By Aisha Rashid
It is most alarming to read about the spate of crimes and undesirable behaviour of youngsters as reported in the media of late.
These offenders are below 18 years old and when charged as well as incarcerated years behind bars they are throwing away a major part of their youth.
At the same time, they destroy the hopes of their parents, family and community, committing heinous crimes that could have been avoided. How did we come to this?
Traditionally, the raising of a child was a community involvement. Everyone knows everybody in the village and they look out for each other. Although life was hard economically, the children grew up in friendly, uncomplicated and safe environments.
There were open spaces to explore and learn from nature, trees to climb and discover, where outdoor play contributed much to the development of curious minds and hyper-active bodies.
Alas, the challenges of changing family dynamics – single parents and both parents working, educational pressures, shifting social norms, peer influence, technology and screen time as well as fast-paced urban living, have robbed these ‘privileges of carefree youth’ and are among the contributing factors to rebellious behaviour in children and young adults.
Shifting social norms – where modern parenting styles place less emphasis on discipline – have led to confusion about boundaries. Altering attitudes about authority and respect are causing children to push back against rules.
One cannot blame them as they witness their parents and other adults flouting rules and behaving badly, sometimes on a daily basis.
Since parents are too busy pursuing careers and more money there are time constraints that lead to less involvement in their children’s activities and lives.
Parents cannot abdicate this responsibility to teachers, since they too are burdened with administrative duties, large classrooms, curricular and examination pressure as well as academic ranking challenges.
At the same time, teachers are no longer allowed to discipline erring students since parents would be up in arms when their children are punished. Lack of extra-curricular activities due to limited budget and resources result in fewer organised activities in schools that leave these children and youths with less structured time for meaningful activities.
No thanks to technology and social media, children risk exposure to improper behaviour and ideas. This exposure, when not curtailed and supervised, can spearhead behavioural issues as children seek support and might mimic negative behaviour they watch online. Their desire to fit in with peers can lead to acting out, especially if they are trying to emulate behaviours of their friends and online ‘influencers’.
This fear of missing out or FOMO – in millennials and Gen Z parlance – is ubiquitous even in adults and can be utterly damaging!
The immediate community and environment also have a role to play developing mental and physically-healthy children and youths. Neighbourhood safety – where children can play in safe parks and playgrounds – without fear or exposure to violence, can contribute to address behavioural problems.
Community support programmes, where parents also participate, can deter behavioural issues as children can have access to mentorship and positive role models.
Despite children and young adults exhibiting worsening conduct as compared to previous generations, we need to be mindful of the broader societal changes that contribute to these negative behaviours.
It is therefore crucial for parents, educators, policy-makers, local councils and the communities to address the root causes first and support children as well as young adults as they steer through the storms.
It is not only the responsibility of the authorities, government, parents or the school to correct this existent malaise. It takes a village to raise a child…