Through the Eyes of the Youth: Children in Conflict with the Law and the Juvenile Justice System.

Abstract

This study, “Through the Eyes of the Youth: Children in Conflict with the Law and the Juvenile Justice System”, is the analysis of the effectivity of the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act and its amendments. It discusses the concerns at the different stages of the judicial process from the perceptions of the CICLs and duty bearers. This is also an analysis on the effect on the emotional and cognitive mindset of the child. Through interviews with primary respondents, CICLs and key informants, social workers from Makati Youth Home and Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY), and expert interviews from the Juvenile Justice Welfare Committee (JJWC), the research aims to determine how the issues at each stage affect the rights of the child. It also the assesses the effectivity of the overseeing departments with regard to monitoring and implementation. It addresses the collective effect of limited budgeting and misinterpretation of the law in part of the duty bearers. This study uses the theory of neoinstitutionalism to explore the correlation of the enacted law and duty bearers on the proper implementation of the rights of the child.