Children, considered to be gifts from God are the greatest personal as well as national assets. It is an imperative duty of individuals, parents, guardians and society as a whole to ensure that the children should be allowed and provided opportunity so that they can be grown up in a healthy socio-cultural environment and become responsible citizens, physically fit, mentally alert and morally healthy. It is also a duty on the part of the State to ensure equal opportunities for development to all children during the period of their growth by reducing inequality and ensuring social justice. We expect the little one to be obedient, respectful and have virtues and good quality in them. But due to various reasons certain percentage of children do not follow settled social and legal dictum and this children are often involved in criminal behaviour which is known as juvenile delinquency or juvenile crime.
Crime by juveniles is a harsh reality and in recent times juveniles are found to be again and again involved in most heinous of the crimes such as gang rape and murder. The experts accuse the present law and say it to be inadequate to deal with the situation and it is very essential to bring changes in it so that for heinous crimes juveniles may also be tried and punished as adults but their exist people who holds diverse opinion.
It is true to the fact that no one is a born criminal. Circumstances make him so. Socio-cultural environment, both inside and outside of home, plays significant role in shaping one’s life and overall personality.
If we try to figure out the most common reasons associated with juvenile crimes then we may say that there cannot be a single cause for the development of delinquent behaviour. According to Healy and Bronner, some of the causes of juvenile delinquency are:
(1) Bad company,
(2) adolescent instability and impulses,
(3) early sex experience,
(4) mental conflicts,
(5) extreme social suggestibility,
(6) love of adventure,
(7) motion picture,
(8) school dissatisfaction,
(9) poor recreation,
(10) street life,
(11) vocational dissatisfaction,
(12) sudden impulse; and
(13) physical conditions of all sorts.
But in India the major reason is Poverty and the effect of media, especially the social-media which make juveniles more inclined towards criminal activities.
Poverty is one of the biggest causes which force a child to get involved in criminal acts. The role played by social media today also cannot be denied as it is having a more negative than positive imprints on young minds.
Others factors are also there which need greater study and analysis at a later time.
-Asst.Prof.of Law —-Mamta Thapa
