Juvenile delinquency: Case of Kocaeli

Juvenile Delinquency: it is used to define a child who is investigated or prosecuted with the allegation that he has committed an act that is defined as a crime in the laws or a child for whom a decision of security precaution has been given.The study has been carried out with the purpose of investigating the factors which lead children to crime in Kocaeli basis and to discuss what can be done to find a solution to the issue. In this scope, officials of related institutions have been interviewed. As a consequence of interviews based on the personal opinion of the authorities, an attempt has been made to make observations on the cause and solutions of the issue. The interviews have been conducted with the Director of Juvenile Branch Office of Kocaeli, Children?s Rights Commission coordinator, Psychologist of Kocaeli T1 Closed Prison, Municipality of Izmit, Children?s Rights Desk Responsible and the President of the Kocaeli Social Services Experts Association. The interview includes fifteen questions. The questions consist of three groups which are directed to the general overview of juvenile delinquents, the reason for their drift to delinquency and questions aiming at prevention of drifting.The family is the most important factor drifting the child to delinquency in Kocaeli. Most of the families? being insensible towards the child, families? failing to give sufficient education in the socialization of their children, socio-economic problems in the family of the child, the family?s failing to provide material and moral support to the child and the family?s losing its functionality cause children to slide into delinquency. The most important reasons for juvenile delinquency in Kocaeli are the children?s failure to becoming adapted to the city, certain families? pushing their children to work and earn money because of their financial problems , presence of numerous siblings in the family, lack of education, lack of authority on the child due to loss of family functionality. Theft is the most encountered type of juvenile delinquency in Kocaeli. This is due to the families? pushing their children to earn money, which is one of the causes for delinquency. In preventing juvenile delinquency, there is no sufficient coordination between institutions in Kocaeli. However studies are conducted for increased coordination. Family education is crucial in preventing children from committing crimes. Families have to be conscious towards their child. It will be possible to reintroduce the children to society and to prevent them from drifting to delinquency by providing them their basic rights, with delinquent young children?s undergoing a good rehabilitation process, by guiding children to social and educating activities, supporting personnel working on site.