Listening to Children in Conflict With the Law in Zambia: The Need for a Context-Specific Approach to Rehabilitation

Abstract

Juvenile recidivism is a global issue. Yet, academic studies disproportionately address juvenile crime in high-income countries; this historical focus leads to a self-perpetuating cycle in which new research prioritizes existing knowledge bases that may overlook risk and protective factors unique to low- and middle-income nations, such as Zambia, where research on the root causes of juvenile recidivism remains sparse. This study points to the potential shortfalls of generalized approaches to juvenile rehabilitation by privileging the voices of young offenders in Zambia whose stories highlight the devastating impact of family dysfunction, the erosion of traditional community, and socioeconomic inequalities, including poverty, lack of educational opportunities, high youth unemployment, on their behaviors. Their voices, largely unheard in the nascent Zambian literature on juvenile crime, provide a roadmap for reducing recidivism by developing community-based programs that prioritize strengthening family and community bonds while alleviating systemic challenges to rehabilitation.