SOCIAL ANALYSIS...
The frequency of cases involving children causing the death of other minors is alarming, both in the magnitude of implications and viciousness of the acts. Here's a look at why there’s violence amongst children in Malaysia.
The duality of man has fascinated intellectuals through the ages. The potential for good and evil, or the capacity for right or wrong (and all the gray areas in between!) have been a rich source of man’s laws, literature and the arts.
Children, we had thought, were the cradle of innocence.
Two shocking recent incidences have jolted Malaysians out of their daily routines: the alleged murder of a seven years old boy by a 15 year old two weeks ago (in Kapar) and last week’s death of a 13-year old schoolboy who fell and hit his head on a cement drain during a fight with a 14-year old outside the classroom (in Bagan Serai).
To be sure, crimes committed by minors against other minors is a universal problem and countries around the world are dealing with this issue. When exactly children lose their innocence is a difficult question to answer but the causes are varied.
I spoke to some individuals to draw a clearer picture of what Malaysia and Malaysians are in for in these challenging modern times on the matter of violence amongst children.
“Children today are given much more freedom by their parents and this freedom, especially during their formative years is unhealthy. Young children should never be left to their own devices,”says S. R., a retired teacher who is in her 70s. She requested anonymity.
“Because of this lack of supervision, the young children have no concept of what is right or wrong and don’t have a balanced state of mind to know what is good or bad. The child’s freedom must always go with discipline, otherwise kids can go bad.
“Cases of violence amongst children demonstrates that these children have not been taught by the parents to manage their anger and deal with things in a calm way,” S.R. says.
Parental care and supervision, or rather serious lack of it, is high on the list of Datuk P.G. Lim’s observations. Lim, a lawyer and patron of the arts, agrees children must always be supervised.
Lim warns that a lot of harm can come out of the Internet, for example, if the young children are left unsupervised for prolonged periods. She is sure the Internet has an unwaveringly evil influence on children for the simple fact that the Internet can show violence in all its variations.
“Young children need guidance as to what they can see and what they cannot see. Children today see things they are not entitled to!”
Lim’s use of the word entitled is the most apt, as it illustrates the need for children to grow in maturity in order to earn their rights to greater autonomy over their freedom from parents.
Lim notes changes in parenting then and now.
“Previously, stay-at-home moms raised the children. Today, with women’s empowerment, the burden on women is heavier -- they have to bear the strain of managing children and work.”
Dr Chiam Heng Keng, commissioner at Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and former University Malaya (UM) professor of social psychology, says that it doesn’t help matters that both parents have to work nowadays.
There could be a lot of frustration at workplace, Chiam continues, and sometimes parents bring the frustrations home.
“Since children seek attention in the various ways that they know how: by screaming and being demanding, the home environment becomes tense and unhealthy. As a result, the children have no role models on how to regulate their emotions,” she explains.
Adding to the problem, Chiam notes, is the fact that television shows demonstrate that aggressiveness and violence are acceptable. These become part of the factors why kids become violent.
Associate Professor Dr Stephen T. Jambunathan, consulting psychiatrist and psychotherapist at UM, explains that the matter of violence amongst children can be viewed from the age old debate: nature versus nurture.
“Violence is a learnt behaviour, depending largely on how the children are raised,” he says of nurture.
Dr Jambunathan quickly cautions that this observation must not be taken in the wrong context because then the parents of the boys will be blamed. There are other influences, including what’s seen on television and movie screens.
“The children’s level of tolerance (for violence) is compromised and they think that they can react in a way that’s not different from that depicted on TV or video games,” he points out.
What of kids who play violent video games but turn out fine?
“Because their nurture is balanced (via parenting, mentoring etc), these kids who are also exposed to screen violence, turn out normal,” Dr Stephen shares.
Chiam agrees: “In the case of well-adjusted kids, the home is stable and there are outlets for their frustration. They are able to talk to their parents, an older brother; aunts and uncles about what’s on their minds. Home has a modifying effect.”
Going back to nature affecting behaviour, Dr Stephen remarks that there’s a high possibility that these youngsters have developed in a certain way because of childhood onset psychological problems like Attention Deficit Disorder, Conduct Disorder (a younger version of an anti-social personality) or it could be because of an Impulse Control Disorder (no control over feelings and acting impulsively).
“When it is ‘nature’, it could arise from a genetic tendency, regardless of the environment and nurture. There is no racial predisposition for violence then as it’s a biological issue,” Dr Jambunathan makes clear.
Regardless of whether the violence is caused by the nature or nurture arguments, he says, “In most cases, it is not a one-off case. There’s a pattern of behaviour (e.g. temper tantrums, frequency of getting in trouble and disobedience).”
Early detection of behaviour reflecting a deep set of problems can be done in schools by teachers, he advises.
He echoes what lawyer Lim and former teacher S.R. said: that caregivers spend quality time with children and ensure proper guidance to ensure children learn in a positive way.
To create greater awareness of such children’s issues, Dr Stephen regularly talks to the public in schools and public forums organised by NGOs.
Social worker Amy Bala, 59, conducts plenty of workshops with children and understands the trials and tribulations faced by children today.
“Children today have lost their childhood and don’t have a lot of people to relate to. From our workshops for schoolchildren 13-17 year olds, we have found that children are always looking for friends, (personal) space and parents as friends,” says Amy.
Amy cites the past where children had facilities like playgrounds to play and mingle in.
In contrast to the freedom enjoyed then, kids of today can best be described as ‘latchkey kids’ (refers to situation where a child comes back from school to an empty home because parents are at work), says Lim.
S.R. too raises this point: “Today’s children are locked up in the house and they are playing with computers and this is causing a lot of trouble.”
Because children are left to their own devices, S.R. stresses that parents mustn’t be harsh with children and instead take the trouble to explain things.
On the whole, everyone repeatedly emphasised the need for greater parental supervision of children, especially during their formative years. Besides primary parental responsibilities, all interviewees agreed that schools must play a bigger part in instilling healthy social skills and values in children.
Sheila R., mother of three, says the power of social messages via TV and radio cannot be underestimated and the government needs to get seriously involved in this aspect of social conditioning.
“As a society, we have to treat the root cause of violence amongst children. It may be a long process and the results may only be seen years later,” says Chiam.
Lim’s comment also illuminates: “We’re evolving as a society and these are challenges we have to meet. Society today needs to break down barriers and look into possibilities of people working from homes. We have to cope with such challenges as a modern society and we have to deal with these issues.”
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