Relationship between Juvenile Delinquency and Background of Children in Remand Home in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between juvenile delinquency and background of children in remand home in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria. The four objectives of the study are to determine relationship between juvenile delinquency and age of children in Maiduguri remand home, relationship between juvenile delinquency and education background of the children in Maiduguri Remand Home, relationship between juvenile delinquency and the causes of delinquency among the children in Maiduguri remand home and  relationship between juvenile delinquency of children in Maiduguri remand home and their gender in Borno State. Correlation research design was used. The population for the study consists of the 103 juvenile delinquents that were in Maiduguri remand home; therefore, all the 103 delinquents were used in the study. The research instrument used was proforma which was designed by the researchers to collect data from the records of the delinquents that were in Maiduguri remand home. Data collected were analyzed using chi-square, followed by computation of contingency coefficient to find out the relationship between the variables. The study revealed that, children’s education level, age and gender were significantly related to juvenile delinquency in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Counsellors, Educational Psychologists and Teachers should identify delinquent behaviours among children in school and home and counsel them on the consequences of such acts. Parents’ should provide the basic needs of their children and should supervise them. Parents should develop effective parenting model that would enhance good behaviour and should communicate freely with their children. Children should be engaged academically in school, they should be given assignments and home work frequently by the teachers and they should be encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs and sporting activities. Fathers should be closer to boys and mothers to girls and they should be good models by showing them good examples. Parents and other members of the society should build good discipline and character in the children irrespective of gender, so that they can fit into adult life successfully. Parents should stay together for the sake of their children, and should discourage them from comparing themselves with their peers who have parents with high occupation. Parents should monitor the friends and activities of their children because peer group exposes children to more delinquent behaviours.

Keywords: Juvenile, Delinquency, Background, Children, Remand Home