Abstract

Cyber Culture and Juvenile Justice: Rethinking Legal Frameworks for Juvenile Offenders in the Cyber Era

Dr. Pawan Kumar Misra, Dr. Saurabh Tiwari

Volume: 16 Issue: 1 2026

Abstract:

Dynamic expansion of cyber-culture has transformed social interactions, communication, and identity formation among young people, creating both opportunities and challenges for juvenile justice systems. In the network society, adolescents are increasingly exposed to digital environments where boundaries between acceptable behaviour and cyber-crime are blurred. Acts of cyber-delinquency, ranging from online harassment to hacking, often emerge from experimentation, peer influence, or lack of awareness of netiquettes rather than from entrenched criminal intent. Traditional legal frameworks, however, remain largely rooted in offline paradigms, struggling to address the complexities of juvenile delinquency in the internet era. This mismatch raises critical questions about proportionality, rehabilitation, and the protection of minors in cyberspace.

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