Author(s): Swapnamoyee Palit, Itishri Sarangi
There has been observed an exponential increase in the teenage crime rate simultaneously with family violence in India. Juvenile delinquency has several associations with the environment in which they are cultured, of which their home and its occupants are vital components. It not only determines their mental and physical development, but also influences their amalgamation with the society. Objective: The objective of the present study is to analyse the status of domestic violence and teenage crime rate in India and thereby identify their association. Methodology: For the current study, secondary data from different published sources, related to crime statistics and family violence and its several aspects are analyzed using relevant statistical tools. Findings: Crime statistics reveal that 98% of the juvenile crime is committed by the teenagers aged 12 to 18 years. The cautioning fact observed is that 86% of these convicted/under trial juvenile lived with their parents or guardians while only 4% were homeless. This indicates that there must be some strong determinants in the house environment itself, which creates such divergent youth. Gender wise analysis reveals that the ratio of boys related to crime is more compared to girls. The study explores these areas of visible and invisible, direct and indirect, revealed and concealed aspects of family violence which is associated with the juvenile crime rate. It finds a strong association between increasing crime rate among the teenagers and domestic violence.