Cape Coast, June 15, GNA - Mrs Margaret Kutsoatsi, deputy director in-charge of administration at the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), on Wednesday attributed the upsurge of juvenile delinquency to the disintegration of the family unit.

She explained that the traditional role of the family in child protection and crime prevention has been seriously eroded by poverty, urbanization and "chronic" unemployment. Mrs Kutsoatsi was speaking at a workshop on juvenile justice administration at Cape Coast.

The workshop, organised by the DSW in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), was attended by 54 participants including officials from the Ghana Police and Prisons Services, family tribunal, juvenile courts and assembly members. They discussed problems confronting juvenile justice administration in the country, as a follow-up to a national survey conducted on the issue with the view to providing best solutions and advising government and policy makers accordingly.

The survey, was conducted between 1993 and 2003 According to Mrs Kutsoatsi, the trend in juvenile delinquency has been increased by visible levels of individualization in urban settings compared to the communal spirit exhibited within traditional communities.