No excuses in right parenting: Experts

Parents have a responsibility towards their children. Neglecting this responsibility because of work or for any other reason puts the child’s future at risk, say experts in juvenile crime.

Children who are neglected are vulnerable; without supervision, they have the freedom to do whatever they want but lack the wisdom to see the consequences of their actions.

“Children left unattended at home spend much time in front of television or Internet and then try to imitate what they see, without their parents’ knowledge. I counselled one teenager who was caught for theft. He told me that he got inspired after watching Crime Patrol and similar shows. Children tend to succumb to peer pressure and commit crimes because the parents do not check up on them,” said N. Mythili, a psychologist who has counselled several children at the Saidabad correctional home.

B. Shailaja, director of the Juvenile Welfare and Correctional Services Department, says that protection and care from parents is a basic right of every child.

“Parents, who do not pay attention to their kids, or treat them harshly, violate their basic rights. Parents abet children to commit crime by neglecting them,” she said.

Senior police officials say that several college students involved in offences such as chain snatching are spoilt brats. Their parents let them loose when they are very young, not inquiring about where they were going or what they were doing. Some get attracted to bad company and habits.

“The prime motive of young chain snatchers is to earn easy money and live a lavish life. They have developed the habit of spending money for parties etc,” said Tafseer Iqubal, DCP of LB Nagar.

SHE teams say many of the boys come from broken homes.

“Their parents are either too busy or they are involved in a marital dispute. During counselling, we make them promise to spend enough time with their children in some activities,” said SHE team ACP, M. Snehitha.