Juvenile Delinquents

Juvenile Delinquents

01. Definition:
• From a legal point of view, a person between 15 and 20( this age varies from country to country-India 16, USA 17) who involves or indulges in anti-social activity.
• In USA, a JD is one who breaks the law is a vagrant, persists in disobeying orders, whose behaviour endangers his own moral life as well as others .
• From psychological point of view, any and every child of either sex between 15 and 18 who commits a crime, irrespective of the fact that he is apprehended or not, is a JD.
• Therefore, JD is one who forcibly possesses the property of another or causes its damage, indulges in anti-social activity etc.
• From legal point of view, those who are not apprehended are not criminals but according to psychology, all such offenders are criminals.
• New Meyer says that a delinquent is a person under age who is guilty of anti-social act and whose misconduct is an infraction of law.

02. Causes of JD:
• A. social causes:
1. Defects of Family:
a. Broken families- absence of intimacy
b. Attitude of parents- scolding by parents
c. Character& conduct of parents-immoral behaviour of mother
d. Influence of brothers and sisters

2. defects of School:
a. attitude of teachers
b. attitude of peers
c. attitude of management-discipline and punishment
d. curriculum-boring ,not recreating

3. Living area:
a. crime dominated area
b. poor living condition
c. war-affected conditions

4. Bad company
5. Recreation:
a. absence of Recreation
b. defective recreation

6. Displacement


• B. Psychological Causes:

a. intellectual weakness
b. mental diseases
c. characteristics of personality
d. emotional instability
• C. Economic causes
a. poverty leading to crime


03. Techniques to cure JD
a. play therapy
b. painting to express his emotions
c. cultural programmes

04. treatment and prevention of delinquency:

• being sympathy and affectionate towards them
• create congenial atmosphere at home and school; do not reject them
• provide good models and moral character
• watch over children’s activities and friends
• provide extra activities
• proper co-ordination between home and school with proper guidance