“If every saint has a past then every criminal has a future”

Mahatma Gandhi

So in the case of a child offender, special care should be given to his future for it is yet in a budding state and is not beyond repair.

No One Is A Criminal From Birth, it is the environment in which he grows that makes them a criminal or a respected person. Juvenile Crime is not naturally born in the child but it is largely present in him because of the surroundings that he is brought up in, his own absurd actions or simply lack of discipline and proper education.

Who is a Juvenile?

According to Section 2(k) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 defines “Juvenile” or “Child” as a person who has not completed 18th year of age. A juvenile is a young person who has not met a specific age as prescribed by the law of a country and doesn’t abide resemblance as a matured person who can be made legally liable for his criminal activities.

Juvenile Delinquency?

Juvenile Delinquency refers to participation of minors in illegal crimes. When a person deviates from the normal course of his social life his behavior is termed as ‘delinquent’. In other words when a juvenile’s actions prove to be dangerous towards the society and for him, he may be called a juvenile delinquent.

The top four states that are largely involved in juvenile delinquency are Maharashtra, Madhya padres, utter parades, and Bihar.

Historical Background of Juvenile Justice System India

Prior to the Juvenile Justice Act 1986, enacted by the Parliament to provide care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation to neglected or delinquent juveniles. Later the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 came into force w.e.f. 30th December 2000 as the primary legal framework for juvenile justice in India.

This act was further amended in 2006, 2010 and 2015 in which juvenile committing heinous crime was punished.

CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY: –

Rational Choice:
As per the behavioral study done on delinquent children by the psychologists, it suggests that the child does any delinquent act because his mind tells him to do it. In other words he does this because he wants to do it. These kinds of acts provide immense satisfaction to the offenders and so they see nothing wrong in it like taking drugs, intoxicants, gambling etc.

Social Disorganization:
As the joint family system is coming to an end a, new trend has evolved where in both the parents are working and as a result children are left neglected and such isolation leads the child’s involvement in wrongful acts.

Bad Company:
One of the major reasons as to why children are entering into the worlds of crime is because of their bad company. Children who are in bad company knowingly or unknowingly indulge in criminal activities.

Labeling:
This is the theory of our society. Generally when we see someone or hear someone’s involvement in a crime, we actually label him as a criminal. So as a result of discrimination they rarely make attempt to come out and put step in world of crime for money and fame.

Atmosphere at home:
An individual may have certain problems within his home, which may have led him to the wrong society. In such cases, children who do not have anyone to look after them after they return from school or there is least or excess of discipline exercised on them by the elders of the family. Family factors may be inclusive of ongoing family feuds, neglect and abuse or absence of proper parental supervision. Moreover, children that display the weakest attachments with their families appear to be the same juveniles who engage in inappropriate activities.

Neighborhood:
Neighborhood is that part of the society which may affect the acts of an individual at large. It marks an individual’s ability to deal with Delinquency.

Guardian’s Behavior:
The behavior of relatives, teachers and caretaker of towards the child should be ideal, at the same time they should understand the needs and problems of the child to prevent him from indulging into crimes.

Poverty: 

India is a developing country with highest poverty rate. People want to earn money and increase their standard of living. Juvenile from backward section is easy to manipulate.

Lack of education:

After more than seventy years of Independence more than twenty five percent of people are ill rate in our country. So these people can manipulate easily or can brain wash easily.

Preventions:

Prevention is necessary for such children. Firstly, identification of such juveniles and then providing them with the required treatment is of utmost importance. These adolescents become habitual offenders if not timely stopped from committing offences. There are many Jurists and criminologists who suggest various provisions for the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Some of the provisions that are very useful for the welfare, development and growth of the juveniles have been mentioned below. 

• Individual Programs- It involves the prevention of delinquency through counseling, psychotherapy and proper education.
• Environmental Programs- involves the employment of techniques with a view to change the socio-economic context likely to promote delinquency.

Conclusion:

Children are all around us. They represent about a quarter of the world’s population. They are not equipped to defend themselves; they must depend on what is given to them. They are victims of circumstances. The exploitation of children is one of the many evils present in our society. Such abuse has an enduring and profound effect on a child’s life. This delinquent behavior of the adolescent is due to the mental trauma that he goes through in the early stages of his life influencing these youngsters in a negative way. The State must protect the rights of these children and come up with reformative methods and instill in them values that can socially uplifts them and give them a new found confidence so that they can play a constructive role in the society.

Aishwarya Says:

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