Strengthening family most effective solution to countering rising anti-social behaviour
As debate rages and the blame game continues to find the root cause and solution to the rising anti-social behaviour among young people, it is important to recognise the critical role of the family.
To blame it on one culture, as National Federation Party candidate Agni Deo Singh did, tantamounts to shifting the responsibility to someone else.
We should stop the blame game and take responsibility for our thoughts and actions. We have the power to control ourselves through our choices. Our choices determine our destiny. We can teach this fundamental truth in our families, to empower them to make the right and wise choices.
We are in danger of surrendering this control to the adversary when we fail to teach our children and strengthen our home defences. Parents and guardians should invest more time and resources in the home, guiding their children, instead of spending them in activities that are of no consequence or are detrimental to their families.
If there is one time when we need to devote our time and resources to the family, it is now because the institution is under attack by the adversary. The family is the basic unit of any society. When it becomes dysfunctional, the children are at risk.
When the children get into trouble society bears the problem. They become easy pickings for criminal groups and evil people poised to exploit their innocence and vulnerability for their own gains and selfgratification.
Today, young people are exposed to all kinds of filth via the internet and other forms of media platforms including social media, lured by the enticing of easy money.
Unless they are grounded well with advice that has stood the test of time, they could fall into the traps set by evil people. If they are taught well, the chances are they can repel the temptations. It’s a battle of the mind and if their mindset is set right, they can repel anything. If we fail to teach our children correct principles, the situation will worsen.
We should not be surprised with the social upheaval. It’s a world phenomenon and for those who believe in the Holy Bible know that Paul, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, had prophesied about the grim social environment “in the last days” in his letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:1-7, New Testament). Paul wrote perilous times shall come. He was talking about our time – the time we now live in.
“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
“Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.
“Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with diverse lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
The answer to our plight is not blaming other cultures or bringing back the corporal punishment. It is addressing with love and firmness the root of the problem, and that lies in the home with the family.
Even when corporal punishment was in force, antisocial behaviour existed, which has now grown. It operated on the basis of fear as a deterrent, but it did not fix all our social problems. The best solution is to empower families to empower their children to choose the right. It’s a responsibility that we cannot abdicate and leave it to the schoolteachers to shoulder.
While we can work collaboratively with all stakeholders, the parents and guardians hold the primary responsibility.