JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Broadly speaking, the anti-social or anti-law behavior of the person is called crime and the person is criminal. When this tendency is found in children up to the age of 16 or 17, they are classified as juvenile delinquents. In some places, delinquent children up to 20-21 years are included in the category of juvenile delinquents. According to the Reformatory Schools Act of 1897, the maximum age of juvenile delinquents is 17 years. In this context, an offender below the age of 17 years is called a juvenile delinquent.
Definition and meaning of Juvenile Delinquency -
Various criminologists have defined juvenile delinquency as follows -
(1) Dr. Sethna - "Child crime prevalent in a particular state at that time Including unjust acts committed by children or youths below a certain age as prescribed by law."
(2) Healy "A child who deviates from the social rules of behavior is called a juvenile delinquent."
(3) New Meyer - "A juvenile delinquent is a person under the prescribed age who is guilty of anti-social conduct and whose conduct is in contravention of the law.
(4) Mowrer" He is a person who deliberately with intention and understanding ignores the stereotypes of the society to which he belongs. Deviation is a sign of delinquent behavior." Therefore it is clear that child-crime is anti-social or anti-law behavior of young and underdeveloped persons.
Characteristic features of Juvenile Delinquency-
On the basis of the above definitions, the following characteristics or characteristics can be mentioned in child delinquency:-
(1) The work done should not be anti-social behaviour.
(2) The person doing the same should be underage or underage.
(3) He may have done such an act out of ignorance or lack of responsibility.
(4) which causes that person to spoil his habit or to cause any kind of harm to any other person or society which is legally considered to be an offence.
(5) It has become his nature to do such kind of work, which is difficult to recover.
Causes of Juvenile Delinquency-
The main causes of child delinquency can be divided as given below-
(1) Family Causes- Family Disintegrated, Feeling Disrupted, Family or Indifferent Home, Immoral Family, Neglect of Parent or Guardian, Mixed Culture or Civilization, Family Criminality, Poverty, Overcrowded Home Child Major causes of crime. The family plays an important role in spreading criminality or non-criminalism in the future life of the child.
(2) Physical Causes - Physical defects, deformities, disabilities and mental retardation are helpful in increasing child delinquency. Doctor Burt agrees that 70% of child offenders suffer from physical inappropriateness and deprivation.
(3) Psychological Causes - In a society with corrupt and immoral conduct, the child becomes a victim of psychological distortions. The growing indiscipline of children in India is the result of this. Retardation creates mental retardation in the child and the child takes the path of crime by becoming a victim of emotional conflict and instability.
(4) Community and Cultural Causes- The child is affected by the culture of his society, group and association. If this civilization is ideal, healthy and moral, then the child becomes law-abiding, on the contrary, turns towards crime. The child is strongly influenced by his community and culture. If the means of entertainment, dance hall, literature, radio, television, newspaper, education etc. adopted in his community and his culture are the catalysts of obscene and criminal tendency, then the child will go towards criminality. Cultural conflict also introduces criminality into it. According to Sutherland's "Differential Association Theory" - acts like gambling, stealing, smoking are often learned by the child from his community and culture, because criminal behavior is the result of the interaction of intimate associations.
(5) Intensive-Population Causes - The increase in population at an uncontrolled rate is the cause of child delinquency, as a result of which the child does not get proper attention and control. Human life is mechanically busy in densely populated cities and people do not get proper attention for the development of children.
(6) Economic causes - Poverty is a curse. It has direct and indirect effect in the spread of crime. More wealth also spreads criminality in the child. Dance-houses and clubs, alcohol and cinema spread tendencies like luxury, smoking, immorality etc. in children.
(7) Political Causes - When the child's political consciousness takes the wrong path, then the children take the path of indiscipline in imitating corrupt politicians. Fighting among themselves, snatching of goods, disrespect to teachers, use of unfair means in examination are the result of this.
(8) Physical Causes - Today's environment is oriented towards materialism. The principles of religious education and ideals have become secondary today. The person is becoming more oriented towards personal gain, comfort and opulence. Children are adopting this tendency in imitation of elders, and are turning towards crime.
Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency
The number of child-criminals in our country is increasing day by day, which is a matter of concern for the nation because children are the leaders of the nation, if they become corrupt and criminal then the welfare of the nation will never be possible. Therefore, today there is a need for a scientific study of the causes of child delinquency, for the prevention of child delinquency. Appropriate efforts or measures should be taken for this. Child crimes can be reduced by the following actions and measures-
(1) Healthy Family Life - All the members of the family should maintain such an environment in the family so that the children learn good things related to behavior, remain mentally satisfied and fulfill their needs with proper care. If this happens, children will get satisfaction in family life and they will not be able to move towards criminal tendency. Mr. Manshart has rightly written in this context that “A family life that provides satisfaction protects one from criminal tendencies.”
(2) Proper Education:- In order to develop good qualities in children, proper education has to be arranged. In selecting the school for proper education, it should be kept in mind that the teachers should be capable, affectionate and interested in the development of the children. Along with teaching morality, character and best practices to the children in school education, the teachers themselves should present the same ideal.
(3) Use of Mental Hygiene - Proper arrangement of mental health scientists should be made by the government so that they can make proper contribution in keeping the mind healthy of the children. Dr. Sethna suggests – “Mental health science is indeed a great way to prevent and treat juvenile delinquency.”
(4) Establishment of Bal Kendras - Municipalities, Municipal Corporations etc. should establish Bal Kendras at different places in each city so that children can gather in these centers to spend time. Children's literature, newspapers and magazines should be available at these centers so that children can use them according to their interest. From time to time, child specialists should also be called at these Bal Kendras.
(5) Economic facilities - It has been proved that most of the child offenders are illiterate and belong to those families which are very poor. Therefore, such children should be provided free education and they should also be given financial assistance so that their essential needs can also be fulfilled.
(6) To remove the slums - Proper housing should be arranged by removing the dirty and dense settlements of the cities in coordination with the government and non-government so that the child lives in a good environment and acquires good qualities and has criminal tendencies. Stay away from
(7) Education of Women - In order to prevent crime tendency in children, it is necessary that women should be given higher education so that educated mothers can give proper guidance to the children.
(8) Formation of Coordinating Councils - There is also a suggestion that for the prevention of juvenile delinquency, the representatives of Juvenile Court, Probation Department, School, Police Department, Social Welfare Institutions, parents etc. should be jointly formed. Emphasis should be laid on the formation of councils or committees, in which the family and community environment of the children has to be improved through such councils.
Role of Juvenile Court-
Children's court is a social institution which has been given legal recognition as a court. The constitution, functioning and method of award of the Children's Courts are completely opposite from other ordinary courts. The reason for this is that while the first and habitual offenders come in the ordinary courts, the purpose of the Children's Court is to study about the children with immature mind and to provide corrective punishment to bring them on the right track. The working of Children's Courts commences when a report is made against a child and normally after the arrest of the child, the proceedings begin after a summons is issued to the guardian or guardian of the child. The proceedings of Children's Courts are brief and informal. Children's judges give punishment by taking into account all the circumstances, events and environment that led the child to commit the crime, and estimating the child's mental maturity to commit the crime. In such punishments, the children are often kept in the correctional homes. After the above description in the case of Children's Courts, if the role played in preventing child crimes in India is assessed, then it will be known that Children's Courts have not proved to be more powerful and effective in stopping crimes committed by children. Section 82 and 83 of the Indian Penal Code also provides for condoning the punishment of juvenile delinquents.