Juvenile Delinquency and The Law: Causes and Types of Crimes Committed in Temeke District, Tanzania

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency is a social malady that exposes youth to conflict with the law. Establishing causal factors of juvenile delinquency will help to prescribe effective measures for controlling diverted behaviour for the future protection of children. The main objective of this paper was to examine juvenile delinquency and the law: causes and types of crimes committed. Specifically, this paper aims to examine the reasons that drive juveniles to commit crimes and the types of crimes committed by juveniles in Temeke District in Tanzania. The study on which this paper is based employed a cross-sectional design whereby 50 respondents were involved and 233 records of young offenders were reviewed. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, a checklist for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews. It was found that the major causes of juvenile delinquency were family problems, Poverty and the effects of mass media. It was further found that the leading crimes committed by juveniles were stealing, rape and possessing narcotic drugs. It is recommended that government and religious institutions can reduce juvenile criminality by working together to strengthen family structures through support programs, moral guidance, and community outreach. It is recommended that the Ministry of Information should reinforce the former mechanisms that were used to screen music, film and news for public consumption. It is also recommended that Stakeholders in youth and development and NGOs should join efforts and raise awareness of the effects of drug abuse.