CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background of the Study  Nearly every society since the dawn of history has looked on juvenile crime as a serious problem, and our society is no different. The underlining philosophy of Juvenile justice as the history of child welfare in Nigeria became very interesting and of concern for all because it touches the whole society, the government, homes/family and all stake holders. The trend in the study of this problem has moved gradually from the focus on physical and psychological composition of the individual to the influence of the social structure on an individual (Niyi 2015). Scholars who claimed that family structure is a major factor in the causation of juvenile delinquency worked on the assumption that, if the family background especially the general atmosphere of the home and the attitude of the other members of the family is congenial for proper development of a child, it is likely that the child will grow up to be law abiding. On the other hand scholars who claimed that extra family conditions are crucial in the explanation of delinquent behaviuor worked on the assumption that participation in the creation and maintenance of delinquent subculture is an important factor in causation of juvenile delinquency (Dunapo, 2002). Although the issue of juvenile delinquency is an age long problem, it seems that the juvenile delinquency of the past cannot be compared to that of the present era. The anti-social behaviours often associated with the juvenile delinquents, such vices as vandalism, drug abuse, weapon carrying, alcohol abuse, rape, examination malpractices, school violence, bullying, cultism, truancy, school drop-outs, to mention but a few. Obviously, unless something is done to roll back the wave of juvenile delinquency, the prospect of a better, safer and more prosperous and crime society emerging in Nigeria will remain elusive. (Bartol et,al 2009).