Family background and juvenile delinquency in Uganda: A case of Kampala Capital City, Nakawa Division

Abstract

The study was about the influence of family background on juvenile delinquency in Uganda. It focused on a case study of Kampala Capital City, Nakawa Division”. The study was guided by three research objectives namely; to assess the extent to which a single parenthood structure influences juvenile delinquency in Nakawa Division, to assess the extent to which a step parenthood structure influences juvenile delinquency in Nakawa Division and to assess the extent to which family stability influences juvenile delinquency in Nakawa Division. The study used a descriptive research design and used both qualitative and quantitative approaches for data presentation and analysis. In addition, the study used purposive sampling and simple random sampling method to determine the sample which was 86 respondents. The study findings revealed thatsingle parents are burdened with the need for extra hands around their households because they don’t have enough time with their children. It was also revealed that a number of step parents in Nakawa Division have failed to respond adequately to their childrens’ emotional needs.It was stated that in Nakawa Division, most of the children are raised by their single mothers who provided and cared for these kids in a way that at times they barely felt the absence of their fathers. In conclusion, it was stated that Delinquency is not in-born; it is acquired and gradually grows within an individual turning him or her into juvenile delinquents with time depending on the environment which he lives. Rehabilitation as an approach to delinquency among juveniles’ demands nothing else rather than friendly environment that can restore justice, order, comfort, dignity and the culture of peace among juveniles. The study recommends the need to understand that the intimacy with which parents communicate is strongly related to the committing of delinquent acts. It is also recommended that approaches to the prevention of violence and crime should include measures to support equality and justice, to combat poverty and to reduce hopelessness among young people.