Page No:22-33
Vipikali V Shohe, and Thiyam Kiran Singh
Nagaland University, Meriema campus, Kohima
Juvenile delinquency in India is divided into “juveniles in conflict with the law” and
“children in need of care and protection.” This research looks at how impulsivity,
emotional intelligence (EI), along with self-esteem differ between juvenile delinquents
and non-delinquent adolescents in Kohima, Nagaland. A number of 30 adolescents
were assessed using purposive sampling. 15 delinquents from juvenile homes, and 15
non-delinquent adolescents from schools, comprised the sample. Independent samples
t-tests and correlation analyses revealed that delinquents had significantly higher
impulsiveness (t = 2.55, p = .016) and lower EI, though self-esteem differences were
not significant. In the juvenile group, impulsiveness correlated strongly with both
venturesome (r = .710, p = .003) and empathy (r = .657, p = .008), indicating a tendency
toward risk-taking and emotional responsiveness. Additionally, higher emotional
intelligence was associated with greater self-esteem (r = .548, p = .034). In contrast,
the non-delinquent group exhibited no significant correlations, though venturesome
and empathy showed moderate trends with self-esteem. These findings highlight
impulsiveness as a key factor in delinquency, with emotional intelligence potentially
playing a role in self-esteem development among juveniles.