The Vicious Circle: Child Abuse, Juvenile Delinquency, and Future Abuse
Anurag Aryan,
Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University
INTRODUCTION:
Children are the future of our society. They are the stepping stones towards the development of society. But sometimes, society does not behave candidly with them. In this article, the major focus will be on the harsh side of society towards children and what this behavior leads them to.
CHILD ABUSE:
Child abuse simply means harming a child. This occurs when a child experiences harm or neglect. Often the abuser is someone the child knows. Parents, family members, or friends could be the person in question. Another term for child abuse and neglect is adverse childhood experiences (ACE). If left untreated, these experiences can affect a child's health and well-being for a lifetime.
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY:
Juvenile crime refers to the illegal behavior of minors (juveniles) who have not yet reached the age of majority. In most states, the age is 18. The legal term juvenile delinquent was coined in the United States in the late 19th century to describe young offenders. Most juvenile crimes are less serious, such as truancy, curfew violation, underage drinking, etc. They are commonly regarded as status violations rather than juvenile delinquency. However, minors can also be charged with more serious crimes, such as murder, rape, or robbery. Their actions are deemed juvenile delinquency. The consequences of a juvenile felony conviction can be severe, including jail time, fines, and a criminal record. But not all juvenile offenders are treated equally. A significant contrast exists between the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system. Rehabilitation may be prioritized over punishment in the juvenile system. The handling of juveniles involves various methods, including the use of detention facilities for adolescents.
FUTURE ABUSE:
Childhood traumas have a significant impact on the psychological lives of people. This is a common phenomenon. We are facing a social epidemic with serious consequences that is destroying the lives of those who survive. Being a victim in earlier years of life can trap an individual in the victim-rescuer-perpetrator triangle.
Many criminals experienced violence as children. This leads the child down the path of crime in the future. It all happens because past experiences affect future actions. It cannot be assumed that if a child has experienced any abuse, he will take a lesson from that and never repeat that action again in the future. It might also affect the child in a negative sense and emerge a sense of revenge in his mind, which leads him towards the wrong path in the future.
THE VICIOUS CIRCLE
Child abuse, juvenile delinquency, and future abuse are correlated with each other. It forms this vicious circle itself. Let’s understand it with an example:
A child who has experienced child abuse and is much affected by that has been left neglected by his family and friends. He got tussled from inside, had a huge fight with himself, and couldn’t understand how to deal with that. Someday, he got a chance to let out his frustration, and while doing so, he couldn’t foresee what the consequences could be. And he did a crime. As a result, he was sent to detention, which worsened his mental condition.
Therefore, after getting these worse experiences at a young age, his hope in positivity, humanity, and kindness collapsed. This made him a pessimistic person. Now, whatever the conditions are, he cannot imagine life as a normal, happy, and optimistic person. This ultimately leads him towards abusive actions, similar to what happened to him.
CURATIVE MEASURES:
Every problem has a solution. This vicious circle of child abuse, juvenile delinquency, and future abuse can be broken as well.
The first solution could be family support. Family is the priority of every child; if the family and their parents are supportive, then the circle can be broken at the first level, i.e., child abuse. Parents and family members should be aware while behaving with their children of how it will affect them, and if someone outsider is abusing their child they should be concerned about that as well.
The second solution could be the attentiveness of society as a whole. If there is a lag in the first place and a child is abused, then everyone should cooperate with that child in coping with that. So that the child should not feel neglected and the negative thoughts could not emerge in his mind. Accordingly, he will not step toward juvenile delinquency.
The third solution could be the response of the concerned authorities towards juvenile delinquency. If the concerned authorities take corrective measures in rehabilitating the child, then he will not tend towards the wrong path. After the rehabilitation, the child should be transformed into a person with a positive attitude towards society. Then only he will not indulge again in future abuses.
CONCLUSION:
The vicious circle that has already formed in society can be broken by taking corrective measures. The society should always move forward in its journey and not backward. In doing so, we need to be concerned about the children because they are the future; they are the ones who will lead society, and if they are in trouble, then the future of society will also be in trouble.
REFERENCES:
1.Nathan Mahr &Altagrace Choute, Juvenile Delinquency | Definition, Types & History (November 21, 2023)
2.Mayo clinic staff, Child abuse, (May 19, 2022)
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/child-abuse/symptoms-causes/syc-20370864
3.Ali Firoozabadi,The Past Victim, the Future Abuser (2020)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32349501/