KajyibwamiNotes

  The law defines offences and their consequences. Yet many crimes committed by young people do not always come from deliberate criminal intent. They often arise from social pressure, a desire to be accepted, and limited awareness of the legal consequences of certain actions. In many cases, young people engage in risky behaviour to appear tough or “cool,” especially in groups where peer pressure encourages them to act without thinking about the long-term effects. According to the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), 78 percent of crimes prosecuted between June 2023 and June 2024 involved suspects under the age of 40. [1] While this statistic does not mean that all young people are involved in crime, it highlights how youth are frequently present in criminal cases. One factor that increasingly shapes youth behaviour today is the influence of social media. Like many young people around the world, Rwandan youth are deeply connected to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat...