Juvenile Delinquency, and Rising Crimes

By Pallavi Gupta:

“Juvenile Delinquency”, in literal meaning of the term refers to a young person, a child or an adolescent who performs an antisocial act in violation of the law. A juvenile delinquent is a minor who enacts a misdeed that would otherwise be charged as a crime if he were an adult. These minors portray the picture of the aggressive and incorrigible youth of tomorrow, who later make personal aggrandizement as their sole aim.

Delinquencies like petty thefts, armed robberies, addiction to something, kidnapping, arson and rape are the most common offences committed by the juveniles of today. These under-aged criminals can be truants or larcenies or some antisocial elements of the society. Nowadays the hunger among the youth to be a hero among their peer group lands them doing acts of social malignancy. Cinema, television and obscene literature also have an adverse impact on the youth; it provokes sexual and other impulses in adolescents. They may start their adventure by satisfying themselves in the process of which they commit crimes. Deep-slated inner desires - couples with outside pressures, compulsion and temptation also contribute to juvenile delinquency. The children belonging to affluent and elite families have been caught red-handed for their involvement in criminal acts as well.
Poor or improper upbringing, no family interaction, aggressive or hostile behaviour of parents, liberalisation of law, extra-discipline are some of the potent causes for the children to deviate from their normal behaviour. It has been observed that children who have previously been maltreated have higher rates of delinquency and violence. As the frequency of severity of abuse and neglect increased, so did the later offending by these suffering minors. Moreover faulty companionship, unhealthy neighbourhood and unbridled access to internet distort a child’s thought giving them a new dimension which becomes unacceptable to the society.

The rate of juvenile delinquency has been on an increase for the last few years. Keeping in view the “blizzard of young delinquents” becoming despicable to the society, measures ought to be taken to keep a check on this fast growing rate. Though juvenile delinquency cannot be eliminated but it can be prevented by explaining the negative aspects of the offence committed to the minor and encouraging recreation and youth development activities for them. For this reform active participation of each individual of the society is of utmost significance.