Multidimensional Child Poverty and Its Implication on Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

The multidimensional measures of child poverty complement the concept of absolute poverty by reflecting the
deprivations that a child faces in key dimensions such as health, education, and living conditions. The aim of this
study is to ascertain whether there is a nexus between child poverty, delinquency, and juvenile justice
administration. The study adopts a right based approach in line with the Convention on the Right’s of the Child
(CRC), and Child Right Act to measure child’s poverty in Nigeria in terms of children not having access to goods
and services necessary for their well-being, survival and development. The study is analytical and comparative in
scope. It x-rayed relevant legal frameworks and analysed factors that exacerbate child poverty in Nigeria. It
highlighted the connection between child’s multidimensional poverty and the development of nations. The work
found that despite plethora of legal frameworks at the international, regional and domestic sphere, for child’s
protection, the rights of the child to access basic goods and services are still encumbered by economic, social and
cultural factors which does not only affect the child but affects unborn generation. The study discovered that there
are many lapses inherent in our legal frameworks that affect the rights of the child. Further, the study observed that
multidimensional poverty exposes the child to Juvenile justice system poverty makes children vulnerable and makes
them susceptible to crime. Apart from that, it exposes them to abuse such as child marriage, child labour, drug and
human trafficking, which truncate their survival and development. There is also a nexus between child poverty and
juvenile delinquency. Furthermore, the paper revealed that education which is very fundamental to child protection
elude millions of children in Nigeria. The paper recommends that the Government of Nigeria should adopt and
rectify extant laws particularly the 1999 Constitution and Child Rights Act. The Government should make policies
and laws that are child’s friendly and also implement such laws. Apart from that, the Government should eradicate
or mitigate factors that exacerbate child poverty and jettison obnoxious cultural practices that are inimical to
development of children in every sphere.