Home and Family Circumstances of Young Offenders: An Examination of Social Workers Views
| Author | Thozama Mandisa |
| Pages | 63-80 |
Home And Family Circumstances Of Young Offenders: An Examination Of Social Workers Views
63
HOME AND FAMILY
CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUNG
OFFENDERS: AN EXAMINATION OF
SOCIAL WORKERS VIEWS
Thozama Mandisa, Lecturer in Social Work and Criminology, University
of Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract
Crime is endemic in South Africa. It affects citizens across, age, racial, gender, religious,
and socio-economic divide. Young persons seem to be the likely suspects and offenders in
most criminal acts. However, detailed investigations pertaining to the causes of youth
offences mainly attributes youth offending to socio-economic factors. This research has
considered home and family circumstances of youth offenders as leading factors
influencing the rise in youth offences. A purposive sample of social workers and probation
officers closely working with young offenders was utilized to test some of theories on youth
offending. The respondents in this research have worked with offenders from all
communities in South Africa. Particularly important was to look at the role of parenting
during the socialization processes in youth offenders lives. The research results have
revealed youth offenders either have been improperly socialized or were exposed to
conditions, which might have indirectly encouraged violent behaviour. The outcome of
this research suggests that South Africans ought to examine introspectively their
parenting practices in order to prevent crime.
Key Words: Youth Offenders, Home, Family, Parenting, Social Workers and Probation
Officers.
Introduction
Many South Africans will concur with the statement that crime is problematic in South
Africa. The author’s personal observation from radio talk shows, newspaper reports, and
speeches by Criminal Justice authorities is that, young persons commit a significant
amount of crime in this country. According to the Department of Correctional Services,
as on 9 September 2006, therewere60703 sentenced youth between the ages 14 – 25
confined in South African Correctional Centres. The department has classified the crimes
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