A trending series on Netflix called Adolescence reflects a scenario of crime committed by a 13-year-old. The horrifying thing is, juvenile delinquency is no longer confined to the screen.
On May 9, 2025, a 14-year-old teenager killed his two aunts in Shewrapara, when they caught him stealing Tk3,000 from one of their purses.
In April, a seventh grader was found dead in Chittagong. He was killed by four of his classmates over a dispute. The incident had provoked widespread outrage as people were shocked thinking how school kids could be cold blooded murderers.
During Ramadan, a 17-year-old brutally stabbed his father to death over buying a phone. Back in 2013, a piece of news shocked the nation when Oishee Rahman killed her parents after they imposed strict rules upon her and took her phone away to discipline her.
Criminological analysis
Juvenile delinquency has reached an alarming level recently. How does criminology define it? Moral reasoning plays a pivotal role in shaping a child’s mind.
Kohlberg’s theory of moral development outlines how different phases of children’s age shape their moral development. He has divided the phases into three parts. Children of age three to seven are under pre conventional, eight to 13 are conventional and adulthood goes under post conventional category. The external and personal ethics have an impact on children’s criminal behaviour.
Both nature and nurture play a part
Nature vs nurture is a debate which talks about whether children inherit criminal features or their surroundings play any role in shaping their character. To establish arguments, Johannes Lange studied twins where the results show that among 13 identical twins 10 were criminal.
He concluded that nature shapes children's criminal behavior. In 1975, a similar adoption study in biological father, adoptive father, and the son made it clear that nurture also plays a crucial role.
A study shows that 11% of adoptive fathers and sons were criminals. Consequently, experts recognize that both nature and nurture are equally responsible for shaping a child's psychology.
When parents pull away, kids pay the price
British psychologist John Bowlby did a study on attachment theory. He found that the emotional bond between a parent and a child forms the child’s psychology. To establish his theory, Harry Harlow experimented on infant monkeys, where monkeys preferred woolen mother over wired mother with food. He stated that children respond to safety and emotional security before food.
So, when children grow up without proper affection from their parents, they develop a tendency to acquire more criminal attributes. Familial environment has a large impact on juvenile delinquent behavior.
If we analyze the contemporary issues in Bangladesh, teenagers who committed crimes had complex mental health issues. Their hormonal imbalance, peer influence, familial environment undoubtedly influenced these activities. A child’s childhood and their parents’ treatment has an impact on shaping this behaviour.
Unhealthy relationship between parents, an unhealthy family environment, and inadequate education leads a child towards crime.
Teenagers often commit crimes for instant gratification. They can make catastrophic decisions in moments of anger, fear or to be recognized. The Shewrapara double murder case is an example of an impulsive decision made by a 14-year-old.
Criminologically, the teen’s actions reflect the lack of self-control as per the control theory. He might have thought of instant gratification through the murders. Moreover, unresolved family conflicts and strained parent-child relationships lead children to commit violent crimes.
The recent surge of juvenile delinquency has sparked fear in Bangladesh. Behind the crime, the teenager’s psychology also plays a crucial role in conducting these criminal activities. To take the situation under control, families, schools, and policy-makers should understand the psychology of the children.
After all, these children are not born criminals -- society plays a critical role in shaping who they become.
Nusaiba Hasan Ohee is a law student at Bangladesh University of Professionals.
