Determinants of Repetitive Juvenile Delinquency in Malawi

Abstract

This study establishes the determinant of repetitive delinquency among young people in Malawi, by answering two questions; why do juveniles commit crimes and become repetitive offenders? And what are the factors associated with this repetitive delinquency? An analysis of the risks associated with repetition of delinquency has been done which includes individual risks and family risks, according to Broemel classification (2010). Number of times the young person has been involved in contravention of the law has been used to determine this repetition of crime. The study used primary micro data gathered from 107 juveniles in three reformatory centers and one adult prison (Kachere, Bzyazi, Mikuyu, and Maula respectively), and adopted a heteroscedastic probit model in modeling repetitive juvenile delinquency. Results from the study indicate that youth repeatedly engaging into crime is largely due to high levels of youth unemployment and the growing up in families which have a criminal history. The study has therefore recommended the adoption of unemployment by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture as a major problem affecting the youth in Malawi, and the promotion of vocational skills in primary and secondary schools by the Ministry of Education if repetition of crime by juveniles has to be reduced.