Factors Influencing Juvenile Delinquencies Among Juvenile
[A CASE STUDY OF BORSTAL TRAINING INSTITUTE GANMO, KWARA STATE.]

    Since the respondents were not different in their expression on the factors influencing juvenile delinquencies based on age, sex and religion. It implies that delinquent juveniles have similar positions on juvenile delinquencies. Thus, family counsellors and other appropriate personnel would find it easy to provide information for the parents of delinquent children irrespective of their age, religion and gender.
Recommendations
    Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made:
(a)    Family therapy: Multisystem Therapy (MST) should be adopted. MST is a family – oriented, home – based program targeting chronically violent, substance – abusing juvenile offenders aged 12 to 17. To change how youth function at home, at school, and within neighbourhood, MST promotes positive social behaviour (at the same time, attempting to decrease anti-social behaviour). The home – based model should be designed to overcome barriers that may prevent families from accessing services. The therapists (family counsellors) should focus on empowering parents, improving their effectiveness (identifying strengths and developing natural support systems), removing barriers (e.g. parent substance use, stress, conflict between partners). After these issues are addressed, the parents should work with the therapists to develop strategies for setting and enforcing curfews and rules, decreasing their children’s involvement with deviant peers, promoting friendship with prosocial peers, improving academic and/or vocational performance, and even addressing neighbourhood criminal subcultures.
(b)    School based Programs: There is the need for school based programs that will enhance strong bonds of juveniles to school and family. This will protect juveniles from socially unacceptable behaviours. Bonding to school and family is achieved through, enhanced opportunities and reinforcement both at home and at school, all designed to increase children’s social competencies. This intervention should include three components: teacher training, child social and emotional skill development, and parent training. These should be done by family counsellors.  
(c)    Listening to Children (LTC): This program emphasized parental self-reflection, social support, and addressing the emotional roots of children’s misbehaviour and of parenting stress.
(d)    Family Effectiveness Training (FET): This program should target children between the ages of 6 and 12. This intervention should address family functioning, parent-child conflicts, and cultural conflicts between children and parents. Family topics should include; family development, parent-child communication, conflict resolution skills, parental nurturance and behaviour control, family cohesiveness, and parenting skills regarding managing children’s peer relations. The format should include didactic lessons and activities as well as planned family discussions in which a therapist/facilitator will intervene.
(e)    Juvenile courts and Reform Homes: There is the need for juvenile courts and reform homes. Juvenile courts should be established to handle cases of juvenile delinquencies, and the courts should be lenient in handling juvenile criminal cases. Also, reform homes should be established to reform and rehabilitate the delinquent juveniles, family counsellors are much more needed in reform homes.
Suggestions for Further Studies
    This study was limited to investigating factors influencing juvenile delinquencies as expressed by delinquent juveniles in Borstal Training Institute, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State. Subsequent studies may consider the following areas:
(1)    Effects of juvenile delinquencies as expressed by delinquent juveniles in Borstal Training Institute, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State.
(2)    Factors influencing juvenile delinquencies as expressed by delinquent juveniles in reform home, Oko-Erin Ilorin, Kwara State.