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Analysis of Juvenile Crime
Crime committed by juveniles in India and the law pertaining to it has been the subject of debate and concern, primarily because of a perceived rise of violent crime and the proposal (and eventual amendment in 2015) of treating juvenile offenders involved in heinous crimes as adults. This evokes an enquiry into the various aspects of crime committed by juveniles, such as the trend of such crime over time, the socio-economic characteristics of juvenile offenders, and the role of the state in dealing with it.
The Apprentices Act, 1850 was the very first legislation pertaining to children which provided for the rehabilitation of those in the age group of 10–18 years convicted for an offence. This was followed by the Reformatory Schools Act, 1897, and the Madras Children Act, 1920, Bengal Children Act, 1922 and Bombay Children Act, 1924.
The Children Act, 1960 was the first central enactment in independent India relating to children which followed the United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders. It applied only to the union territories, since the subject matter of juvenile justice fell under the state list of the Indian Constitution.
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