Published Paper Details:

Juvenile crime remains one of the most pressing concerns in India's criminal justice and social welfare landscape. Although uniform legislation such as the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 governs how the law treats minors in conflict with the law, the societal perception and manifestation of juvenile crimes vary significantly across geographies. This paper conducts a comparative perception study of juvenile crime in small towns versus big cities, aiming to uncover the root causes of these differences in understanding and response. The research employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, including surveys, statistical data analysis, and case study evaluation, to examine how factors like socio-economic conditions, law enforcement approaches, education, and media narratives influence public perception.The paper reveals that while crime rates among juveniles are not always higher in cities, urban settings often magnify public concern due to increased media visibility and perceived anonymity of offenders. In contrast, small towns experience underreporting and strong community-based social controls that often camouflage the presence of juvenile crime. Moreover, local culture, community involvement, and institutional effectiveness significantly shape how these issues are approached in both environments. This paper proposes a set of recommendations including awareness campaigns, decentralized policy initiatives, and localized rehabilitation models to align public perception with empirical realities and promote more effective juvenile justice strategies.