The juvenile justice system was introduced in the state of Illinois for the first time in 1899. Since 1995, the ratio of juvenile crime in the various countries of Eastern Europe have increased by more than 30 percent regarding drug abuse and alcohol consumption.
According to “The Juvenile Justice System Ordinance, 2000” a ‘Child’ means a person who at the time of the committing of an offence is not yet eighteen years old. This law also provides protection to accused children from the death penalty. The word “delinquency” has been extracted from the Latin word ‘delinquere’ which means to leave or to abandon.
Juvenile delinquency is the beginning of criminal elements in the society. Children of every state are known as its backbone. Every country or state should take care of its youth as it is a natural resource to recognize, establish and develop the state. Likewise, increase in the literacy rate of juveniles is an important factor for development. To reduce the rate of delinquency it is necessary that juveniles are the priority of the country.
To reduce the rate of delinquency it is necessary that juveniles are considered priorities in the country
Juvenile justice in Pakistan deals with crimes committed by Pakistani children. The minimum age for criminal responsibility in Pakistan is seven years. Section 83 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 also protects the rights of children. There are various causes of juvenile delinquency namely; parental alcoholism, poverty, breakdown of the family, overcrowding, abusive conditions at home, death of parents during armed conflicts, unemployment, injustice, absence of appropriate laws, gambling, running away from home, lack of attention by elders, addiction, peer pressure, illiteracy, electronic media, and discord between siblings count as a few.
According to report of Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) 2012, there were 1500 to 2000 juveniles imprisoned in Pakistan and under trial that are not included in this figure. In Punjab province, there are just 2 juvenile jails one in Faisalabad and one in Bahawalpur which are insufficient for the number of juvenile criminals in the country.
Offenders are not born but are produced by the society. Children are known as the future leaders of a state. Poverty and illiteracy are the main causes of juvenile delinquency.
In order to reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency in Pakistan, it is essential to take some measures, such as the elimination of family conflicts. However, the state should give provisions to avoid overcrowding, the state should provide job opportunities, ensure justice or give justice which can reduce delinquency, legislatures should be legislated effectively and the state should ensure its strict implementation. Parents and elders should pay attention to their offspring. Literacy rate should be increased by providing free education. Discrimination against juveniles should be finished and electronic media should not display criminal activities through their channels.
The writer can be reached on [email protected]
Published in Daily Times, September 15th 2017.