Sir: Juvenile delinquency can be explained as crimes committed by children above seven and below 18 years of age. Most commonly, these crimes include theft, robbery, drugs peddling and even murder in extreme cases. Rapid urbanisation and modernisation are mainly responsible for this phenomenon. There are various causes for the delinquent behaviour of a child that may include improper guidance by parents, abusive childhood, aggressive or authoritarian father, anti-social peer group association and most importantly lower socio-economic conditions of that family. All these factors together contribute to motivating children to indulge in crimes in order to fulfil their basic needs. Street children, who move from rural areas to the city and those living in slums, are more vulnerable to juvenile delinquency. Juvenile jails are set up to rehabilitate delinquent children and turn them into good citizens. But in these jails, juveniles are meted out cruel treatment and face harsh behaviour of wardens. Many become the victim of physical and sexual abuse in these jails. These circumstances turn them into complete criminals. Juvenile delinquency in Pakistan is reaching epic proportions with neither the law nor people associated with it willing to understand the gravity of the situation. Children are an investment of any nation for its future but poverty-ridden children in the country deprived of basic needs of food, shelter and safety have no choice other than losing their innocence in crimes. The lack of basic needs make them criminals and the poor justice system makes them professionals. The government and citizens are equally responsible for reducing juvenile delinquency from our society for which we have to make sure that no child has to lose his innocence and pursue criminal activities due to social injustice. RIDA KHAN Karachi