Understanding deviance from the perspectives of youth labelled as children in conflict with law in Mumbai, India

Abstract This article presents voices of youth labelled as ‘children in conflict with law’ on deviance, using the theoretical framework of labelling. Based on a narrative analysis of 24 in‐depth interviews with youth and other stakeholders in Mumbai, three key themes emerged: defining deviance; self and the deviant others – the othering of deviance; and living with a deviant identity. We found that the youth explained deviance as good or bad contextually, continuously interpreting its meanings, different from adult viewpoints. The youth engaged in identity management strategies to move away from the labels and stigma. The youth, labelled as rule‐breakers, balanced the power equations by ‘counter‐labelling’, where they hold the rule‐enforcers accountable for creating labels. The article locates the findings in Southern criminology and argues for the Indian juvenile justice system to acknowledge the local contexts of youth and their communities and address the larger pathways that lead to deviance and crime.