Youth crime a societal problem

It has always been the nature of youngsters to push the boundaries of adult tolerance and it is the role of all adults, not just parents, to show them where those boundaries are. Without someone to show them they never learn and, in a few short years when some of them are parents themselves, they have no knowledge of acceptable boundaries to teach their own children.

In some communities we now have several generations with only a superficial knowledge of acceptable behaviour and it is only the prospect of criminal charges which keeps any semblance of civilised conduct. By the time the community, or sections of the community, gets to this stage the higher concepts of empathy, charity and altruism have long disappeared.

The recent spate of armed robberies by children and the blatantly racial attacks on a Huntly family suggest many families and their communities have become dysfunctional.

When it gets to the stage where a man has lost his job and has been forced to build a solid block fence in front of his house simply through the actions of illdisciplined children, we have to admit that our society is in trouble.

In a desperate attempt to bring an end to the attacks, including a challenge to fight, Niraj Bahadur has appealed to the public for assistance.

The response on social media has ranged from calls for more police resources and harsh punishment to blaming the parents and schools. Some people have refuted the idea that it is a community problem which only the community can address. Others resent the notion of a guilt trip about the conduct of out-of-control children. No one not directly involved, has any reason to feel guilty but everyone, even those not directly involved, can play a part in reversing the trend.

Children with parents who take the time to teach them the rules of acceptable conduct, good manners and respect for others are fortunate. Many children are born into households where violence, drug abuse and dishonesty are the normal part of everyday life. They have no place for homework after school, criminals for role models, no one to teach them and often nowhere to sleep in peace and safety. They learn instead survival skills by trial and error and as a result become insular, self- centred with little time to think about anyone else. Is it any wonder that they go off the rails at a young age? Applying harsh punishment simply reinforces what they have learned from the time they were infants.

The reasons behind this deplorable state of affairs are many and very complex but they include unemployment, low wages, poor education. These lead to low self-esteem and a disconnect from the community in which they live. Add to those factors a lack of good parenting skills and a serious shortage of social agencies with the resources and skills to make a difference and the results are as inevitable as they are difficult to counter.

Of those who deny any role in solving the problem, many offer the usual ideas on what should be done. These range from bringing back the community constable of old who applied a large boot to the backsides of delinquent youngsters to military training or punishing the parents.

While the fatherly constable of nostalgic memory existed more in myth than reality, and the defence forces are not babysitters, we have, as nation, reduced and diluted the ability and authority of parents and school teachers to take swift and appropriate action when required. The longer such behaviour is left unchecked, the more difficult it becomes to correct. Sadly no real attempt is made to correct anti-social behaviour until a youngsters appears before a judge on criminal charges. Tragically that all too often leads to an endless cycle of reoffending and years in jail.

This is, without doubt, a community problem which requires a community response. That response can only be led by respected community leaders and facilitated by government which must amend current laws which restrict that leadership to talk fests, surveys and reports which are rarely read or acted upon.

We need a co-ordinated governmentled response without soft options. We also need to show youngsters that they are important members of the community and that membership comes with obligations and responsibilities.

The plea for help from the Huntly family is echoed by all of us who want to see an end to childhood crime and dysfunctional families. It must not fall on deaf ears.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR