Paper Title
Psychological Insights into Juvenile Justice in India ‘Between Punishment and Leniency’

Abstract
Juvenile justice in India today is stuck between two sides—rehabilitation and punishment. This paper looks at how psychology is used in dealing with crimes by minors, and how it affects whether they get stricter punishment or more lenient treatment. Using cases like the 2012 Nirbhaya incident and the 2024 Pune Porsche accident, the paper shows how psychological factors are often used to reduce punishment, but this sometimes raises serious questions about fairness for the victims. The discussion is based on ideas from developmental psychology and changes in the legal system, asking if the current approach really finds a fair balance or if it leans too much toward leniency. The paper argues that while psychology is important in understanding juvenile offenders, it should not be used in a way that ignores the seriousness of violent crimes or weakens public trust in justice. Keywords - Juvenile justice, Developmental Psychology, Legal reform, Psychosocial Risk Factors, Rehabilitation.