Admit it or deny it, using wokeness and changes in human society as the yardstick. Still, we must agree that the family is the fundamental building block of human society, especially one that wants to look like a utopia. Many Nigerians do not understand all about the effects of family life on misdemeanour and crime.
The role of the family in the prevention of juvenile crimes has been a long-time conversation but has not received much-needed attention. Many people do not believe in family systems anymore, and parents are at the forefront.
The quote, “charity begins at home”, is not banter. The home is the natural school for children and the first. As children grow with their parent(s) at their side, they internalise moral values that are likely to shape their future conduct. In a YNaija story, done to listen to the stories of street kids, it was found out a large percentage of these kids who later become thugs went through bad parenting.
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Arguably, children who went through bad parenting, or grow up in homes with considerable conflict, and are inadequately supervised are at greatest risk of becoming delinquents. You may argue that peer pressure is a substantial factor to, but no child starts his/her life with their peers.
Delinquency can be prevented when there is sound family life. On the other hand, absence of parental involvement or negative parental influences can promote the increase of juvenile crimes.
We argue today, we argued yesterday, and we will argue tomorrow that teenage crimes have become more prominent than before. In the argument, though, we always fail to talk about how we know these people. They are our brothers, neighbours, siblings, and ‘street friends’. They are not ghosts or demons who escaped hell. We do not have that part of the conversation because we no longer believe in family systems.
Social media is awash with stories of teenage boys and post-teens doing ‘money rituals’ to make quick money. The outcry is hinged on the fact that they are ‘too young’ to engage in such murderous activities to make quick money. We forget that these things did not start today. Social media just helps to publicise the atrocities.
Sound family life not only helps prevent – or at least reduce – the rate of teenage crimes, it also addresses the family life of adults who may commit criminal acts.
The family is under siege. The chance that a child will reach adulthood raised by responsible parents is on an all-time low. This is a phenomenon, yet we all know that the family serves as one of the strongest socialising forces in a person’s life.
Families, “help teach children to control unacceptable behaviour, to delay gratification, and to respect the rights of others. Conversely, families can also teach children aggressive, antisocial, and violent behaviour.” – Family Life and Delinquency
and Crime.
We may cry foul how ritual killings – an act people argue is just murder for no reason – are on an all-time and many young Nigerians no longer want to go through legal means, spiced with patience, to acquire wealth. But, how much of this damage do we try to prevent or eradicate in our homes and local communities?
Or it is not your business?
Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram
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