NCJ Number
140335
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1992) Pages: 353-370
Date Published
1992
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Data are presented to discuss the current status of juvenile delinquency in Nigeria and the appropriateness of applying Western theories of delinquency causation to the Nigerian experience.
Abstract
While the Nigerian criminal law is based on English common law, the process of introducing juvenile delinquency as a legal term did not begin until 1900. The first juvenile court session Nigeria was held in Lagos sometime in the 1940's; it was another 10 years before juvenile courts were regularly convened in each of the country's three regions. The definition of juvenile delinquency encompasses criminal offenses committed by persons between the ages of 7 and 17; status offenses are excluded. Most juvenile offenses are committed in urban areas and are property crimes. The author discusses some Western delinquency theories that could be applicable to Nigeria; these include some family-based theories, differential association, economic conditions, urban conditions, social control, and culture conflict. He finds theories of poverty, broken homes, labeling, and gang membership inadequate to explain the situation in Nigeria. 2 tables and 59 references