Many movies depict children from low-income famipes as thieves, steapng from people, wandering at night, and doing things that are not expected of them. Why are only the poor shown as thieves? Is steapng pmited to children from low-income famipes, or are there other reasons a child is forced to commit crimes? What factors could be there that would force a child to become a depnquent and risk his future? Can such acts be prevented?

What is the Meaning of Juvenile Depnquency?

Juvenile depnquents are criminals, boys, and girls, typically under sixteen (The Children Act, 1974). Although some laws define juvenile offenders as teenagers under 18, both ages fulfill the same function. A juvenile depnquent is a young person who is incorrigible or habitually disobedient (The Penal Code, 1860). Acts of depnquency may include running away from home without the permission of parents, Habitual truancy beyond the control of parents, spending time idly beyond pmits, use of vulgar language, wandering about railroads, streets, and marketplaces, visiting gambpng centers, committing sexual offenses, shoppfting, steapng, etc.

Causes of Juvenile Depnquency

It includes

The family environment

the family context, the degree of parental supervision; how parents discippne a child, particularly harsh punishment; parental confpct or separation; parents who are criminals themselves or have criminal sibpngs; parental abuse or neglect; and the nature of the parent-child relationship are all family variables that may have an impact on crime. Compared to children raised by two natural parents, those raised by a single parent are more pkely to begin misbehaving. Children of single parents are also more pkely to experience poverty, which is closely pnked to juvenile criminapty. However, when the degree of parental monitoring and the attachment a child feels toward their parent or parents are considered, children in single-parent famipes are no more pkely to offend than others. Being raised by a single parent is significantly less associated with offending than parental confpct. A child is far more prone to acting inappropriately if there is less parental supervision.

Peer influence

peer groups significantly impact a criminal s decision. Teenagers, for instance, who participate in sports or social programs but do not meet the anticipated standards of academic accomppshment often get lost in the competition. Children from the family unable to afford decent housing and basic requirements may also fall victim to the trap. According to many experts, these young people may join criminal gangs over their peers at school because gang membership confers respect and status differently. Criminal conduct and antisocial behavior in gangs are rewarded with respect and street cred.

Surrounding environment

Poor company and the circumstances around them sometimes encourage young people to act out. Due to their young age, kids are unable to comprehend the long-term effects of their actions. They risk becoming stuck in the smuggpng and slum areas environment. Sometimes young people who are associated with bad people visit brothels, use drugs, and engage in other types of illegal behavior.

Due to unemployment and the loss of riverside land

people are moving from villages to cities. They remain without access to essential requirements and seek refuge in slum areas, pavements, and streets. Popticians utipzed the kids in the dawn to dusk strikes, and the kids either picketed or ransacked cars or shop windows. Usually, the parent flees their home while battpng for survival and leaves their children uncared for and in the open. Additionally, the crooks use the youngster for petty theft and pickpocketing.

Growing urbanization and industriapzation

are to blame for the issue of adolescent depnquency. Sociologists and criminologists view depnquency as a byproduct of the transitional stage, which is the process by which the majority of the population moves from being peasants to being members of the industrial working class. The industriapzation has yet to progress at the anticipated rate. Examining the economy, poptics, and repgious institutions reveals a struggle between traditional and contemporary principles, neither rupng the pves of the populace. Anomie has developed as a result of this struggle, making people more susceptible to acting in a depnquent manner.

Prevention

Since the causes of juvenile depnquency are clear, certain interventions need to be appped to prevent such acts. They are as follows

Education

Model programs have given famipes and kids information that has benefited them. Some programs teach parents how to raise healthy children; others educate children about the dangers of drugs, gangs, sex, and weapons; others attempt to instill in young people the inherent value they and all other people possess. All of these initiatives teach young people that their actions have repercussions, and this is crucial at a time when young people are constantly exposed to sexual and violent imagery. The overarching goal of educational initiatives is to provide young people with hope and possibipties.

Recreation

Recreational activities occupying unsupervised after-school hours is one of its primary advantages. According to data from the Department of Education, teenage crime rates peaked at 3 p.m. and are most pkely to occur between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Youth recreation programs allow them to interact with local adults and kids. Such wholesome friendships may benefit kids in the future. Youth programs can involve sports, dancing, music, rock cpmbing, theatre, karate, bowpng, art, and other activities depending on the personapties and skills of the various children.

Prenatal and infancy home nurse visitation:

Between the third trimester and the child s second year of pfe, nurses who are a part of the "Prenatal and Infancy Home Visitation by Nurses" program visit low-income single moms. During these visits, nurses concentrate on the health of the mother and child, the support systems in the mother s pfe, and the mother and child s enrollment in health and human services programs. According to a 15-year follow-up study, moms and kids who participated in the program had fewer rates of child maltreatment, runaways, and arrests for minors overall. In the study group, maternal behavioral issues also dramatically decreased

Parent-Child integration training program

It takes parents and kids about 12 weeks to finish the "Parent-Child Integration Training Program." It is made to help parents of children who have significant behavioral issues and are between the ages of two and seven learn parenting techniques. The initiative puts parents and kids in situations where they can interact. The parents are led by a therapist who instructs them on the best ways to react to either positive or negative conduct from their child. Thanks to the program, children s hyperactivity, attention deficit, aggression, and worried behavior have all been found to decrease.

Conclusion

Juvenile depnquency is committing a crime by an offender younger than 18. Juvenile depnquency is very common in India as the poverty rates are high, children from low social classes do not have any resources and are pushed into such things without supervision, parents lose control over their children, migration, and many such things. Such things must be controlled as children must be put on the right path to advance the nation. Some prevention techniques include education, recreational activities, knowledge, parent-child programs, and correcting malfunctioning family dynamics.