Poor Parenting Blamed for Rise in Crimes against kids
Posted: December 14, 2007
Poor parenting blamed for rise in crimes against kids
Thursday, December 06, 2007
POOR parenting has given rise to an increase in crimes against children, interim Education Minister Netani Sukanaivalu says.
He yesterday said a number of cases involving crimes against children reflected poor parenting.
He said the welfare and safety of children were often taken for granted and many parents and guardians were guilty of paying lip service to it.
“The safety or care of children must be top priority in the family and communities,” he said.
“Collectively, we must step up on this important responsibility.”
Mr Sukanaivalu said children were forced to play mini-parenting during the school holidays because of the lack of adult supervision.
“The more than eight-hour stint of children playing the parental role is too much a responsibility to place on them,” he said.
“Parents are advised to re-look at the responsibilities and activities of children at home, better still if arrangements could be made for some sort of adult supervision every now and then at home.”
While most parents were at work this school holidays, Mr Sukanaivalu said older siblings were given the responsibility to look after their younger brothers and sisters.
“The care for our children cannot be regarded as just another task,” he said. “It must be understood as essential for the betterment of the family and the nation,” he said.
Mr Sukanaivalu said parents must ensure children were safe at all times.
“No endeavour is worthier of encouragement than this one,” he said.
“The Ministry of Education recognises the value in children learning their respective roles and taking on responsibilities within the home, but this must be within reasonable limits and under the supervision of adults.”
Child rights activists Shamima Ali and Imrama Jalal declined to comment on Mr Sukainaivalu’s statement.
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This is a very relevant article to note. Though this news article comes from the far away land in Fuji. It is very very apprropriate and relevant to the current situation.
Parents play a very critical role in raising their children. Their actions and non actions have an enormous impact on their children. Looking at the recent cases of shooting in the campuses and shopping malls by teenagers in America. It is easy to see common traits in these teenagers who kill innocent lives and their own lives. They came from a difficult and trouble family background and receive no communication nor love from their family. It is time that parents should pick up their own responsibilities to analyse and make a committed effort to make a positive change and influence into their children’s life. This is irregardless if the family is rich or poor. There are cases where rich families kids are also the worst brats in the world. (Reference the rich and famous’ children and their public shame to their family, taking drugs, boasting and showing off in their most immoral acts.) It reminded me once a parenting mentor told us (all new parents in the class), parents check on your relationships, your actions and your way of manners and behaviours to others before you start questioning why your children behave in another manner. Most of the time, the children would have picked that habit or manner or behaviour from the closest of their care taker or from the parents- ourselves.
