What do you think is the role of parents in preventing crime amongst young people?

According to the latest surveys, the rate of juvenile delinquency has been on the rise. Among the various approaches of alleviating this issue, a good family relationship is the most significant one. It is true that parents play an important role in children’s growing up.

Firstly, parents are one of the greatest influences on children and their first and best teachers. Children learn to interact with the world outside by simply watching and imitating their parents. Parents’ words and deeds can have a good or bad impact on their children’s behavior including anti-social manifestation. Therefore it’s important for parents to set a good example to their children and tell them right from wrong.

Secondly, responsible parents should keep their children’s daily lives under supervision. Children are also influenced by anyone else they feel a connection with. Thus parents should identify role models who have cultivated life skills and encourage their children to spend time with them and emulate them. Likewise, parents should protect their children from restricted information such as violence and eroticism despite its easy access through mass media or the internet.

Thirdly, parents could even make friends with their children and be their mentors. Children are much less likely to get into trouble if their parents have a good relationship with them and can talk openly with them, if their parents have an interest in their school life and good relationships with their teachers and if parents know where they are and what they are up to.

In conclusion, the support of parents is probably the most important thing in keeping their children out of trouble or helping them out of it if they become involved.