Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate the rate of juvenile delinquency amongst youths aged 12- 17 in Fiango Kumba. A sample of 100 persons was carried in the streets of Fiango and the methodology employed was focused group discussions along side with questionnaires.

It was discovered that the rate of youth’s involvement in crimes in Fiango Kumba is very high, including both males and females, with the males recording the highest percentage.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

A crime is an illegal act committed by an individual in any society but it becomes juvenile delinquencies when committed by young people in any society (Albert Cohen 1966). For an act to be considered as a crime or illegal it must meet two conditions; it must be considered socially disruptive to be permitted and secondly, it must be difficult to control through informal sanctions alone.

1.1 Historical Background

Crime is a norm rather than an exception and it is a very complex issue to be dealt with. However, the insights from sociological theories offer some hope to minimize crime in any society be it traditional or modern.

In addition, influence alone will not minimize crime because crimes occur in modern affluence society due to many complex factors.

Any society where the benefits and/or affluences are not equally distributed and there are individual differences in personal profit such as official crime control methods, values, and benefits there will be the existence of crimes.

Sociologists, however, do not rely on legal categories to distinguish between crimes rather they classify crimes according to how they are committed and how the offenses are viewed by society (Hans 2001).

They have finally identified five types of crimes: index crimes; including murder, rape, robbery, and assault. White-collar crimes such as tax evasion, embezzlement, and bribery. Professional crimes such as drug trafficking, highway robbery, pick-pocketing.

Organized crimes such as drug business. And the last type is victim-less crimes in which there is no victim rather than the offender which is the use of marijuana and public drunkenness, and abortion. These crimes fully involve the youths and juveniles and they are been corrected through sanctions.

The sanctions vary from one community to another since some of these juveniles are seen as minors that is age 15-17.5 years old. Moving on these theories and literature will be reviewed in criminal activities which is our major call for concern.

It has been suggested that crime is a public wrong. The public in this sense refers to the society; thus, Sir Carlton Allen in his book titled “The Legal Duties” that is “crime is a crime because it consists in wrongdoing which directly and in serious degree threatens the security or wellbeing of the society and because it is not safe to leave it to redress able only by compensation of the party injured”.

There is a tendency to feel that since a crime is a public wrong that is against the members of a given society, any of such members can seek redress.

Theoretically, this is so but practically prosecution in Cameroon is carried out by the Department of Public Prosecution which is made up of qualified persons charged with the duty of carrying out prosecution.

The definition of a crime as a public wrong automatically absorbs civil wrong which is not attended by penal consequences it thus becomes imperative to draw a line separating a crime and a civil wrong.

The distinguishing features of a criminal offense are that it entails a liability to punishment by the state and not payment of damages to the injured party. Thus it was clearly stated by the court of appeal in civil procedure.

Layman’s definition of crime; when we talk of a layman’s definition of crime, we are referring to the societal definition that is who and what the society labels as criminals.

The society in which we live is made up of so many institutions, these include, the institution of marriage, the school institution, the religious institutions.

All these institutions or groups have their own standards of behavior called conduct norms. Thus the marriage institution is given by the rule patterning to marriage.

Furthermore, crime depends largely on what culture considered it to be. Therefore, what is called a crime in your culture and mine may not be in another. It would be useful to begin consideration of this cultural group by noting crime is social deviance in other words variation from social norm that is singled out for public punishment.

More still, a lawyer sociologist Tappan insisted that we should limit our studies to criminality as it is legally constructed.

Crime is an international action in violation of the criminal law committed without defense or excuse and penalized by the state. He insisted further that crimes are penalized otherwise the reader will be left to himself to proceed with his own. Notwithstanding there is a generally accepted definition of crime.

A crime is held to be an offense that goes beyond the personal and into the public sphere, breaking prohibitory rules or laws, to which legitimate punishments or sanctions are attached, and which requires the intervention of a public authority (the state or a local body).

In legal terms, a crime is an act or omission which amounts on the part of the committer or does, to a disregard to the fundamental values of the society thereby threatening to affect the lives of citizens: Kumba reputation and especially Fiango which is known as a notorious area in terms of a crime wave in Cameroon.

Security, cohesion, and order that is psychologically, politically, economically, at any given time to the extent that justifies societies effective interference through and by means of its appropriate legal machinery.

According to Bentham Jeremy (1952) in his book “The role of law in societies”. He propounded the principles of utility which stated that man was governed in his activities by pleasure and pain. Man’s desire was to increase his pleasure and diminish his pain. In the same light, the social factory law was to promote the greatest number.

Making laws, therefore, was the product of anti-social conduct so that such conducts attract pain and not pleasure thereby forcing people to avoid crimes and get involved in any type of crime.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

The issue of crime has been a bone of contention today in every society especially amongst the youths most of whom are considered as minors, however, it is discovered over media that most of these youths are being manipulated by older ones to do these criminal acts.

The problem statement, thereby examines the factors responsible for crimes caused by youths in Fiango Kumba which involves unemployment, frustration, population growth, high level of illiteracy, school drop-outs, poverty and psychological problems that is inadequate socialization measures. These causes amongst others made juveniles to be engaged in various types of crimes.

These types of crimes include threats of lives, aggravated theft, assault, destruction of property, invasion of residence, theft, counterfeiting, misappropriation, corruption of youths, vagabondage, possession of Indian hem, false pretence, arm robbery, disturbance of quiet enjoyment, and credit by fraud. There is also the need to identify some social problems as well as effects amongst others that arise from such crimes caused by juveniles. Some problems may include insecurity amongst others.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main Question

To study, Juvenile Delinquency amongst youths in the Kumba municipality especially in Fiango and how to do away with this aspect.

1.3.2 Specific Questions

1. What causes or pushes them to commit such crimes?
2. Types of crimes committed by these juveniles.
3. Improved youthful behavior.

1.4 Objectives Of The Study

1.4.1 Main Objective

The main objective of this research is to investigate criminality among youths in Fiango Kumba and the consequences they face.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

1. To examine the rate of juvenile crimes in Fiango Kumba and the factors accounting for such rate or trend of juvenile crimes in Fiango Kumba.
2. To look at the social effects which arise from such rate amongst others
3. Give particular recommendations to serve as a remedy for such a situation in the future