VANISHING INNOCENCE- INCREASING CRIME AMONG YOUNGSTERS

According to swami Vivekanand “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.” Education is a powerful mean of self-expression and self- realization. Each individual has the potential to make progress and go ahead. He is to live in a peaceful atmosphere for the utilizing these qualities and express himself through various activities. Here, peace does not mean merely absence of war. It means peace of mind, peace in family, neighborhood, school and society.

But, recent news of class XII student stabbing class X boy has clearly shown not only lack of peace of mind in children but also added one more evil to the multiplicative list of social deformities in this modern society. Increasing number of children being involved in serious crimes like murder and attempt to murder have shaken society and forced it to have an insight into the way children are being brought up in society. Data issued by NCRB (National Crime Record Bureau) clearly shows an abrupt increase in frequency of serious crime like murder, attempt to murder, rape, abduction etc among youngsters.

Now a day, we can easily see pubescent children going around with chips on the shoulder and sneers on their faces. They have an antagonistic attitude towards everyone. Youngsters are indulged in instigating fight with peers and criticizing, arguing and finding faults with almost everything adults do. Youngsters quarrel over most trivial issues and pick up fights with their friends, criticizing whatever they do and delighting in hurting their feelings. Bullying and teasing are very common along with the formation of gangs either in school or in neighborhood. Teasing is a verbal attack on another but in bullying, the attack is physical. In both the cases, the attacker gains. satisfaction from watching the victim’s discomfort and attempt to retaliate. Children, in this, age are not afraid of consequences most of the times, they want things to be done in their way through force and intimidation.

Various factors, interlinked with each other closely, are responsible for this behaviour and up surging crime among youth. The root cause may be factors operating at home, school or in society or the combination of all. Families constitutes the child’s first environment and are the most significant people during the early formative years. Factors operating at home include changing values and morals of families, violence at home negligence of parents, in some cases encouragement from parents for violent reactions towards peers ( directly or indirectly) , rejection by parents, power and influence of parents in society, disapproval, domination, over permissiveness etc play a crucial role in arousing resentment, feeling of helplessness, selfishness, demanding nature, aggression, hostility, hatred, etc towards others especially those who are weak and small.

On the other hand in school factors like ill-feelings for others, lack of acceptance among peers, mistrust, competition, negativism, quarrelling, teasing, and bullying, egocentrism, abusing, ascendant behaviour, too much burden of studies, exams and other activities in school, teachers’ negligence and attitude towards children, school authorities, character of teachers themselves etc together may be held responsible for antisocial behaviour of students.

Other social factors may be carelessness and irresponsible behaviour shown by mass media, politics, growing competition among individuals, obsession for making quick money, increasing passion for luxuries, loop holes in judiciary, etc are responsible for a jump in the number of young criminals.

Modern student is breaking away from the traditions and restraints, which earlier generations had placidly learnt to accept. They want things to be done of their choice, through force, which in turn, lead to violent confrontations. The ocean of energy, which, youngsters possess, is utilized in anti-social and un –social behavioral patterns.

Unless we remove all differences arising out of ill feelings, mistrust, aggression, violent behaviour, and spread mutual understanding, trust, fellow feeling, friendship, love and care among youngsters, they will be dragged to unprecedented destruction. Such annihilation can be eradicated only by peace education based on universal love, liberty, equality, and fraternity. Inculcation of these values is not only the responsibility of family nor of school alone. It is the joint effort of family, school and society together as a whole. Parents, teachers, school principal and authorities, counselors, siblings and mass media jointly can sensitize the students. Teachers should set model to be emulated by students. They play a key role in equipping their students with basic human values by motivating and directing them towards loving each other. Parents too are equally responsible for implanting the love and brotherhood feeling among children.