Introduction
p. 11-16
Texte intégral
1Juvenile violence and juvenile delinquency are found in most modern urban centres. They are the results of a disoriented society. Juvenile delinquency occurs where the moral, ethical, social and legal norms that govern individual and group relations are violated. These antisocial activities are generally perpetrated by youths under the age of 18 years who are predisposed towards acts that are harmful to peace-loving members of the civil society.
2Deviant and unethical behaviour becomes manifest in a given social context when factors such as family ties, religious practices, gerontocratic supervision of youths and informal mechanisms for dispute settlement are eroded.
3Juvenile delinquency in cities constitutes one of the greatest areas of concern for the government and all law-abiding citizens. The rapid growth of African cities contributes to a high incidence of deviant behaviour. Urban centres hold the promise of good education, medical services, employment and a general enhancement of socio-economic status; this motivates migration from rural areas. The influx of rural dwellers to the urban centres in Nigeria has become more pronounced since the oil boom era of the 1970s.
4Jos began to grow into a modern urban centre from the time of the discovery and exploitation of tin ore by the colonialists in the 1900s. The abandoned tin mining sites, with pits full of water, which could be regarded as causing environmental degradation have, however, attracted farmers who engage in all-season and fadama farming. Traders, both Nigerians and foreigners, attracted by the temperate climate of Jos. have contributed to its urbanization. Jos is also an important religious centre in Nigeria.
5 Jos was a relatively quiet urban centre until 1980, when the social character of the city changed considerably. Religious conflicts and border disturbances have greatly undermined the hitherto peaceful atmosphere of the city. Furthermore, religious disturbances in neighbouring northern cities have led to a chaotic influx of people into Jos. For example, the Maitatsine religious uprisings in the 1980s in Kano, Gombe and Jimeta (Yola); and those in Bauchi in 1992, in Kafanchan and Kaduna in 1987 and 1992; and the Zagon-Kataf and Tiv-Jukun bloodshed in 1992 have put immense pressure on the population of Jos through migration and the consequent growth in population.
6The relationship between these socio-demographic, political, economic and ethno-religious forces and juvenile delinquency lies in the availability/accessibility of social services and utilities. Unfortunately, relevant agencies and organizations have taken little action to ensure the adequate provision of social services for the burgeoning population of Jos.
7The fact that the majority of the urban social classes, especially the poor, do not have sustained access to good accommodation, water, transport and other services impedes the integration of youths in the city. The majority of the ‘unattached’ or loosely integrated populace, especially juveniles, find opportunities for deviant behaviour.
8The control of deviant behaviour among a society’s young people is a function of the outlook or perception of parents and teachers, government policies and actions, and community sentiments towards the rights, duties and responsibilities of youths in the society. Many parents now focus on material acquisition, neglecting the close supervision of their children and wards.
Objectives of the Study
9The central objective of this study is to provide researchers, government, interested individuals and organizations with a contemporary scenario of juvenile violence and general delinquency patterns in Jos. Its objectives are:
- to determine the borderline between normal and delinquent life patterns of juveniles
- to establish incidences, patterns and trends in juvenile violence and delinquency
- to assess the extent of gender variables in juvenile violence and delinquency
- to assess the impact of housing on juvenile delinquency
- to establish the role of ‘significant’ others in juvenile violence and delinquency
- to assess the consequences, policy implications and options for juvenile violence and delinquency control and management in Nigeria
Methodology
10Juvenile delinquency and the criminal activities of youth constitute an important threshold for social science research, because youth involvement in deviance and violence is a manifestation of the level of the degeneration of the society. In this research, specific areas and groups that could contribute to the understanding of the nature of delinquency in Jos were targeted. This study used a stratified random sampling framework to ensure representativeness of the sample.
Target Group
11The target group for the study consisted of all juveniles between the ages of 14 years (children) and 17 years (young persons) [Children and Young People’s Laws cap. 32, 1958], They were further considered on a gender basis. A total of 2,743 interviews /questionnaires were conducted/administered. The sampling frame of areas surveyed is shown in table 1. All the information was gathered within the Jos metropolis and the University of Jos.
Table 1. Sample frame of study areas surveyed

Data Collection
12A structured questionnaire was used to gather information from the target group. A combination of approaches was adopted. For university students, a ‘drop and pick’ approach was used. This gave the respondents a free hand to fill in the questionnaires, which enhanced the originality and reliability of their answers. A ‘participatory’ approach was employed among street children and working children; assistants read the questions and answer-options in the questionnaire and entered the responses received. This method was chosen because of the low literacy rate among the street and shop-keeping respondents. A ‘supervisory’ approach was adopted in secondary and extra-mural schools. After securing the cooperation of the school principals, research assistants distributed the questionnaires to the student respondents who filled them as though in a normal sessional examination.
13In all the sample areas, the respondents were randomly selected. Respondents among street traders and shop keepers were asked preliminary questions aimed at ascertaining the appropriateness of the respondents, especially in respect of the age variable. In the University of Jos (henceforth referred to as the University), only remedial, 100 and 200 level students qualified to be sampled. With regard to the 200 level students, since JAMB makes it mandatory for students to be sixteen years old for registration into 100 level, it was deduced that most of them would be 17 years old in their second year and were thus eligible for sampling. The project started in mid-March 1996 with the collection of primary data.
14In respect of secondary data, the visits of the coordinators, between April and July, to the Social Welfare Departments of Jos North and Jos South LG As and the Jos High Court did not yield the desired results. This was due to the non-availability of statistical figures in respect of juvenile offences in Jos. Enquiries at the Jos Remand Home/Social Welfare Centre on Jos-Zaria Road, revealed that there were cases of unclassified inmates who did not fit into the sample target of the present study. However, statistics from the police (table 45) were quite revealing. These suggested that there were different forms of juvenile delinquency resulting from peer pressure, the bad influence of significant others, parental neglect, economic depression and personal choice.
Data Analysis
15The computation of data involved the use of descriptive statistics such as ratios, percentages and indexes. The presentation was in tabular form. This revealed trends in the relationships between juveniles and their parents’ social background, the incidence, nature and patterns of juvenile violence and delinquency; and their attitudes towards the opposite sex, friends and authority figures. A holistic, analytical approach was adopted, in which information from the sample areas was treated as a whole, rather than as a differential picture of juvenile violence and delinquency in Jos. One could not ascertain that the respondents necessarily resided in the places where the interviews were conducted.
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