The Quagmire of Juvenile Delinquency: Perspectives of Inmates and Officers in a Correctional Facility in Accra, Ghana (original) (raw)
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2021
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Juvenile Delinquency: Its Causes and Effects
Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization, 2019
The aim of the study was to find out the circumstances that led inmates of two correctional facilities for young offenders into behaviours considered criminal and the effect it has had on them and the society they lived in. The study hypothesized that; peer association and family situation will influence delinquency and that delinquency did not have a significant effect on the future (schooling) of the juveniles affected. Fifty-seven (57) inmates of two Junior Correctional Centres in Accra were conveniently selected to respond to a structured questionnaire. Juveniles attributed the causes of their delinquent behaviours to their own initiatives, family situations, spiritual influences and peer association. Peer pressure was found to influence adolescent behaviour formation. Implications of juveniles’ incarceration and parental role in guiding adolescent children are discussed. Keywords: delinquency, juvenile, causes, peer association. DOI : 10.7176/JLPG/88-24 Publication date : Augus...
NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: BONNY ISLAND OF RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA A FOCAL POINT
This study focuses on the nature and consequences of juvenile delinquency in Bonny Island of Rivers State, Nigeria. The study aimed at finding out why juvenile engage in delinquent act, why juvenile offenders continue in crime after being punished and what Rivers State Government as well as Nigeria Government needs to do inorder to educate juvenile about crime and the negative impact of crime on individual and society at large. Specifically, this research work holds that juvenile in Bonny Island, Nigeria involved with delinquent behaviour, thus attributing it to family structure, social media, education, peer pressure, and environment etc. The various consequences of juvenile delinquency on the individual, victim, family, school, community and the wider society, support the view that no country can afford to ignore it. The research was able to provide extensive past and present global perceptions about the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency and its extent. However, the expected outcome of this study is that to reduce or eradicate juvenile delinquency in our society. Government and voluntary organization should be involved in the following ways: Government should provide employment opportunities for youths, provision of sporting activities and other recreational activities and Pre-trial diversion programs, such as pre-trial community service, vocational or life skills training programs, victim-offender mediation or family group conferences should be encouraged etc. Method of data collection used in this study was only questionnaire.
2018
This paper examines the prevailing causes of juvenile delinquency in Nigeria. It adopts analytical and qualitative research methodologies by relying on the existing legal and theoretical frameworks and also, a descriptive survey through questionnaires and direct interviews of 1,500 stakeholders from selected states in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques are employed and simple percentage scores and frequency counts are used to analyse the research questions. The results from the descriptive analyses show that the prevailing causes of juvenile delinquency in Nigeria were those encapsulated in the sociological theory of juvenile delinquency. The paper recommends the preventive mechanisms and argues for legal and structural reforms towards economic efficiency, equity and democracy for juveniles.
Rethinking the Role of Family in Combating Juvenile Delinquency in Nigeria
American Journal of Arts and Educational Administration Research
Many families have failed in performing their major role of protection, provision for their members, socializing their members and ensuring they conform to the socially acceptable patterns of behaviour in society, thereby increasing the rate of adolescent delinquencies in society. The literature emphasizes that the home front is the root cause of juvenile delinquency. In this context, this paper examines the role of the family in adolescent antisocial behaviour and maintains that the family sustains the corrective ability to combat juvenile delinquency. The paper found that divorce, improper use of the internet by juveniles, dysfunctionality in the home, single parenthood, substance abuse, weak parenting, poverty, and constructed realities by the media, amongst others, were examined as the cause of these behaviours. The paper explains the challenges many homes face in raising lawabiding citizens and the aftermath effect of these challenges. However, this could be tackled by developing a child's security, values and skills. Consequentially, the paper recommends families placing more emphasis on meeting the psychological need of the adolescent, family bonding, and cohesion as well as adequate provision for every child by parents and guardians to curb this menace.
East African journal of interdisciplinary studies, 2023
The assessment of factors related to juvenile delinquency was conducted at Arusha Remand Home in Arusha City. This study adopted a cross-sectional design and gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from various primary and secondary sources. A sample of 103 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling technique. Structured interviews using researcher-administered questionnaires were employed to collect primary data from the participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with selected juveniles to obtain insights into the delinquency in the city. Descriptive statistics and the Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square test were employed for quantitative data analysis, utilising IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. The findings indicated that theft offences accounted for a significant proportion of juvenile delinquency (45.6%), followed by abuse (29.1%) and vandalism (25.2%). The primary causes of delinquent behaviours were identified as poverty (67%), peer influence (28.2%), and family dysfunction (4.9%). Additionally, the study identified gender, household size, parenting style, and the causes of committing crimes as factors associated with juvenile delinquency. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the Arusha City Council, in collaboration with other stakeholders, develop targeted interventions and initiatives to address the specific challenges faced by juveniles. Government welfare officers in Arusha City should design educational programmes aimed at equipping families with the necessary knowledge and skills to create a nurturing environment for their children, thereby guiding juveniles onto a positive path. Implementing these recommendations aims to prevent and reduce juvenile delinquency and promote the overall well-being and positive development of young individuals in Arusha City.
REHABILITATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS: IMPLICATION S FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
2010
The study examined the issue of rehabilitating the juvenile delinquents in order to bring peace and development to the various communities. The study employed a surveys study design. The population consisted of young male and female members of Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo state. A sample of 90 subjects was used for the study. Data collected were subjected to simple frequency count and percentages Chi-square statistical tool was used for the analysis of the hypotheses.The study revealed that juvenile delinquency is a social menace that could lead to social disorder and which does not augur well for the development of communities. Based on the findings, it is recommended that parents, government, non-governmental organizations should make efforts at rehabilitating the deviant youth so that they would be useful to themselves as well as help build a formidable community.
Ghana Social Science Journal, 2020
This paper assesses the state of selected formal institutions and agencies within Ghana's juvenile justice system and is part of a larger study that assessed Child Panels in the country. The study utilized qualitative research methods involving observation and semistructured interviews. Field work covered a total of 16 districts in four regions of Ghana and a total of 115 respondents were interviewed. The findings expose the abject sordid state of the institutions and agencies which reduces them to a state of gross inefficiency and under-utilization. This paper highlights the fact that despite numerous studies that have identified similar challenges, no action has been taken to address them. It argues that scholars should now move beyond assessing the efficiency of the system to a focus on exploring how the system can realistically be transformed in light of the numerous challenges facing it and the sociopolitical realities in which it operates. It is also a call to the responsible public authorities to take action to address the challenges. The findings also show that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play a significant role that complements the work of the formal juvenile justice system.