Role of Family in Juvenile Delinquency: What National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) Data Reveals

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency is one of the most pressing social problems of our time. Various social, psychological and biological factors contribute to the development of delinquency in children. Family is one such factor which has biological, psychological and social linkage with children. Studies conducted across the globe have found that children who are homeless or are from broken families tend to commit more crime. However, in case of India children living with parents commit more crime. The paper tries to identify various family aspects which might be leading to the development of deviancy in juveniles. Data relating to juvenile delinquents is collected from the National Crime Record Bureau repository from 2003-2016. The collected data is then graphically represented to illustrate the point. It is found that majority of the children are economically backward and lack proper education. Economic stringency of the family might be a potential factor for lack of guidance and negligence of children by parents. The paper has thus considered a single factor (family) contributing to deviancy in children. Therefore, further studies need to be conducted to explore other factors leading to delinquency