NCJ Number
74605
Journal
Revue internationale de criminologie et de police technique Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Dated: (April-June 1980) Pages: 148-162
Date Published
1980
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The extent, nature, and causes of juvenile delinquency in Black Africa are explored.
Abstract
The remarkable drop in juvenile conviction rates in a number of Black African countries appears to indicate a decrease in juvenile crime rates. But actually, the figures do not reflect the real situation. Instead, they indicate only that the countries lack the resources to deal with young offenders aged 8 to 16. Juveniles who are incarcerated are given no educational or social assistance and upon release, they return to the streets. Large numbers of African juveniles lead the existence of vagabonds, without adult supervision. The juvenile delinquency of Black Africa differs from that of industrialized countries: offenses are generally minor (e.g., illegal sale of objects on the street, theft, and vagrancy) and are frequently undertaken as a matter of physical survival. More serious crimes by juveniles are usually directed by adults. The number of offenses committed by small gangs of juveniles is on the rise and will probably continue to be. The real danger from the offenses committed by juveniles is that the juveniles will become accustomed to vagrant life and will become increasingly unable to settle down to regular work. The situation with regard to juvenile delinquency appears to be the results of acculturation with destruction of the family and tribal system. The centralized governments of the new states have attempted to make the population more uniform by sending children to school. As a result, the old divisions according to sex, age, and lineage have been replaced by divisions according to social class and political or social power. Education has thus confused the traditional relationships of the village and impoverished the countryside. Furthermore, the educational systems tend to push young people out of the villages in search of better opportunities, while neglecting the educational needs of large portions of the population. Students who do not find a place in secondary school become rebellious. Families which immigrate from the village to the city are at a social disadvantage to city dwellers. Such families tend to become isolated from their extended family and tribes, and parental relationships lose their meaning. In this framework, juvenile delinquents are the victims of both social change at an excessively rapid pace and of a criminal justice system which singles out the most vulnerable juveniles. Tables and a bibliography are included.