SOMETIMES, the soft approach doesn’t work and we have to be brave enough to admit it.

Now that the debate on whether to charge negligent parents has opened up again with the kidnapping of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, I have to say it’s time we ditched the soft approach and let the law do its job.

The law is clear on what constitutes neglect, abandonment and abuse, so why are we holding back on implementing it?

Education and awareness campaigns are all fine, but sometimes, whether we like to admit it or not, fear and embarrassment can work wonders.

Fear of being hauled to the police station and the embarrassment of having your neighbours know you failed in your duty as a parent can be effective in curbing irresponsible behaviour by parents.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye believes implementing the law to charge negligent parents could cause a backlash.

I beg to differ. The children in our society are already suffering from a backlash, one caused by parents who care little for their safety.

There comes a time when one needs to be tough to get the job done and where the gross neglect of children is concerned, we can’t afford to be anything but tough.

Make parents understand that there are repercussions for taking their children’s safety for granted and they will make that extra effort.

We have been lax on this issue for far too long and the victims will merely continue to grow in numbers.

Is education and awareness going to be enough to teach parents that leaving children alone in locked cars or empty houses is wrong?

Is it going to be enough to spark anxiety in them when they allow their children to walk home alone on deserted roads or be supervised by siblings who are barely much older?

These things continue to happen every day all over the country because most parents hold on to the belief that it won’t happen to them.

And when it happens to someone else, it’s an incident that barely holds their attention for a few weeks.

Even if it does, do they change their behaviour based on that episode?

Fear can work wonders in some situations. When all else has failed, what have we to lose by giving it a try?

Meera Murugesan
Senior writer

Source: Malay Mail – January 29, 2008