Abstract:
This study investigates the relationships among neighborhood condition, school problems,
parent adolescent communication, peer relation and religiosity on juvenile delinquency.
Self-reported questionnaires were collected from 107 juvenile delinquents aged 11-18
years. Six standardized instruments of Amharic versions were administered. The rate of
juvenile delinquency was significantly and positively correlated with the neighborhood
condition, school problems, poor family communication, and peer relation. Negative
significant relationships were also observed between juvenile delinquency and religiosity
and open family communication. All variables together accounted for 88.6 % of the
explained variance. More specifically, the strongest influence was from neighborhood
condition followed by open family communication and school problems. The paper
concludes that to tackle delinquent behavior proactive interventions are essential at family,
school and community levels.
