Impact Of Conflict On Juvenile Delinquency In Afghan Society
⚖️ Background: Conflict and Juvenile Delinquency in Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s decades-long armed conflict has created an unstable and violent environment, severely affecting children. War has disrupted families, destroyed educational systems, impoverished communities, and increased exposure to violence. In such a context, juvenile delinquency—offenses committed by minors—has taken various forms, often influenced or directly caused by the conflict environment.
Common types of juvenile offenses include:
Association with armed groups (Taliban, ISIS, militias)
Drug smuggling or trafficking
Theft, burglary, or street crime due to poverty
Carrying weapons or transporting explosives
Violence and aggression from trauma
Being used as spies, messengers, or suicide bombers
Now, let’s go into six detailed case examples.
🧑⚖️ Case 1: Ahmad – A Boy Detained for Alleged Taliban Association
Age: 15
Province: Helmand
Background: Ahmad was a street vendor in Lashkar Gah. His father had been killed in a drone strike. A local Taliban commander offered him money to carry a package to a nearby village.
What Happened: The package contained IED components. He was arrested by Afghan National Security Forces and detained on suspicion of being a Taliban member.
Legal Process:
Ahmad had no lawyer during interrogation.
He confessed under pressure.
Though he was a minor, he was initially held in a regular adult prison.
Later transferred to a juvenile rehabilitation center after advocacy by human rights groups.
Outcome:
Detained for over a year.
Lost schooling; returned home with stigma as “Taliban spy.”
Suffered trauma; later seen associating with older ex-combatants in his area.
🧑⚖️ Case 2: Laila – Girl Arrested for "Moral Crimes"
Age: 16
Province: Faryab
Background: Laila was displaced by conflict after a Taliban attack on her village. Living in a camp, she formed a relationship with an older boy. They tried to run away together to escape a forced marriage.
What Happened:
Arrested at a checkpoint.
Charged with “running away” (often treated as a moral offense).
Claimed she was fleeing abuse at home and did not consent to marriage.
Legal Process:
Detained without legal representation for two months.
Interrogated harshly.
Eventually brought before a juvenile court.
Outcome:
Sentenced to six months in a juvenile center.
Missed exams and was expelled from school.
Her reputation in the community was ruined; family rejected her.
Impact of Conflict: This is a clear case of indirect conflict impact—displacement and breakdown of protection mechanisms leading to vulnerability and criminalization of the victim.
🧑⚖️ Case 3: Hamid – Child Soldier Recruited by a Local Militia
Age: 14
Province: Kunduz
Background: Hamid lost both parents to a bombing and lived with his uncle. The uncle was part of an anti-Taliban militia, unofficially armed by government factions.
What Happened:
Hamid was given a Kalashnikov and used as a lookout and messenger.
Participated in raids and checkpoints.
Later injured in an ambush and captured by Afghan police.
Legal Process:
Accused of bearing arms illegally and participating in violent raids.
Claimed he acted under pressure and had no alternatives.
No clear demobilization procedure applied.
Outcome:
Held in a rehabilitation center for 10 months.
Missed out on school and had limited psychosocial support.
After release, his community viewed him as dangerous and “trained to kill.”
🧑⚖️ Case 4: Zabiullah – Teen Caught Smuggling Narcotics
Age: 17
Province: Nimroz
Background: Zabiullah lived near the Iranian border. With no school or employment, he was approached by drug traffickers to carry heroin across a border checkpoint.
What Happened:
Caught with 2 kg of heroin taped to his body.
Claimed he did it to help feed his younger siblings.
Said the trafficker threatened to harm his family if he refused.
Legal Process:
Tried under Afghan anti-narcotics law.
Although a juvenile, he was sentenced harshly due to the quantity of drugs.
Family could not afford a lawyer; legal aid was delayed.
Outcome:
Sentenced to 3 years in juvenile detention.
Exposed to older criminal networks in detention.
Upon release, struggled to find work; resumed contact with drug traffickers.
Conflict Link: The conflict-fueled collapse of economy and governance allowed drug trade to flourish, pulling vulnerable youth into criminal activity.
🧑⚖️ Case 5: Mariam – Internally Displaced Child Caught Stealing Food
Age: 13
Province: Kabul (originally from Ghazni)
Background: Mariam’s family fled conflict in Ghazni after a Taliban assault. Living in a Kabul slum with no aid or income, she was caught stealing bread and fruit from a market.
What Happened:
Shopkeeper beat her and turned her over to police.
Charged with theft.
Legal Process:
Appeared in juvenile court with social workers.
Judge considered her IDP status and family conditions.
Outcome:
Released under supervision of Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
Placed in a shelter for girls and enrolled in a local school.
Significance: This case reflects the better side of the system—where conflict-induced delinquency was met with rehabilitation rather than punishment.
🧑⚖️ Case 6: Qasim – Suicide Bomber Intercepted Before Attack
Age: 15
Province: Khost
Background: Qasim was recruited by insurgents in his village. Promised entry to paradise, money for family, and religious rewards.
What Happened:
Caught wearing a suicide vest at a checkpoint.
Claimed he was told he would only “scare” people, not kill.
Appeared dazed and confused during interrogation.
Legal Process:
Treated as a security threat.
Initially held in an adult detention center.
Later transferred to juvenile facility.
UN and NGOs intervened for psychological assessment.
Outcome:
Declared psychologically unfit to stand trial initially.
Underwent deradicalization and therapy for a year.
Still feared returning to community due to stigma and risk of re-recruitment.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Direct conflict involvement (e.g. Hamid, Qasim) leads to children entering justice system as combatants or terrorists, despite being victims themselves.
Indirect conflict effects (e.g. displacement, poverty, family loss) drive children like Mariam and Laila into theft or criminalized survival strategies.
The justice system struggles with proper treatment: juveniles are sometimes treated as adults, denied legal aid, or stigmatized.
Rehabilitation and reintegration are inconsistent—some children receive help (Mariam), others fall back into cycles of criminality (Zabiullah).
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