‘Kids cyberbullying, sexting may be at risk of delinquency’

Is your child at risk of delinquency? A new government manual that has analysed why some kids break the law and put themselves in harm’s way may have the answer.

Titled Raising Happy Children and Providing Safe Childhoods, the manual emphasises that the conduct of adults has a crucial influence on the psychological health of children. It offers parents and teachers tips on how to respond to ‘concerning’ activities. The main focus is ‘delinquency’, which the government classifies as behaviour that ranges from routine aggression to substance abuse and petty theft.

Published by the Union women and child development (WCD) ministry, the manual also discusses other sorts of potentially troubling adolescent activities, such as sexting (sending or receiving sexually explicit images, messages or videos through a cell phone or internet), which it says may lead to blackmail or bullying of a child.

For the first time, the govern- ment guideline also offers parents and teachers tips on how to deal with problematic sexual behaviour/sexually abusive behaviour in children.

“The idea is to provide guidelines to different stakeholders — parents, teachers, community and law enforcement agencies to understand what delinquency is so that they can detect it and take timely action,” a senior WCD ministry official said.

The guidelines say parents should watch out if their child shows aggression towards people or animals, lies, initiates physical fights with people other than siblings, uses weapons that can physically harm, steals or deliberately destroys and bullies.

“These are initial signs of delinquency and parents should take action if they spot such behaviour,” another official said. The manual also provides tips for parents and teachers. “Parents need to go beyond modelling good behaviour and should create a positive environment for their child. In teenage years, children need a home that reinforces their good behaviour and builds their self-esteem,” it says.