Home » Social Issues » Juvenile Delinquency


Juvenile Delinquency

Delinquency is a kind of abnormality when an individual deviates from the course of normal social life. His behaviour is called 'Delinquency'. When a juvenile, below an age specified under a statute exhibits behaviour which may prove to be dangerous to society and / or to himself he may be called a Juvenile delinquent. Juvenile delinquents are those offenders including boys and girls who are normally under 16 years of age. A Juvenile delinquent is a young person incorrigible or habitually disobedient.

Act of delinquency may include:

1. Running away from home without the permission of parents.

2. Habitual behavior beyond the control of parents.

3. Spending time idly beyond limits

4. Use of vulgar languages

5. Wandering about rail roads, streets market places

6. Visiting gambling centres

7. Committing sexual offences

8. Shop-lifting

9. Stealing etc. Juveniles may do such activities singly or through a gang.

There are other social or environmental factors which leads them to be a delinquent.

a) School Dissatisfaction - Some students get dissatisfied with school life. Parental irresponsibility, unmanageable student teacher ratio, lack of entertainment and sports facilities in school, in difference of the teachers may contribute to this. Such dissatisfied students become regular absentees in schools and start wandering their own and become gamblers, eve-teachers, pick pockets, drunkards, smokers and drug addicts.

b) Films and pornographic literature have also added to the magnitude of delinquency. Cinema, television and obscene literature may often provoke sexual and other impulses in adolescents. Hence they may start their adventure in satisfying them in the process of which they commit crimes.

Deep slated inner desires-couples with outside pressures, compulsion and temptation also contribute to juvenile delinquency. For example, on hearing the interesting narration of the illicit sex experiences or such other criminal experiences from ones' gang rate, one may be tempted to follow the same.

According to psycho-analytical view, the delinquent is an individual who is governed by the pleasure principle. He wants to get immediate pleasure and immediate satisfaction for his needs. So he becomes victim to his own impulses. Thus it may be said that juvenile delinquency is also the result of environmental factors.

A grave problem such as juvenile delinquency can't he solved by means of legislation and government efforts alone. As far as India is concerned in many of the states children acts have not been effectively enforced. Some of these Acts themselves have effects. Official machinery is not effectively used for controlling this problem. Government as well as private agencies must work hand in hand with all sincerity and seriousness to find on effective remedy for the problem of juvenile delinquency. The public attitude towards Juvenile delinquents must also change. A juvenile delinquent is a product of unwholesome environment congenial for the development of his faculties in conformity with social expectations.

Other Social Issues in India


Facts and Figures about Kishanganj » | Kishanganj Tourism » | Irani Basti in Kishanganj »