Juvenile Delinquency In India: Reasons, Justice And Solutions
ABSTRACT
“All kids need is a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.”
Juvenile delinquency is a serious problem and it is detrimental for the social order of nation. This problem is viewed as a socio-legal category invented in conjunction with the juvenile court; as a label applied to youth at the end of a chain of decisions involving the police, public and juvenile court officials and as form of behavior that violates legal codes, regardless of its detection or processing. The analysis of statistical data available at official sites shows increasing interest and involvement of juveniles in heinous crimes. Juvenile crimes have become such a common problem and they raise serious concern day by day. Those children who are involved in such crimes all over the world develop different rate of crime and world-view. With the time they increased their ability to think, develop their own views about the problems arising in their life. There is also a tendency of making comparison and there is complex in their mind. The problems arise when juveniles develop delinquent tendencies and having conflict with laws.
INTRODUCTION
Our children being an important asset, every effort should be made to provide them equal opportunities for development so that they become robust citizens physically fit, mentally alert and morally healthy endowed with the skills and motivations needed by society.
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY - What it means?
Etimologically, the term ‘delinquency’ has been derived from the Latin word delinquer which means ‘to omit’. The Romans used the term to refer to the failure of a person to perform the assigned task or duty. It was William Coxson who in 1484 used the term ‘delinquent’ to describe a person found guilty of customary offence. The word also found place in Shakespearean famous play ‘Macbeth’ in 1605. In simpler words it may be said that delinquency is a form of behaviour or rather misbehaviour or deviation from the generally accepted norms of conduct in the society.
The early penology did not recognize any discrimination between adult and juvenile offenders so far punishment was concerned. The problem of juvenile delinquency is therefore, essentially of a recent origin. The youngsters between a certain age-group are easily attracted to the temptations of life and lend into criminality. As is often said, the child of today is the citizen of tomorrow. The criminal tendency in youngsters must therefore, be timely curbed so that they do not turn into habitual criminals in their future life. It is with this end in view that most countries are presently tackling the problem of juvenile delinquency on priority basis. Many of them established separate juvenile courts to deal with young offenders and the procedure adopted in these courts radically differs from that of regular trial courts. In India, special provisions providing for the care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of neglected or delinquent juveniles and their trial and disposition are enacted under the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (Section 6 of 2000) which are uniformly applicable throughout the country excepting the State of Jammu & Kashmir and rules under the Act enacted to be known as the Juvenile Justice Rules, 2007 which came into force w.e.f. October 26, 2007.
Causes of Juvenile Delinquency :
Violence in the home :- One of the largest contributing factors to delinquency is violence in the home. Every Tulsa juvenile criminal defense attorney will tell you that when a child is subjected to violence, they are in turn violent people.
Lashing out at others for the violence they experience at home is very common. Children subjected to violent actions, or those who witness it to others, are more likely to act ut their fears and frustrations. They often have a “don’t care” attitude and this allows them to get into trouble more easily.
Violence in their Social Circles
If the neighborhood is in which a child lives is violent, the children will have a tendency 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 you remove the child from this type of situation, their tendency for delinquent actions is removed.
Peer Pressure
Similar to neighborhood pressures, peer pressure from direct acquaintances can have an effect on how a child 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 o