SOCIOECONOMIC DEPRIVATION AND JUVENILE PATHWAYS TO ROBBERY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY FROM DISTRICT JAIL FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study investigates the socioeconomic and familial factors leading juvenile males into robbery in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Through in-depth interviews with ten incarcerated juveniles (aged 14–18) at District Jail Faisalabad, the research identifies poverty, unemployment, educational deprivation, weak parental attachment, and peer influence as primary drivers. All respondents belonged to low-income backgrounds, with 80% having no formal education and 95% having illiterate parents. Peer pressure and exposure to violent media normalized criminal behavior. The absence of rehabilitation programs and legal awareness further entrenched criminal pathways. The study concludes that juvenile robbery is a structural rather than individual failure, requiring integrated policy interventions focusing on poverty alleviation, family support, education, and rehabilitation.

Keywords: Robbery, Juvenile delinquency, Poverty, Parental attachment, Peer influence, Pakistan, Prison study.