Rethinking the Role of Family in Combating Juvenile Delinquency in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract: Many families have failed in performing their major role of protection, provision for their members, socializing their members and ensuring they conform to the socially acceptable patterns of behaviour in society, thereby increasing the rate of adolescent delinquencies in society. The literature emphasizes that the home front is the root cause of juvenile delinquency. In this context, this paper examines the role of the family in adolescent anti-social behaviour and maintains that the family sustains the corrective ability to combat juvenile delinquency. The paper found that divorce, improper use of the internet by juveniles, dysfunctionality in the home, single parenthood, substance abuse, weak parenting, poverty, and constructed realities by the media, amongst others, were examined as the cause of these behaviours. The paper explains the challenges many homes face in raising lawabiding citizens and the aftermath effect of these challenges. However, this could be tackled by developing a child’s security, values and skills. Consequentially, the paper recommends families placing more emphasis on meeting the psychological need of the adolescent, family bonding, and cohesion as well as adequate provision for every child by parents and guardians to curb this menace. Keywords: Keywords: Juvenile Delinquency: Family Roles: Divorce: Broken Homes: Peer Influence.