so afraid of the police and that he was holding a knife,
the police who responded had to defuse the situation first and talk to Drake thoroughly, when the situation cooled down, he willingly
joined the police and was immediately referred to the DSWD.

Case 14. Hard Headed

Mike is lazy and stubborn, all he wants is to be obeyed and if he doesn't get what he wants, he loses it or destroys something.
His parents can no longer control it so they just let it go. As shared by the Mike, staying home doing repetitive tasks hazes and that
causes boredom. Mike took no school responsibilities and take whatever it comes. Mike still wanted to go back to school. He hopes
for another chance. He desired for better self and revived personality. Mike aimed for educational support and assistance from
family and other organizations but they have lost trust in him because of the attitude he shows and his lack of word of honor. One
day when he and his friend it out having fun in the park, other groups that is in quarrel with the fraternity they belong attack them
and engaged in fist fight. After hours of brawl, Police Officers arrive and brought them to the Police Station and was transferred to
the DSWD. When he was in the DSWD facility, he ran away with his friends and got into trouble because they had a fight with
fellow youths. They were again arrested by the police and brought back to the DSWD facility. His parents were called to visit him
and to check how he was doing but the parents didn't want him and wanted him to stay in the facility for a while to learn his lesson.

Case 15. Young Certified Public Accountant

Mary used to study at the Tarlac School of Arts and Trade (TSAT) in Tarlac City as Grade 10 student. Due to financial difficulty
of the family, the minor has no other choice but to stop attending school since the family had been in debt due to the previous
medical and burial expenses of her grandmother. The grandmother of Mary had passed away on November 13, 2020 due to heart
attack. Mary need to save up for her study so that she could enroll back to school. She wants to pursue her study so that she could
help her family. She envisions that she wants to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and work a local bank. She had
engaged in a transaction which she clearly recall that she would sell clothes, vape, and tattoo product on April 27, 2021. Mary on

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April 19, 2021 is eating her morning snack together with her friends Lysa, Jas, and Yas in Dampa Restaurant when they were about
to finish their food, three unidentified men had approach them asking where to rent an apartment to store their clothing, goods, vape
supply and tattoo. Mary left her friends because the minor doesn’t trust talking to strangers and called her boyfriend to fetch her.
Jas chat Mary through Facebook messenger and informed Mary to meet tonight so that the three men could apologized and they are
asking the Mary and her boyfriend to become models for clothing goods and vape products. Mary and her boyfriend agreed to come
over at Metrotown Mall which is the agreed place. At around 7:00 in the evening that same day, Mary together with her boyfriend
“Rodge”, “Kenchang” and Jas have meet at Metrotown Mall. Jas told Mary that there was a change in venue. Mary together with
the three men followed Jas and “Kenchang” to SM City Tarlac in Starbucks. They have their snacks together in Starbucks and the
group of men talked to Jas asking for “chicks” (model for clothing goods) and she replied there are available with a fee of Php.
3,000.00 each model. Mary together with her boyfriend were given Php. 500.00 each without any reason after they talked on their
transaction. “Kenchang” received Php. 1,000.00 while Jas was given Php. 1,500.00 for contacting Mary and his boyfriend. The
group of men had asked for Rodge’s contact number and offered him to process his driver’s license even if he is a minor and asked
him to send his personal details. On April 24, 2021, Mary together with her boyfriend, and their friend Lysa had met with five men
(whom Mary could no longer recall all their names) at Dampa Restaurant San Rafael and lead them to the residence of Mary in
Barangay Matatalaib. Jas and her boyfriend “Kenchang” followed within five (5) minutes. Mary had introduced the group of men
as “Kaibigan” to her mother, aunty and to “Tito Rocky”. The group of men together with the family of Mary had their snack. A
certain “Boss Jay” and certain “Sir Lance” had asked for liquor and drank at the residence of Mary. The group of men even gave
Php. 500.00 to “Tito Rocky” for effort in buying liquor and snacks. The men talked with Mary and her friends where they could
spend an “Anniversary” for their clothing goods. Jas suggested Sherwood with swimming pool “dahil hindi naman hotel, transient
home yun”. Boss Jay asked Mary and Yas together with “Sir Lance” and certain “Ely” to personally visit the place and made a
reservation for the swimming pool. Mary together with “Tito Rocky” had made the payment in the amount of Php. 7,000.00 for the
reservation of the amenity for April 27, 2021. Mary had acquired the cash through her friend’s GCash account (before lunch) from
“Sir Lance”. “Sir Lance” had asked “baka may puwede tayo idagdag na “chicks” para sa model, and Mary replied, “meron pong
model” for clothing and vape. “Sir Lance” offered an amount of Php. 3,000.00 of payment per model and later increased it to Php.
4,000.00 per model on that same transaction. “Sir Lance” informed Mary that a box containing 120 pieces of clothing goods will
arrive on April 27, 2021. He told Mary that she has to pay him back the amount of Php. 50,000.00 when all the said merchandise
had been sold. On April 27, 2021 at around 11:00 in the morning, Mary had received a call from “Sir Lance” prompting the minor
to wait for the box full of clothing at Sherwood. “You should be there before 12 noon and we are going to have a boodle fight
(lunch)” “Sir Lance” said. The elder sister of Mary was invited to join the modeling and she went to the said venue twenty (20)
minutes early than Mary. Jopay, friend of Mary was invited through phone call that same date to join her in Sherwood, and Jopay
together with eleven (11) women reached the place thirty (30) minutes early than Mary. Mary is babysitting her niece which is the
daughter of her sister while waiting for her transaction. There are more than 10 men who arrived at the venue. Mary talked to “Sir
Lance” and was introduced to a certain Australian which Mary could not recall the name. The Australian was introduced as the
supplier of vape products. “Boss Jay” ordered “Sir Lance” to make the immediate payments for the models through Mary. Mary is
hungry during that time and helped herself with the food not paying attention to the cash being offered to her. “Boss Jay: insist on
giving the cash to the minor as the payment of the eight (8) model which amounts to Php. 36,000.00 according to “Boss Jay” but
Mary did not count the money. He insists to give the money on the left hand of Mary and tap the bunch of money on the forehead
of Mary. After the payment has been made, rescue group had entered the reserved premise to rescue the women. Here-in Mary was
apprehended due to violation of R.A. 9208 as amended by R.A. 10364 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Person) and was referred by
the Tarlac City Branch 11 Family Court to commit the CICL to the Haven for Girls.

Synthesis

The researcher made use of sentiment analysis to analyze the responses of the study’s participants. Sentiment analysis (also
known as opinion mining or emotion AI) is the use of natural language processing, text analysis, computational linguistics, and
biometrics to systematically identify, extract, quantify, and study affective states and subjective information. Sentiment analysis is
widely applied to voice of the customer materials such as reviews and survey responses, online and social media, and healthcare
materials for applications that range from marketing to customer service to clinical medicine. With the rise of deep language models,
such as RoBERTa, also more difficult data domains can be analyzed, e.g., news texts where authors typically express their
opinion/sentiment less explicitly (Hamborg, Felix; Donnay, Karsten, 2021).

Figure 2 shows the CICL’s response's word cloud. A word cloud is a collection of words that collectively have the appearance
of a cloud. The size of a word indicates how significant it is, including its frequency—how frequently it appears in a document.
Word clouds are frequently used by people to quickly summarize lengthy texts (reports, speeches), to produce art (gifts, exhibitions),
or to show facts (tables, surveys). It is clear from the word cloud that the phrases "school," "family," "home," "friend," "together,"
and "father" are the most prevalent. Since most of the responses focused primarily on these words. For example, school; as the
CICL’s said they failed or plaining to have their schooling. Their family, to be specific broken family whom the most common
reason of delinquent activities. The friend which stands as their source of belongingness in the absence of the support of the family.
In addition, together stands for the activity undertaken by the CICL’s towards their friend or family. Lastly, the father which they
one of the reasons why they learn delinquent activities or which support them in daily living.

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Figure 2. Word Cloud of the CICL’s Response

Table 2
Sentiment Analysis Results

Compound Continuous
Result Label Response F
0.8964 Positive Positive 8
-0.5089 Negative Neutral 0
0.9761 Positive Negative 7
-0.765 Negative Total 15
0.2844 Positive
0.3901 Positive
-0.0094 Negative
0.9806 Positive
-0.8794 Negative
-0.9652 Negative
-0.7351 Negative
-0.3672 Negative
0.6858 Positive
-0.9011 Negative
0.8573 Positive

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Table 2 presents the sentiment analysis result of the participants responses. It can be gleaned in the table that the score indicates
how negative or positive the overall text analyzed is. Anything below a score of -0.05 is tagged as negative and anything above
0.05 is tagged as positive. Anything in between inclusively is tagged as neutral.

Based on the presented sentiment analysis results, it can be observed that responses are almost equal in which positive is having
a frequency of 8 or 53% while the other half of the responses of the CICL’s were considered negative (7 or 47%). According to
this, most CICL’s have optimistic attitudes towards change and going back to school to correct their misdeeds. On the cases, it
should be highlighted that the CICL’s have a similar issue due to family problem, peer pressure and parent’s instigation. To put it
another way, it is recommended that intervention programs should be fully implemented to avoid cases of Juvenile Crimes.

3.0 Measures to help the Children in Conflict with the law in Tarlac City

The most effective way to prevent juvenile delinquency has indisputably been to assist children and their families early on.
Numerous programs attempt early intervention, and community initiatives has allowed independent groups to tackle the problem
in new ways. The most effective programs for juvenile delinquency prevention are to address the following key components:

3.1. Programs for Children Vulnerable to Delinquency

a. Education
Education Model programs have assisted families and children by providing them with information. Some programs inform
parents on how to raise healthy children; some teach children about the effects of drugs, gangs, sex, and weapons; and others aim
to express to youth the innate worth they and all others have. All of these programs provide youths with the awareness that their
actions have consequences. This is particularly important in an era where youth are barraged with sexual and violent images.
Educational programs have the underlying intent of encouraging hope and opening up opportunities for young people.

b. Recreation
One of the immediate benefits of recreational activities is that they fill unsupervised after-school hours. The Department of
Education has reported that youths are most likely to commit crimes between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., with crime rates peaking at 3 p.m.
Recreation programs allow youths to connect with other adults and children in the community. Such positive friendships may assist
children in later years. Youth programs are designed to fit the personalities and skills of different children and may include sports,
dancing, music, rock climbing, drama, karate, bowling, art, and other activities.

c. Community Involvement
Girl scouts, boy scouts, church youth groups, CAT, ROTC, Reservist and volunteer groups all involve youth within a
community. Involvement in community groups provide youth with an opportunity to interact in a safe social environment.

d. Prenatal and Infancy Home Visitation by Nurses

Nurses involved in the “Prenatal and Infancy Home Visitation by Nurses” program pay visits to low income, single mothers
between their third trimester and the second year of their child’s life. During these visits, nurses focus on the health of the mother
and child, the support relationships in the mother’s life, and the enrollment of the mother and child in Health and Human Services
programs. A 15-year follow-up study found that mothers and children involved in the program had had a 79 percent lower child
abuse rate, a 56 percent lower child runaway rate, and a 56 percent lower child arrest rate. Maternal behavior problems also dropped
significantly in the studied group.

e. Parent-Child Interaction Training Program

The “Parent-Child Integration Training Program” takes parents and children approximately 12 weeks to complete. It is designed
to teach parenting skills to parents of children ages two to seven who exhibit major behavioral problems. The program places parents
and children in interactive situations. A therapist guides the parents, educating them on how best to respond to their child’s behavior,

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whether positive or negative. The program has been shown to reduce hyperactivity, attention deficit, aggression, and anxious
behavior in children.

f. Bullying Prevention Program

The Bullying Prevention Program is put into place in elementary and junior high school settings. An anonymous student
questionnaire fills teachers and administrators in as to who is doing the bullying, which kids are most frequently victimized, and
where bullying occurs on campus. Once teachers and administrators have learned about how and where bullying occurs at their
school, they set up class rules and facilitate discussions that address the problem. Individual bullies and victims receive independent
counseling. The program succeeds in creating a safer, less hostile environment for students at minimal cost.

3.2. Children in Conflict with the Law

a. Prevention Programs within the Juvenile Justice System

A youth entering the Juvenile Justice System has the opportunity to receive intervention assistance from the state. In the care
of the state, a youth may receive drug rehabilitation assistance, counseling, and educational opportunities. The success of the
Juvenile Justice System is measured by how well it prepares youth to re-enter the community without committing further crimes.
Optimally, all juvenile detention facilities would catch youths up on their education, provide them with job training, give them the
experience of living in a safe, stable environment, and provide them with assistance to break harmful habits.

3.3 CICLs who finished the probation period

a. Functional Family Therapy (FFT)

The Functional Family Therapy program helps adolescents on probation – and their families. A family therapist works with
the family and helps individual family members see how they can positively motivate change in their home. The program works in
three phases. During the first phase, the therapist attempts to break down resistance to therapy and encourages the family to believe
that negative communication and interaction patterns can be changed. In the second phase, family members are taught new ways to
approach day-to-day situations; they are shown how to change their behaviors and responses to situations. During the third phase,
family members are encouraged to move new relational skills into other social situations (school, or the workplace, for instance).
FFT reduces recidivism rates and juvenile delinquency at a low cost. Twelve FFT sessions cost approximately one-sixth the cost of
detaining a youth for one month. Another positive effect of the program is that the siblings of the youth on parole are less likely to
commit crimes because of the help their family has received.

4.0 Implications of the study to Public Administration

The first implication of the study is towards the Provincial Government of Tarlac. The researcher found out that Tarlac Province
doesn’t have any facilities that cater CICLs. CICLs from Tarlac Province are sent to Pampanga. Family play the primary role in
preventing the continuation of the juvenile delinquency, if custodial facilities are far from the place of the parents or family members
of the CICLs considering the fact that most of the parents are working or separated the primary role of family will be neglected
considering the location of the custodial facilities.

The second implication of the study is towards the Barangay Level specifically on the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK). On the
interview guide, one of its portions is asking for the hubby of the participants. Almost all of them love sports, commonly they are
interested to basketball and volleyball. The researcher arrives at the conclusion that if the participants are busy doing productive
leisure activities on their barangays, Juvenile Crimes will be lessened at the same time younger generation will be fit and will enjoy
their adolescence.
Chapter 4

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents brief generalizations based from participants accounts. It includes the significant inferences derived from
the findings of the study. Recommendations are also provided about the findings, which help improve or resolve the prevailing
situation.

Findings

1. Among the participants, Physical Injuries is committed the most as five (5) participants have been reported of committing the
crime. It was found out that Abuse and Trauma may have great attribute why such crime is committed by juveniles. The second in
rank is the commission of theft in which four (4) of the participants claimed that they committed the crime. A lot of studies suggest
that poverty is the root causes of this crime and this study agree with that explanation, surprisingly some of the CICLs commit such
crime not because of peer influence but through the parent’s instigation and one shocking finding was one of the CICLs learn how
to commit it through social media. To Furthermore the findings, according po participants accounts, two (2) of them recalls
committing robbery. The same with theft, poverty is the most common reason why this act was committed adding to the fact that
the perpetrators wants more monetary gain. And the saddest findings of the study, it was found out that two (2) participants
acknowledge that they committed act that violates law related to dangerous drugs. Children specifically under adolescent stage are
the most common victims of drug abuse as they are in search of answers in every question that rumbles on their minds adding to
these phenomena the absences of capable guardians or parents that will answers their questions correctly. As these children search
for questions they are lured by bad influence, peer instigation, bad environment and other factors that’s why some children fall into
using drugs.

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2. The experiences of Children are truly heartbreaking. Most of the children who commit crimes are because of the lack of someone
to teach them to take the right path. It was found out that parental separation is one of the reasons why children go to the wrong
path. It is not surprising that there are also young people whose reason for committing crimes is because of peer influence, there
are many studies pointing out that friends are usually the reason for bad deeds and this study is to prove that findings.

3. Based on the studies that have been gathered, the best programs to help reduce the number of Children who commit crimes are
to take steps at the beginning so that the child will not think about committing crimes. Second, if the child has already committed a
crime, it is better to provide programs that will correct his wrong doings and restore his morality. and thirdly, the programs related
to the correction of the child's behavior will not end when he is released, the focus should also be on the child even after he is
released so that the change will continue and avoid reoffending.

4. The first implication generated from the study is regarding the Provincial Government of Tarlac that should establish an institution
that will take care CICLs in Tarlac. It was found out in the study that the CICLs of Tarlac are brought to Pampanga because of lack
of facilities. It affects the child too much especially, the most effective way to correct the wrong doings of the child is with the help
and guidance of his parents. The second implication of the study is regarding the SK programs in the barangays. It was found that
almost all CICLs have their hobbies such as basketball, volleyball and others. if SK continues the programs that were done before
the pandemic, the children will definitely have fun and will not think of committing crimes.

Conclusions
Based on the foregoing discussions of findings, it was concluded that;

1. Most juvenile crimes committed in Tarlac City are physical injury followed by crimes towards properties and lastly violation of
special laws. For crime that focus on violence, most common contributory factor in its commission is the child seeing violence at
home. The study also concluded that crimes towards properties such as theft and robbery is committed because of economic status,
they are forced by their situation to look for alternatives to survive, support their needs and to please their parents. It is also predicted
that some of the CICLs committed crimes due to peer pressure. Surprisingly, additional causes of Juvenile Crime are due to social
media. It is just debilitating to know that some of the parents of the CICLs are one of the reasons why these juveniles learn how to
commit crimes.

2. Relationships within the family with mother and especially the father makes all the difference in the world to how a child acts
out.

3. A definite intervention is required at an early stage and in order to prevent juvenile crime, its root causes must first be clearly
understood. The factors that drive a teen to crime can be complex. The social and environmental factors that strongly influence teen
criminal behavior must be understood first in order to fight against it.

4. Facilities are responsible for the custody of CICLs. These facilities are expected to provide for the safety of youth and the public
and to fulfill a variety of other functions. Together with extracurricular activities that is suited for the needs of the CICLs, it will
reinforce and offers opportunity to apply real-world context and generate a well-rounded child later on the process.
Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusions drawn, the following recommendations are made:

1. The researcher recommend the creation and full implementation of OPLAN Rizal in which PNP WCPD together with partner
agencies such as DSWD and LGU shall hand in hand support and follow up CICLs within their jurisdiction until full rehabilitation.

2. The researcher recommend the adoption of at least one (1) CICL by police station on the area of responsibility where the
child is staying for close supervision, follow up intervention and to make sure that re offending will not occur.

3. For the Barangay officials, it is suggested to have sport and physical activity program for the benefit of the youth of their
barangay. The programs will help to lessen the occurrence of youth’s delinquent behavior.

4. Different livelihood program is also suggested to conduct that will give earnings to the youth and also to avoid in committing
crime such as stealing, vagrancy and bullying.

5. It is recommended to Barangay officials the reimplementation of the program specifically the activities in addressing
substance abuse of youth like seminars, film showing, etc.

6. To parents, to give support, guide and encourage their children in joining activities for the youths.

7. Police officials should provide security measures in dealing with the juvenile delinquents and the government should include
policy programs especially in dealing with male juveniles which have anger issues.

8. The policy makers or lawmaking body should review the age limit for juvenile delinquents since age 10 to 15 years old been
significantly associated with the crimes committed, followed by those aged 16 to 17, and aged 9 years old have greater tendency to
commit crimes in urban areas.

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9. The researcher recommend the formulation of Manual to incorporate an effective program for juvenile delinquency
prevention that will address the three (3) key components which is first to address the children vulnerable to delinquency, second,
the CICLs under probation period and third, CICLs who finished the probation period to successfully win juvenile problems.

10. The researcher recommend the adaptation of the study to be utilized by the Provincial government of Tarlac as their basis
in order to establish facilities that will cater safekeeping of CICL during detention.

APPENDICES

Appendix A

Interview Guide

Name (Pangalan):______________________________ Age (Edad):_______________ Sex (Kasarian):________

Highest Educational Attainment (Pinakamataas na nakamit sa Edukasyon):

___________________________________________________________________________________________

School Last Attended (Huling eskwelahan na pinasukan):_____________________________________________

Ambition (Pangarap):_______________________________ Hobby (Hilig gawin):_________________________

Crime (Kaso):________________________________________________________________________________

Mga Katanungan na kaugnay sa Krimen na ginawa

1. What is the story of Life of CICL before commission of crime (Ano ang kwento ng Buhay ng CICL bago nakagawa ng krimen)

1.1. What are the contributing factors for the Commission of crime (Ano ang mga salik na nag-aambag para sa Komisyon ng
krimen)?

2. When did the CICL commit the Crime (Kailan ginawa ng CICL ang Krimen)?
3. Where did the CICL commit the Crime (Saan ginawa ng CICL ang Krimen)?
4. Why did the CICL commit the Crime (Bakit ginawa ng CICL ang Krimen)?
5. How did the CICL commit the Crime (Paano ginawa ng CICL ang Krimen)?

B. Interview Guide for Parent/Guardian of CICL

1. Gaano kadalas ang pag lalagi sa labas ng bahay?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Kailan nalaman ang iyong anak ay nasasangkot sa hindi magagandang pag-uugali?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Miyembro ng 4Ps? _______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Estado ng pamilya? ______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Pagbabago ng ugali ng iyong anak matapos gumawa ng hindi maganda?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Interview Guide for WCPD Personnel

1. From the point of view of WCPD personnel why do CICL commit this deviant
behavior?________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. From the point of view of WCPD personnel what are the contributing factors (environmental factors) why CICL commit this
deviant
behavior?________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________

3. From the point of view of WCPD personnel what are the most common characteristics of children turning to deviant behaviors?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
Appendix B

Documentation of the Activity

The researcher is presenting his proposed study to WCPD personnel for overall insights and
orientation before the administration of the questionnaire and interview guide in order to identify the data
that is needed for the enhancement and completion of the study.

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The research team is composed of three groups based on their area of responsibility. On the photos
above the WCPD personnel sent letter of invitation to the parents/ guardian of CICLs to appear in the
office for a short interview for the accomplishment of the study.

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The second group of research team also sent letters to parents/guardians of the CICLs to appear in the office for a short
interview about there cases. The WCPD personnel together with the guardian/parent or assisted the CICLs in accomplishing
the interview guide.

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The same with the 1st and 2nd group of research team the third group also sent letters to the parents/guardians
of the CICLs to appear in the office but some doesn’t have any contact, the research team decided to conduct
visitation to the residence of the CICLs for follow up, meet and greet and to ask if they want to participate on
the study

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APPENDIX C

CURRICULUM VITAE

PLTCOL FRANKLIN PALACI ESTORO

+639152312002
festoro02@gmail.com
DE-001 Anoding, Bahong, La Trinidad,
Benguet

Personal Data
Date of Birth : November 06, 1976
Place of Birth : Irisan, Baguio City
Age : 46
Civil Status : Married
Citizenship : Filipino
Religion : Roman Catholic
Language Spoken : Ibaloi, Kankana-ey, Ilocano, Filipino and English

Educational Background
Elementary : Lamtang Elementary School 1983-1989

Secondary : Pines City National Highschool 1989-1993

College : Benguet State University 1993-1998

Philippine National Police Academy 1999-2002

Eligibilities
Title Rating
Police Executive Service Eligibility Conferred
Civil Service Professional 83.37
NAPOLCOM Inspector 74.00

Schoolings and other Trainings

Course Title Inclusive Dates
Public Safety Officers Senior Executive Course 08/24/2020 - 07/08/2021
Public Safety Advance Officers Course 09/11/2009 - 12/22/2009
Public Safety Officers Basic Course 05/10/2005 - 09/08/2005

Motto: " Your only limit is you "

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Alcantara, C.J.R. (2019). Juvenile Delinquency in Manila, Philippines

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Almutairi, T. (2017). Economic and Sociological Indicators for Juvenile Delinquency and Arrest
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Fields (2017). Gahar, R.B. (2020). Philippine Youth Gangs and Delinquent: An Overview.
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V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, the researcher is grateful to God for making the study possible, including the good health and the gift
of knowledge that were necessary to complete this study:

Dr. Edwin T. Caoleng, the researcher’s adviser and Dean, CPAG, for his encouragement, patience and support in guiding
the researcher in conducting the study;

Dr. Grace N. Rosete, Chairman of the panel, for her flexibility with the time, and the thoughts and experience shared;

Dr. Myrna Q. Mallari, member of the panel, for going beyond the call of teaching, the support, and understanding;

Dr. Noel M. Mallari, member of the panel, for his extended help and for the comments and suggestions he imparted for
the improvement of the study;

Dr. Patricia Ann D. Estrada, member of the panel, for giving her suggestions, Insights and constructive way of giving
criticisms for the improvement of the study;

The researcher’s family who inspired, and encouraged and who gave not just their love but also moral and spiritual support.

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