Understanding Juvenile Delinquency: The Developmental Trajectories and Their Implications for Human Development

Abstract

Peer pressure, poverty and drug abuse have been documented by studies as one of the most common reasons for promoting juvenile delinquency globally. This article examined the causes and the implications of juvenile delinquency in South West Nigeria, with its focus on the relationship with the mediating roles of poverty, peer pressure, and drug abuse. The factors highlighted are notable and interact with all aspects of adolescents’ development. Poverty is a promoter of delinquent activities, and these include pressure from peers and exposure to dangerous substances. Adolescents who use drugs are more vulnerable because judgment is mostly impaired, thus making them susceptible to delinquent behaviours. The study examines how these factors are interconnected and how they collectively influence juvenile delinquency among young people in Nigeria. The study used a qualitative design on a group of juveniles living in a correctional home to establish the positions of previous authors. The participants are 10 adolescents. The developmental implications of these behaviours for Nigerian youth are also explored, and they include the inability to complete basic education, poor family relationships, and psychological consequences. The study suggested necessary interventions, such as compulsory education, reduced poverty, and building a communal society that promotes inclusivity irrespective of socio-economic status young people to reduce delinquency. The study provides detailed activities for understanding and reducing the rate of juvenile delinquency in Nigeria. The findings recommend the need to focus on comprehensive solutions that focus on socio-economic reforms and community involvement to protect the future of Nigerian adolescents.