International Journal of Neonatal & Pediatric Nursing

Volume 1 Issue 1

Juvenile Delinquency
Nandini M1, Divya T N2*
1
Vice Principal, Professor cum HOD Child Health Nursing, Aswini College of Nursing,
Thrissur Dist, Kerala, India
2
Asst Professor, Dept of Child Health Nursing, Aswini College of Nursing, Thrissur Dist,
Kerala, India
*Corresponding Author
Email Id: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
Juvenile delinquency is the legal term for behavior of children and adolescents
that in adults would be judged criminal under law. These are the negative behaviors of children
and teens that may result in crimes or legal action frequently causes widespread problems in
communities. The word delinquency was derived from the Latin word (delinquere) which
means away and linquere i.e. to leave thus, mean by to leave or to abandon. Juvenile
Delinquency is the involvement of a kid who is between the age of 10 and 17 in illegal activity or
behaviour. Adolescent misconduct is likewise used to allude to youngsters who display constant
conduct of underhandedness or noncompliance, in order to be considered out of parental control,
getting to be plainly subject to legitimate activity by the court framework. Juvenile delinquency is
also known as “juvenile offending,” and each state has a separate legal system in place to deal
with juveniles who break the law. The causes of such behavior, like those of crime in
general, are found in a complex of psychological, social, and economic factors. Clinical studies h
ave uncovered emotional maladjustment, usually arising from disorganized family situations, in
many delinquents. Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 aims to replace the existing Indian Juvenile
Delinquency Law, Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, so that juveniles in conflict with the law in the age
group 16-18, involved in Heinous Offences, can be tried as adults. Juvenile crime is not a
naturally born in the boy, but it is largely due either to the spirit of adventure that is to him, to his
own stupidity, or to his lack of discipline, according to the nature of the individual-Robert Baden-
Powell.

Key words: Children, Adolescents, Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile Crime, Behaviour.

INTRODUCTION circumstances, a certain percentage of

The children are not only gifts from God children do not follow the set social and
but also considered to be the greatest legal dictum. Such children more often
personal as well as national assets. We as a than not get involved in criminal behavior
whole have a duty and responsibility that which is known as Juvenile Delinquency
children should be provided and allowed or Juvenile crime.
to grow in a healthy and socio-cultural
environment so that they become Recent years have seen sustained public
physically fit, mentally alert and morally and academic interest in criminality and
healthy responsible citizens. The state mental health, with attention often focused
must provide equal opportunities for the on antisocial behaviour by children and
development of all children which can adolescents. The scale of the problem of
help to reduce inequality and ensure juvenile delinquency has provoked mixed
justice. The children are expected to be responses from governments and the
obedient, respectful and have good virtues media across the world, with calls for
in them. However, due to certain improved rehabilitation and support for
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 International Journal of Neonatal & Pediatric Nursing
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juvenile offenders competing with voices problems and indulge in antisocial

advocating more punitive approaches [1]. practices. Juvenile delinquency is
Meanwhile, decades of rigorous academic therefore, a pattern of behavior of children,
scrutiny have shed light on the complex who come in conflict with the law. There
and diverse needs of children who come are various forms of delinquency such as
into conflict with the law. Much of the truancy, vagrancy, and stealing, smoking,
growing body of literature on juvenile gambling, drinking and committing crimes
offenders shows considerable overlap including sexual misbehavior [3].
between criminological, social and
biomedical research, with a consensus Juvenile delinquents have been classified
emerging around the significance of a by different scholars on different basis.
developmental understanding of the Hirsh (1937) has classified them in six
emergence of juvenile delinquency. groups on the basis of the kinds of
Importantly, juvenile offenders have offences committed:
consistently been identified as a population 1) Incorrigibility (Eg: keeping late hours,
that suffers from a markedly elevated disobedience)
prevalence and severity of mental disorder 2) Truancy (Staying away from school)
compared with the general juvenile 3) Larceny (Ranging from petty theft to
population. Meeting the needs of these armed robbery)
young offenders presents practical and 4) Destruction of property (including both
ethical challenges concerning treatment public and private property)
and management, including liaison with 5) Violence (against individuals and
other agencies. community by using weapons)
6) Sex offences (ranging from
One of the most important issues in crime homosexuality to rape)
today is children in conflict with the law.
A ‘juvenile’ means a boy or a girl who has Psychologists have classified juvenile
not attained the age of 18 years. The delinquent on the basis of their individual
Children’s Act of 1960 defines a traits or the psychological dynamics of
delinquent as ‘a child who has committed their personality into five groups: mentally
an offence’ [2]. In a broad sense though, defective, psychotic, neurotic, situational
juvenile delinquency is not merely and cultural [4].
‘juvenile crime’. It embraces all and any
deviations from normal youthful behaviour Nature and Incidence
and includes the incorrigible, the In the USA, almost 2% of children
ungovernable, the habitually disobedient between 7 and 18 years of age attend
and those who desert their homes and mix juvenile courts2. In 2011, law enforcement
with immoral people, those with agencies in the USA made nearly 1.5
behavioral problems and indulging in million arrests of children under 18 years
antisocial practices2. A Juvenile delinquent of age whereas in India this number is
is one who repeatedly commits crime. But reported to be just under 24 000 [5]. This
in a broad sense, delinquency is not merely small number probably reflects under-
“juvenile crime”. It embraces all reporting. Also, there is a strong urban bias
deviations from normal youthful behavior as cases in rural areas are largely
and includes the incorrigible, unreported.
ungovernable, habitually disobedient and
those who desert their homes and mix with Of the total delinquencies committed by
immoral people, those with behavior the juveniles, hardly 2% come to the

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notice of the police and the courts. The Characteristics of Juvenile Delinquents
statistics compiled by the National Crime in India
Records Bureau, Delhi gives some 1) The delinquency rates among boys is 4
indication of the incidence of juvenile to 5 times more than among girls
delinquency in India. Majority of juveniles 2) The delinquency rates tend to be
in conflict with law apprehended under highest during early adolescence (12-
IPC & SLL crimes were in the age group 16 yrs)
of 16 yrs. to 18 years (75.3%) (6,397 out 3) Juvenile Delinquency is more an urban
of 8,490) during 2018 [6].Juvenile than a rural phenomenon
delinquency is on the increase in India 4) low educational background is the
during the past two decades, due to prime attribute for delinquency
changes in the cultural pattern of the 5) Poor economic background is another
people, urbanization and industrialization important characteristic of juvenile
delinquency in India [4].
CAUSES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Fig. 1. Causes of Juvenille Delinquency

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 International Journal of Neonatal & Pediatric Nursing
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FAMILY PROBLEMS LEADING TO DELINQUENCY

Fig 2: Family Problems Leading to Delinquency

Fig 3: Parent Based Problems leading to Delinquency

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 International Journal of Neonatal & Pediatric Nursing
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Delinquency Prevention and 2) Multiple forms of intervention

Rehabilitation 3) Quality programs in juvenile
Delinquency Prevention is the broad term institutions
for all efforts aimed at preventing youth 4) Allow children to play, exercise and
from becoming involved in criminal , or actively involved
other antisocial , activity. Emerging trends 5) Involve the family and other
in family demographics also reveal that community resources if necessary
more children than ever are growing up 6) Improve parental attachments ,
homeless, in poverty and in single parent parental practices
homes, while funding for social programs 7) Environmental manipulation i.e,
is decreasing. Primary and secondary separating the child from the
prevention of delinquency rest on the environment or environmental context
principle of identifying individuals and which led to abuse
environments at risk for delinquent activity 8) Psycho-social support for the child and
before the behavior has occurred and then parents
either removing risk factors or 9) Reduce environmental stresses
strengthening resistance to the risk factors. 10) Focus on developing impulse controls
The impact of this approach depends upon heightening self esteem and
the process of identifying risk factors and diminishing self destructive behavior
the choice of when and where to direct the 11) Analyzing the pros and cons of
intervention. Past researchers have found rehabilitation
that rehabilitation is most effective when 12) Mapping out individualized
initiated early, when evidence–based rehabilitation required
practices are used, and when multiple 13) Identifying resources to help
forms of intervention are used. Quality 14) Convergence of resources
education is critical to rehabilitation and is 15) Evaluating the existing programs for
the “foundation for programming in most rehabilitation
Juvenile Institutions”. Assisting children 16) Assisting rehabilitation agencies in
with the acquisition of appropriate their work
academic skills is thought to be one of the 17) Establishing review boards/structured
most effective approaches to the supervision
prevention of delinquency and the 18) Co-ordination with police, child line
reduction of recidivism [7]. bureau, medical social work units of
the hospitals, psychiatric wards, child
Rehabilitation aims to guidance centers, schools etc.
1) Offer opportunities for personal
development Prevention and management of the
2) Prevent secondary problems problem of juveniles and neglected
developing children require professionals to undertake
3) Maximize the benefit obtained from multiple tasks-
the period 1) Professionals
4) Ensure that new learning continues 2) Social worker
5) Ensure that environment demands 3) Psychologist
placed upon the young person are in 4) Psychiatrist
line with his skills 5) Child developmentalist
6) Occupational therapist
The Inputs of Rehabilitation are 7) Physician
1) Early intervention and stimulation 8) Nutritionist

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9) Physical therapist development of maladaptive

10) Speech therapist behavior.
11) Audiologist Adjusting family and educational
12) Professors/teachers expectations to a level
13) Judiciaries commensurate with the child’s new
abilities and skills
Therapy Approaches Providing information and advice
1) Psychotherapy: Therapist helps on the consequences of child’s
delinquent to gain insight into their actions.
personality and relationships, past and Supporting the return to school and
present and help them to interpret their home or the transition to new
feelings and behavior. environment.
2) Supportive Therapy: The child talks Providing a follow up service to
about worries with a friendly, maximize transfer of skills to the
sympathetic person who can help child’s new educational and living
youngster cope more easily with stress. environment.
3) Play Therapy: Gets clues about what
is bothering a child from the way he or Prevention
she plays. Fundamental principles of preventive
4) Family Therapy: The entire family is policies. The fundamental principles of the
the client. The therapist sees the whole delinquency prevention include:
family together, observes the way 1) The provision of opportunities to meet
family members act with one another, the varying needs of young persons
and points out to them their patterns of and to serve as a supportive framework
functioning. for safeguarding the personal
5) Behavior Therapy/Behavior development of all young persons,
Modification particularly those at social risk and in
Uses principles to eliminate need of special care and protection.
undesirable behavior or to develop 2) Specialized philosophies and
desirable ones. Does not look for approaches for delinquency
underlying reasons, but aims simply to prevention, on the basis of laws,
change the behavior itself. Focus on: processes, institutions and facilities.
Assessing the nature, extent and 3) Official intervention to be pursued
functional consequences primarily in the overall interest of the
Selecting effective interventions young person and guided by fairness
and develop collaborative and equity.
partnerships 4) Safeguarding the well–being,
Identifying appropriate educational development, rights and interests of all
therapy and family goals for young persons.
rehabilitation 5) Consideration that youthful behavior
Restoring lost skills in children or conduct that does not confirm to
Developing alternative skills overall social norms and values is
Providing compensatory aids often part of the maturation and growth
Altering expectations and demands process and tends to disappear
of the child spontaneously in most individuals with
Providing an environment the transition to adulthood.
appropriate to the child’s stage of 6) Awareness that labeling a young
recovery which will minimize the person as ‘deviant’, ‘delinquent’ or

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‘pre-delinquent’ often contributes to Family based Preventive Interventions

the development of a consistent pattern Delinquency is the product of an
of undesirable behavior by young environment which the individual finds
persons. beyond his control. One needs to
understand the circumstances leading to
General Prevention the delinquent pattern. Modify the
Comprehensive prevention plans should be environment and help the child and the
instituted at every level of Government family to adjust to the changed
and include the following: environment. The following facts form the
1) In depth analyses of the problem and basis for a sound approach to deal with the
inventories of programs, facilities and delinquents.
resources available 1) Every normal child has potentialities
2) Well defined responsibilities for the for adjustments. He is growing and if
qualified agencies, institutions and he does any wrong, it will be the result
personnel involved in preventive of his environment. As such no stigma
efforts needs to be attached to a delinquent
3) Mechanisms for the appropriate co- child.
ordination of prevention efforts 2) A young person’s character and habits
between governmental and non are not yet fixed. They are capable of
governmental agencies being remoulded into socially useful
4) Policies, programmes and strategies and healthy channels.
based on prognostic studies to be 3) The aim of treatment of the young
continuously monitored and carefully delinquent should not be punitive but
evaluated in the course of curative and preventive.
implementation. 4) The State must give protection to the
5) Methods for effectively reducing the juvenile delinquents as a super parent.
opportunity to commit delinquent acts. The State must take the place of a
6) Community involvement through a guardian and provide opportunities to
wide range of services and programs the child so that he may be disciplined.
7) Close interdisciplinary co-operation 5) The main purpose of the proceedings
between national, state, provincial and of the juvenile court is to find out the
local governments with the ‘why’ of the child crime, and not just
involvement of the private sector to prove the crime.
representative citizens in taking 6) The juvenile offender is no longer seen
concerted action to prevent juvenile only as a legal category. Instead,
delinquency and youth crime. attention is focused on the
8) Youth participation in delinquency psychological, educational and social
prevention policies and processes, problems which lie behind the youthful
including recourse to community act of delinquency. The court therefore
resources, youth self help and victim should not award legal punishment
compensation and assistance programs only.
9) Specialized personnel at all levels
10) Emphasis should be placed on Children with delinquent patterns need to
preventive policies facilitating the be treated in a manner which is different
successful socialization and integrating from that in which adult criminals are
of all children and young persons, in treated. If a juvenile is punished and
particular through the family, the imprisoned in the same manner as an
community, peer groups and schools. adult, he would come out of the prison as a

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confirmed criminal, where as if the child is changing demographics of families, early

helped to live in a different helpful family intervention has received wide
environment it will be possible to change endorsement as a locus for preventive
him and save him from becoming a intervention. Early family intervention,
criminal. Therefore separate courts with however, may be perceived as an invasion
separate magistrates, preferably women, of privacy. To provide widely acceptable
are necessary to deal with the cases of services and targeted programs for those
delinquency. In fact, the work of juvenile who need it most, preventive e efforts have
court must be governed by separate generally been of two types: (a) those that
Children’s Act. focus on training parents in family
management techniques (b) those that
No child is born as a delinquent, with provide an array of supportive services
specific innate physical, mental or such as child care and/or medical and
emotional characteristics. Therefore, the social services to socially disadvantaged
delinquent child needs a very careful families.
handling. The family is one of the most
starting places for prevention efforts. Parenting with Right Type of
Because of the weight of recent empirical Disciplining
evidence relating family functioning to Democratic parenting style is the most
various forms of adolescent antisocial acceptable form of disciplining, the
behavior, and alarm at the rapidly characteristics of which are given below.

Parent’s behavior Child’s behavior

Firms Self reliant
Sets limits and goals Assertive
Uses reasoning Co-operative
Encourages independence Confident
More receptive to disagreement Socially adjustable
Explains rules and regulations clearly Outgoing
Punishes appropriately Healthy
Communicates rationale for punishment Exhibits positive attitude
Rewards with praise Takes initiative
Expresses signs of approval Has self control
Educates to behave appropriately Achieves greater creativity
Plans for fostering self discipline Deals effectively with obstacles
Motivates the child to live upto expectation Has motivation to achieve
Independent
Active
Spontaneous and skilled

Parent Training behaviors of conduct disordered youth,

Parent training interventions were started scant evidence exists concerning its
when behavioral-oriented child therapists effectiveness as a primary prevention
recognized the importance of involving strategy.
parents in child behavior management in School Based preventive interventions
the home. Unfortunately, although several
studies have supported the efficacy of The second major social system
parent training for reducing problem historically charged with responsibility for

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socializing youth is the school. A large trained to prevent and deal with these
body of research has shown that low IQ, problems.
learning disability, poor attitudes toward 8) Schools should serve as resource and
school and social failure are related to and referral centres for the provision of
often precede official and self reports of medical, counseling and other services
delinquent behavior. While schools to young persons, particularly those
traditionally have provided a number of with special needs and suffering from
individual focused remedial and special abuse, neglect, victimization and
education, system level preventive exploitation.
interventions have only recently been 9) Through a variety of educational
tried. The researchers also show that programmes, teachers and other adults
school processes and climate are related to and the student body should be
academic achievement and rates of sensitized to the problems, needs and
delinquent behavior. perceptions of young persons.
10) Special assistance should be given to
Education children and young persons who find it
Education systems should in addition to difficult to comply with attendance
their academic and vocational training codes and to drop outs.
activities, devote particular attention to the 11) School systems should plan, develop
following: and implement extracurricular
1) Teaching of basic values and activities in co-operation with
developing respect for the child’s own community groups.
cultural identity. 12) Schools should promote policies and
2) Promotion and development of the rules that are fair and justice, students
personality, talents and mental and should be represented in bodies
physical abilities of young people to formulating school policy, including
their fullest potential. policy on discipline and decision
3) Undertaking activities that foster a making.
sense of identity with and of belonging
to the school and the community. Cognitive Behavioral Interventions
4) Avoidance of harsh disciplinary Cognitive behavioral interventions are
measures, particularly corporal based on the idea that conduct disorders
punishment. such as juvenile delinquency can result
5) Provision of positive emotional from an inability to develop and maintain
support to young persons and the positive social relationships due to deficits
avoidance of psychological in social skills. These interventions can be
maltreatment. described as either.
6) Provision of information and guidance 1) Interpersonal cognitive problem
regarding vocational training, solving programs which focus on
employment opportunities and career processes such as interpreting social
development.. cues, generating alternative solutions
7) Special attention should be given to to social problem situations and
comprehensive policies and strategies evaluating the likely outcomes of
for the prevention of alcohol, drug and different solutions.
other substance abuse by young 2) Behavioral social skills training
persons. Teachers and other programs which focus on teaching
professionals should be equipped and specific behaviors such as entering a
peer group, accepting criticism, giving

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compliments and resisting peer information on the existence of

pressure. services, facilities and
opportunities for young persons in
Community Based Preventive society.
Interventions 4. The mass media should be aware
More targeted community based programs of its existence social role and
aimed at providing a comprehensive, responsibility as well as its
caring environment for adolescents have influence, in communications
also been established and enjoy some relating to youthful drug and
positive regard by practitioners. These alcohol abuse.
programs all operate from the premise that
adolescents experiencing trouble need a Rehabilitation Measures
supportive place to find help with a variety 1) Implementation of Juvenile Justice
of problems. Following these logic, these Act, 2000 and The Child Labour Act,
settings try to deal with adolescents 1986
experiencing trouble need a supportive 2) ‘Quality care’ by parents
place to find help with a variety of 3) Public awareness about various
problems. Some recent studies indicating dimensions of delinquency menace.
that children and adolescents spend more 4) Social pressure against trafficking and
than 20 hours per week for watching TV sexual exploitation of women and
has increased concern about the impact of children.
TV violence on behavior. Moreover, 5) Set up child help lines.
studies have typically shown moderate
correlations between the amount of CONCLUSION
violence seen on TV and aggressive Child delinquency usually stems from a
behavior, with some evidence that the combination of factors that varies from
effect of viewing televised violence as a child to child. No single risk factor is
young child may have a relationship to sufficient to explain it. To develop
adolescent delinquency. effective methods for preventing child
delinquency and its escalation into serious
Social Welfare Services and violent juvenile offending,
These comprise recreation facilities, parent intervention methods must account for the
counseling, child guidance, educational wide range of individual, family, peer,
facilities and adequate general health school, and community risk factors. Some
services. effective intervention programs that focus
on reducing persistent disruptive behavior
Mass Media in young children have reduced later
1. The mass media should be serious, violent, and chronic offending.
encouraged to ensure that young Some interventions focus on parent
persons have access to information behaviors that increase the risk of
and material from a diversity of persistent disruptive behavior in children.
national and international sources. Peer relations training and
2. The mass media should be school/classroom programs have also
encouraged to portray the positive shown some promise. Programmes in both
contribution of young person’s to community and institutional settings that
society. focus on improving social development
3. The mass media should be skills in the areas of interpersonal
encouraged to disseminate relations, self-control, academic

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performance and job skills have been archives/Volume-28/Issue-4/Original-

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