I AM horrified at the number of crimes committed by young people today.

Turn the pages of the New Straits Times and the frequency of serious offences reported is shocking. For instance, “Teens held in raids” (Sept 23), “African student killed in street brawl” (Sept 23) and “Lai Ying Xin abductors in remand” (Sept 20).

The common factor in these crimes is that young people were involved.

Why is there an upsurge in these crimes? What makes them commit such violent acts? What is the emotional state of these young people that they can murder in cold blood or turn to stealing as a hobby?

These people were not made to do it. Therefore, they must bear total responsibility for their crimes.

Another question: how has our society failed these young people?

We live in a modern culture that celebrates violence (and sex) openly. Look at how some films, magazines and songs promote how cool it is to be violent. Most shocking of all is that most of these are targeted at the young.

However, the various cultures that make up our Malaysian society do not condone such violence, so what else could have contributed to these troubled young people?

We have our schools, where discipline is supposed to be instilled. We have also seen a resurgence in all the major faiths in our nation. But neither of these have stemmed the violence in our young people.

I believe that bad parenting and living in a difficult environment play a significant role in the failure of our society.

The number of single-parent families has risen, as has the number of divorces.

Some single parents cope remarkably well and those who do are probably better off and have a support network of family and friends to assist. However, a substantial proportion of single parents, notably single mothers, face enormous difficulties.

These single mothers are the ones who struggle financially, who are depressed, who suffer mental health problems, who endure loneliness and who are burdened by the sheer hard work of supporting their children.

By the same tarry brush, most of the children of these single parents suffer emotionally too, are depressed, gravitate towards criminal tendencies and, because of their need to belong, are easily influenced by gang members to be part of their gang, to bully other children in school or be a menace in society.

Children who grow up without a responsible father figure are at a disadvantage. Children need to see the importance of the different roles played by their mother and their father. Even children whose fathers spend only a few days in the family home (as in the children of men with more than one wife) can suffer emotionally.

Children need to be told their boundaries, be it by their parents or by their teachers.

We all have a part to play in supporting our young people. We need to promote the role of the family and, at the same time, educate our young, keeping in mind that the realities of being a lone parent are dire and can be tragic.

Outside of the family, the schools, community support system, police and the government should also encourage responsible parenting.

Our young people have grown up in a world where there is little censure, be it from their parents, their teachers or that caring person in the community, to show them how to differentiate between right and wrong.

Day by day our society gets more fragmented. Therefore, we must act now and restore the bonds that hold our community together.

Otherwise, I fear that the murder of Lai Ying Xin may no longer be thought of as an isolated incident.

M.M. , Ipoh

Source: NST – September 30, 2008