Juvenile Delinquency and Justice System in Bangladesh: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

Nearly all cultures possess a transition phase from childhood into adulthood. As the world changed, so did the transition into adulthood. Whereas before, in most now industrialized countries, this transition ranged from brief to almost non-existent, it is now a significant part of a person's development. It is known now as adolescence. In fact the popular term "teenager" wasn‟t coined until the '50s to describe this new group of people living through adolescence. It is believed that this new, drawn-out transition from childhood into adulthood that is common in the western world has left many adolescents in a sort of limbo where they must seek to define their identity and place in the world, and delinquency may provide a way to do that. This is supported by the fact that crime is committed disproportionately by those aged between fifteen and twenty-five. However, contrary to popular belief it is highly rare for teenagers to become spontaneously aggressive, antisocial or violent simply with the onset of adolescence. Although there is a high percentage of offending among all teenagers, the majority of offenses which violate the law are one time occurrences and most often non-violent. Only about 5-10% of adolescents commit violent crimes. The study reveals that juvenile delinquency are normally belongs to the illiterate and sometimes with low income families in Bangladesh and this is the main reason impacting negatively on their frequently engage on juvenile crimes.