Juvenile Delinquency in Ghana

This book explores the perceived circumstances behind Ghanaian adolescents' involvement in delinquency. The meanings they make out of their delinquent behaviours were also investigated. The plethora of literature on juvenile delinquency was identified to be dominated by findings from Western cultures and also quantitative in outlook. Against this backdrop, the lived experiences of young offenders from Ghana were qualitatively gathered and analyzed. Six (6) main themes emerged as the explanatory variables to delinquency in Ghana. As a meaning making platform, the young offenders saw their behaviours as a means to an end. Another construed meaning of delinquency was that, proceeds from ill gotten gains amounted to 'bitter money'. The training process of the young offenders who premeditated their acts was observed to be an apprenticeship model where each trainee (young offender) had a 'big-man' (a master) and a mentor (trainer). These finding were interspersed with relevant theoriesand literatures for a thorough discussion, with their implications for intervention and future research clearly emphasized.