In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the rate of crimes involving youth offenders. It is often argued that the most effective approach for the reduction of these crimes is educating parents regarding good parenting skills. While some may disagree, I firmly believe that the best possible way to handle this situation is not only by teaching parents but also by creating awareness in young children about the actions and their consequences.
To begin, there is an argument to be made that a child’s first teacher is their parent. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that the parents should not only display model behaviour at home but also provide a safe environment for their kids to grow. For example, it is often seen that there is a higher probability of a crime committed by a young adult who has been in an abusive environment or whose parents were either previous offenders or showed a careless attitude. This being the case, it can be assumed that it is essential for parents to be taught about their responsibilities as parents and also the negative impact they can have on their children.
Nonetheless, it must be stated that not only parents can be held responsible for a child but also schools as a child spends 50% of their time in that place. Therefore, it is clear that the school should also put serious efforts into framing a young mind and creating awareness about the risk involving activities such as being a part of a gang, getting a gun, and raping. For instance, schools in the US have counselling sessions and regular visits to jails for the students to make sure they have an idea of what severe consequences their actions can have. This will not only ensure that they think twice before being involved in wrongful deeds but also give them a chance to seek help.
To conclude, I believe that the youth crime can only be reduced when we educate parents about their duties and have the schools take action to create a safe space for the children and educate them as well.