Crimes among students and Teenagers are not a new trend. With technology, the act has become more intense and dangerous. Many factors have been associated with the increase in crime. This article aims to outline so parents and guardians can know how to protect their growing kids.
Reasons for Crimes in Teens
Poor Education
Lack of good education is one major contributing factor to teens committing crimes. Children who spend time on leisure activities and pay less attention to education tend to lack knowledge of the essential aspects of life. Whether university or high school, a school is a place meant to give teens the essential knowledge. Hence, they would remain ill-informed if they skipped classes. Getting a good education cannot be overemphasized. This is because teens need to understand the acts that can negatively affect their social and personal development. This would help them steer clear from such actions.
Even a student that may not be so great at learning easily could get help with homework and tutors to help them. Established institutions allow students to pay to do homework for improved grades and learn quicker. Many schools also feature courses, lectures, and moral talks on young people’s involvement in sex, gangs, and other immoral behaviour.
In schools, programs like these help open their eyes to the ill-effect of crimes. When they do not participate in seminars like these, they would become ignorant and don’t understand the importance. This is why the young ones must be given a premium education. This will help them understand the consequences of crimes and other major aspects of life.
Negligent Parents
Teens that have parents who care less about them tend to be cold towards their chores, academics, diet routine, and overall physical outlook. This could further make them lose a firm grasp of the nuggets of life. When parents pay little or no attention to their teens’ social and personal development, they will do things based on their views.
They would think they have become independent and take up the most important life decisions on their own. And while all these are going on, parents never get to know until their teens do things that get them into trouble. Teens are not born with criminal tendencies. The criminal behaviours are developed. This is why parents should take full responsibility for instilling good characters in their teens so they will be guided as they grow.
Parents are meant to teach their young children how to differentiate rights from wrongs. This is by giving relevant examples or serving as one. When parents fail to do this, their children tend to buy the idea of their other family members, peers, and social groups. When positive influences become lacking in the lives of the youngsters, they may suffer from moral poverty. This would most likely follow them into adulthood.
If moral values are not instilled in teens in their formative years, they may later turn to illegal acts. Parents should take responsibility for moulding their young children. They should never be left to getting ideas and influences from the public. This is because the young children may get exposures that could be detrimental to their social lives. It could further lure them into committing offences.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure comes with influences that could be either positive or negative. As young teens grow and attain maturity, they experience significant changes that positively or negatively affect their lives. They particularly develop their likes and dislikes. They do things that make them recognized and accepted by their respective age peers.
To be accepted and welcomed by their social groups, they give in to peer pressure. They get engaged in different stuff that gives them satisfaction and a sense of belonging to their social groups.
Research has it that teens identify social and peer influences as a major reason for getting into dubious acts. They develop risky behaviour such as teen sex, gang, reckless driving, and other criminal activities. As mentioned above, teens are not born with criminal tendencies. They are developed. And peer pressure is a contributing factor to this development.
Many youngsters take to crimes that put them at risk of being perpetrators of serious vices. This is Influenced by social groups’ patterns and behaviours
If young adults are taught how to identify what is right and wrong, they can easily and deliberately choose the right things for themselves.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse (drug abuse) can be extremely dangerous to young ones. Substance abuse is one of the behaviours that may be derived from the pressures of social groups and peers. The excessive use of illicit drugs can affect young adult (teen) development. This lowers the inhibitions and risk evaluation of the teen. Alcohol and drugs have been cited as major factors contributing to committing crimes.
The illicit use of drugs and absence from school are interwoven, one causing the other. Teens addicted to taking alcohol and drugs are more likely to miss classes than those who don’t get involved in such acts. And students who skip classes are more tempted to attempt trying alcohol &illegal drugs than those who participate fully in-class activities.
Absenteeism, concurrent with substance abuse, can badly affect a teen’s life. It can subsequently cause negative impacts like low confidence & self-esteem, poor education, and low expectation for excellent future career development. When teens do not succeed at college, they may get frustrated. They tend to abuse substances, and shift to different risky behaviours and crimes.
Conclusion
Vices/crimes are very common among teens. Only real proactive steps can decrease its growth rate and guide young adults on the right path. This article has considered the major factors that cause vices in young adult populations to help parents, guardians, and other authorities know how to best help them.
