Although most teens are decent people who try to help others, honor their parents’ wishes, and apply themselves intellectually, artistically, or athletically, some teenagers choose a bad path and commit crimes. The most common crimes committed by teenagers usually fall under the classification of juvenile misdemeanor crimes. Here are five of the top crimes that teens are most likely to commit:

Vandalism

Teenagers may think that vandalism is a minor offense and not a big deal, but the truth is that vandalism can come with a host of criminal charges. Defined as the deliberate destruction of private or public property, vandalism also includes graffiti and defacement of physical objects. In some places, even placing band stickers on telephone poles can land you in big trouble. Of the 5 most common crimes committed by teenagers, this one might not seem so important — but an area full of graffitti, broken windows, and  scratched up utility boxes screams “get me out of here!” This means people who can, leave, and this often includes business owners who take jobs with them.

Alcohol Offenses

The legal drinking age in every state is 21. If a minor is found in possession of alcohol, stiff penalties can result regardless of whether or not the teenager was under the influence. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains that possible penalties may include suspension of one’s driver’s license, required community service hours, and monetary fines. Factors that may influence the level of punishment include prior convictions and the offender’s age. In addition to illegal drug use, this one of the most common crimes committed by teenagers tends to lead to other crimes due to mental deterioration and the lack of self-respect and care that comes with abusing substances.

Disorderly Conduct

According to this source, this type of criminal activity encompasses a wide variety of offenses including fighting, disturbing yelling and screaming, public intoxication, or anything that disrupts the peace. Because the crime is so general in scope, the punishment also varies depending on the severity of the crime. Most disorderly conduct crimes get prosecuted as misdemeanors. However, the more serious ones tend to be judged as a felony — think of rioting or interfering with police officers.

Larceny

Defined as theft of personal property, larceny is likely number one of most common crimes committed by teenagers everywhere. According to one lawyer, larceny is when there is “an unauthorized taking of property from another with the intent to permanently deprive that person of the property.” The image of the teen in the store shoplifting food or an electronic item is not just a stereotype–many fall into this temptation. Theft and burglary is a criminal offense in every state, meaning that teens need to treat this more seriously than just a rite of passage or something to make you look cool (it only makes you look cool to fellow deviants, and they never stay friends with you for long).

Assault and Battery

This crime can be defined as actual physical harm or merely the threat of the action. Even simply making another individual afraid can be just cause to press charges in some areas (yes, this means BULLYING). Assault can be classified as both nonverbal and verbal threats. For this reason, teenagers need to be especially careful about what they say to other people and take care that it not be construed as a form of assault, especially because teachers and parents are much more aware of bullying.

Although most teenagers are tried as juveniles, they could be tried as adults if they are over the age of 18 or if the crimes are more very serious in nature. Stop being brainwashed by thugs in music videos or TV shows who encourage you to commit crimes — they just want your money and your attention (clicks on their videos and social media posts), so don’t give them any.

Stupid driving habits can cost you. An auto accident occurs on U.S. roads every five seconds, resulting in more than six million crashes every year, according to Driver Knowledge. Many of these accidents cause considerable, life-altering damages for the individuals involved, with approximately three million injuries resulting. Sadly, 6% of those accidents, or about 90 per day, resulting in death. There is always an element of danger when driving a ton of metal on the roadways, but there are many precautions that can alleviate some of your risks. Whether or not illegal, vow to avoid dangerous activities when driving and keep yourself, those in the vehicle with you, and other drivers and pedestrians on the roads safe.

Playing Overly Loud Music

It may seem a bit silly, its a stupid driving habit to blast music beyond reasonable levels. Keep the music at a reasonable volume. It’s perfectly fine to turn on your favorite tunes and may even make the drive a little more tolerable. However, excessive decibels can damage your hearing and may result in a disturbing the peace ticket from law enforcement according to WEAU News. Excessive noise prevents you from hearing car horns and other important sounds that could potentially prevent an automobile accident. Not only that, but they’ve found that the louder the music in a car is, the more likely the driver is to speed or perform other dangerous actions. Keep the volume reasonable when driving!

Looking at Cell Phones or GPS

Looking at your cell phone is off-limits when driving and is probably the worst of the stupid driving habits. Texting while driving is illegal in many cities and states, just like talking on the cell while driving. According to Craig Swapp, “The list of possible driving distractions seems to grow every day. From cell phones to GPS systems, distractions in the car drastically increase the chance of accidents. If a driver was distracted when he or she caused your accident, he or she can be held legally responsible.” If something critical comes up while driving, then pull over in the nearest parking lot or onto the shoulder of the road to check your phone. The few minutes that it takes to pull over to check your phone can save a life!

Distracted by Passengers

When friends are in the car with you, make sure they aren’t too rowdy. It is hard to imagine that your friends and their happy moods could be dangerous, but if it becomes too distracting to focus on driving and the road, that is very well the scenario. Ensure everyone in the car is cool, calm, and collected before arriving at your destination and keep everyone safe!

Applying Makeup or Getting Dressed

It may seem a little over the top, but there are many people every day who get dressed in some way while driving to work or school. NPR states that, “27% of teens admit to sometimes changing clothes, putting on shoes, putting on makeup, changing out contact lenses, and even doing homework behind the wheel.” This is frankly unacceptable due to how distracted such actions can be. All it takes is one wrong action, and lives can be irreversibly changed or lost. Being a couple minutes late to work, class, or whatever else you’re going to is worth safety.  

Driving While Tired or Drowsy

Never get behind the wheel of a car and drive if you’re sleepy or tired. In many places drowsy driving is considered illegal, but it’s not illegal everywhere. That being said, a study by the National Sleep Foundation found that drowsy driving and drunk driving are very similar in regards to reaction time and making the best choices in the event of a reaction needing to occur. Even though it may not be illegal it can be incredibly dangerous for yourself, others in the car with you, and other drivers on the road.

Check out some of our other articles on similar subjects!

5 Things You Should Do Immediately Following a Car Accident

How to Conquer Your Fear of the Freeway: Driving Tips for the Fast Lane

Fatal Mistake: 5 Driving Mistakes that Could Get You Killed

Being involved in a car accident can range in their severity. Sometimes they can be simple and easy to resolve, more of an inconvenience than anything else. Other times, unfortunately, can be a much more traumatic experience. Car collision accidents are quite common today and chances are particularly high that you have been involved in such an accident in the past, or will be in one in the future. According to DKB LLP, “here is a list of some of the most common factors that lead to car wrecks: improper lane changing, failure to yield, texting while driving, speeding, distracted driving, poor road conditions, roadside construction sites, and defective car or motorcycle parts.” That’s quite a lot of small actions that can lead to terrible consequences.

Whether you are the one at fault, or the other motorist is to blame, many people do not know how to respond or act in the period after the collision. One of the most critical elements that you need to know when responding to accidents revolves around reacting well under pressure that comes with the thought of the damage, losses, and injuries that you may have suffered in the accident. It is important, therefore, to know the appropriate actions to take or not to take after a crash.

Stop your car and get out

The first thing that you should do after getting engaged in an accident is stopping your car. NOLO cautions that it is a crime, in almost all countries in the world, to drive off in the aftermath of an accident, irrespective of how minor it may be. After stopping, get out of the car and reach out to the other party that was involved in the collision. Staying in the car could pose additional risks upon your life as a car may explode into flames due to the flammable vapors that spill out of the fuel tank. Reaching out to the other party to determine their condition would help save their lives in case they have been badly injured.

Guard the scene and call the police

If the accident has occurred in the middle of the road, chances are that other motorists would not get to see the wrecks on time to avoid further collisions. It is therefore essential to guard the scene by taking numerous steps including setting the hazard signals on, lighting some flares and placing the lifesavers appropriately on the front and rear of the wrecks. This prevents further accidents by warning other motorists. After setting up, reach out to your phone and call the police on 911 to report your location, injuries, and other details that the police may inquire from you. This sets the police and ambulance on their way to attend to the accident. And according to Lawyers.com, this helps make the police report clearer and easier to use in the future.

Preserve evidence appropriately

The next measure you need to take involves protecting whatever evidence possible from the scene. DMV.org suggests, you can do this by taking pictures of the position of the two cars involved in the accident, taking a close photo of each of the cars to reveal the extents of damage, and the presence of any tire skid marks on the tarmac. Also, in case you have a car dashboard camera, take it and save the last few seconds leading up to the crash. Such evidence ensures that the police are appropriately advised on what happened and who was at fault.

Report to the insurance company

Make a phone call to your insurance company to inform them of the accident and brief them accordingly on any proceedings or evaluations from the police on site. The Balance explains, filing your claims with immediacy ensures that the insurance company can secure for you medical treatment arrangements to ensure that you are treated and released on time. It also sets in place the process of securing post-accident activities such as car repairs or reimbursement. The police would also write you a report which you can take to the insurance company for a follow-up on insurance claims, depending on the insurance company policies and the package you have secured.

You should not, however, settle for any payments made by the other party relating to the accident. This is because the payments may fall below the repair requirements that would be required of your car. You should also avoid signing any agreements or reports other than that which would be provided by the police.

Any accident scene can be scary and pose an immense pressure on you. Reacting well under pressure is perhaps the most important attribute that you should employ under such conditions. Under composure, you would be able to act accordingly to give the authorities an easy time to process the scene and issue a verdict.

If you’re looking for some more information, check out some of our other articles on similar topics from our blog! You can find those here and here.