Juvenile Delinquents: Victims Or Perpetrators?

WHAT IS JUVENILE DELINQUENCY? 

A juvenile delinquent refers to a person who has not yet attained the statutory age of majority participating in crimes and those who are at conflicts with the law. There are specific provisions in the legal system for dealing with such offenders, such as juvenile courts and juvenile detention centers. In certain cases, where the nature of the crime is severe, they may also be charged as adults. In recent years there has been an astonishing increase in juvenile crimes posing a great threat to their individual development as well as the development of the society. 

REALITY VS FANTASY 

Teenagers and young adults are at an impressionable age, mature enough to want to make their own choices but not mature enough to grasp the consequences of their actions. The attributes of the modern western society are deftly sinking its paws into the young and unprotected minds of our teens and adolescents. In this fast paced virtual world, the effects of technology and social media and its impact can no longer be ignored. In our close knit Indian society, freedom to make our own decisions and choosing how to live our lives has always been a privilege only to be awarded when you are old enough and independent enough. That is not the case anymore. Kids these days want everything now, from expensive mobile phones, bikes, clothes, etc. and sometimes they are ready to go to any lengths to get what they want. The peer pressure to look cool and hip also drives them into doing immoral deeds. They now want everything handed out to them instead of wanting to work for it, and when they are unable to procure it that way, they resort to criminal activities. 

FAMILY AND FRIENDS 

The environment in which a person lives consists of the family, neighbors, friends, the socio economic condition of the community. Family is the first interaction any child has on his birth. Family has a huge influence on the development of a child. A warm and loving family will create a positive atmosphere for the nourishment of a child but when the family is cold, neglectful, harsh, and rejecting, the child will develop hatred, hostility, and distrust towards people. Broken and poor homes often lead to runaways. This often leads them straight into a life of crime. Children who escape their abusive homes are often starving for love, comfort and left to their own devices often resort to theft to survive. 

DRUG ABUSE 

The incidence of drug abuse is higher in children and adolescents than that of the general population. The usage of drugs being illegal in India is like a forbidden fruit for them. The enigma surrounding drugs and their utter lack of control often makes them vulnerable to it. The addiction to drugs has a palpable and devastating effect on their growing mind and body. It weakens their ability to think clearly and pushes them into a mental state where they constantly think of ways to get the next fix. This often leads them into the shackles of drug trafficking and prostitution. CURBING THE 

EFFECTS OF THIS PANDEMIC 

The future of this country depends upon the young generation. A generation of people with well-formed minds and conscientious behavior is the path to progress as opposed to drug addled teens with violent and destructive tendencies. As a society, it is our duty to ensure that children are provided with a loving and tender environment to grow with equal opportunities for everyone. 

There are several NGO’s in India working to reform juvenile delinquents and to educate the children so they don’t resort to criminal activities. Lakshyam is fulfilling its duty towards street children who come from poor homes by providing them free primary education as well as teaching them moral values and enrolling them into schools. Lakshyam also runs a volunteer program where people can come and teach the children and be a part of a better tomorrow.

Human Trafficking - Humans Are Not For Sale

INTRODUCTION 

The United Nations defines human trafficking as, 

“the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation”. 

It is estimated that twenty thousand people in India were victims of this heinous crime in the past year. It is a multi-billion business behind only drugs and arms trafficking. This sort of an illegal flesh trade is seen as a thriving and profitable business mainly because of its repetitive nature, wherein the humans can be bought and sold multiple times over and over. The advent of technology and advancements in the field of transportation and communication has made this illegal trade more appealing than ever. Masses of young children and women living in poverty and desperation can be lured away to a place thousands of miles away from their homes into bondage labor, sex trafficking etc. all without the hope of ever being rescued. Women and girls are kidnapped and trafficked all around the world for commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriages. Men and boys are kidnapped for bonded labor or to work as gigolos etc. 

CAUSES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING 

One of the main causes of human trafficking in India is the abject poverty. Around thirty percent of the Indian population still lives in acute poverty. This creates an opportunity for unscrupulous elements in the society to procure cheap or free labor. Young able bodied unemployed men desperately looking for work often fall into the trap wherein someone whisks them away to a foreign land with no rights and no freedom where they are forced to work all day with no pay and little food. The reason for sex trafficking is growing due to the increasing demand for women. Since ancient times, women have been looked at a pretty little things decorated for and used to pleasure men. This was the practice during colonial times, where rich kings often kept concubines for their sexual pleasure. Now, this practice has evolved into forced prostitution or sex trafficking. 

Girls as young as ten, are snatched away from the loving comfort of their homes and hidden away inside the dark kothas in the dingy lanes of brothels. There they are made to service as many as twenty men a day without a penny for the rest of their lives. The declining sex ratio in India can also be seen as a cause for bride trafficking in India. This trade is thriving not only in rural areas but also in urban areas. This is a hindrance to women and child development in India. There is a price for each girl and her owner then makes her work endlessly to recover this supposed debt from them. In most cases these girls are scouted by neighbors and relatives posing as well wishers wanting to help the girl in finding work to earn money and unsuspecting family members duped by the prospects of extra cash are talked into handing over their custody to these criminals only to never see them again. 

PROTECTIVE MEASURES 

Through the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA) 1956, the Indian government penalizes trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, with a penalty of seven years to life. Section 366(A) and 372 of the Indian Penal Code, prohibits the kidnapping and selling of minors into prostitution respectively. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012, is a special law to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. On May 2013, a bill was passed in India, rendering human trafficking a criminal offence. This decision was made as a result of an international outcry against the brutal Delhi gang rape of 2012.

Lakshyam is taking several measures and working tirelessly towards imparting education to underprivileged girls in various communities across the country. It is also working towards the development of women and children by imparting skills to them and creating avenues for them to be self-reliant.