A Study on the Increasing Rate of Children in Conflict with the Law (2000-2005): Analysis of its Causes, Administration of Detention Centers and the Juvenile Justice System (Selected Cases from Quezon City and Caloocan City)

Abstract

Incidence of youth offenses in the Philippines has been in the rise for the past years and has been a serious concern of both government and non-government agencies. II has been said time and again that juvenile delinquency is a social problem and youth offenders are victims of circumstances beyond their control. With this. several factors arc being accounted for the negative behavior of children in conflict with the law. Most people believed that the complexity of the present Philippine society and curiosity of the youth to experience and savor the alluring comforts the modem world has to offer have made the youth prone to commission of crimes, petty or serious. Thus, the State has to view these offenders as misguided children who varied complex needs require specialized handling. This study intends to analyze the causes of juvenile delinquency as well as evaluate the situation of child detainees in two different detention centers: Malave Youth Home and Caloocan City Jail. Furthermore, the study also aims to examine the juvenile justice system in the Philippines based on the experiences of children in conflict with the law.