PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE OF CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW: IN THE CASE OF ADDIS ABABA REMAND HOME

Abstract

This study finds out the factors that contribute to the participant children’s recidivism or repeatedly becoming in conflict with the law and their experience and perception towards the children correction center. The participants were ten children (aged 10 to 16) who were in the Addis Ababa Remand Home more than once and three staff members were involved as key informants. The study showed that the factors that lead children to be in conflict with the law are complicatedly interrelated and interwoven and no single factor was found responsible to put them in this situation; but the sum of various factors, predominantly being family factors, and followed by peer influence, substance abuse, street life, school factors, community and neighborhood characteristics, and institutional factors were revealed. The participant children’s experiences and perceptions towards their being in conflict with the law repetitively were also explored. It was also found out that after they were released the children have different experiences during their first incarceration, in their subsequent incarcerations and their future challenge for change. Their perceptions to their being in conflict with the law repeatedly were also multifarious in nature. They perceive themselves as sinner, cursed, rejected, unwanted, cannot do better in life in the future, and other negative perception, which could also hinder them from being rehabilitated in the future. The study revealed various implications of social work, policymaking, and research by understanding the major factors for recidivism and the ways to minimize the problem with the collaboration of the Remand Home and other responsible bodies.