Kids in crime web? Net help at hand

When Rahul Enrike (19) was arrested with his friends for snatching a chain from a woman on a Vasant Vihar road in south Delhi to buy an expensive gift for his girlfriend, it caught his ‘affluent’ family off guard, reports Vijaita Singh.

When Rahul Enrike (19) was arrested with his friends for snatching a chain from a woman on a Vasant Vihar road in south Delhi to buy an expensive gift for his girlfriend, it caught his ‘affluent’ family off guard.

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Bewildered, his parents told the police they had noticed some unusual behaviour in their son but did not know what to do.

Now, there is a glimmer of hope for such families.

Parents worried for their ‘deviant’ children can log on to a website — www.dpjju.com — and seek help. Launched by the Delhi Police, it has names of several NGOs and agencies that can counsel the children.

The police launched this website in view of the rising number of incidents where teenagers have taken to crime.

“If parents notice any deviant behaviour in their children, they should bring it our notice,” said Sudhir Yadav, joint commissioner of police, juvenile justice unit. “There are several agencies working in collaboration with us that will counsel them.”

Over 100 NGOs have been roped in. Their names, addresses and contact numbers have been displayed on the website. It also has the names of books that parents can make use of.

Taking a cue from the 2004 MMS scandal , a separate page has been dedicated to ‘teen sexting’. “Under pressures from friends, peers and even adults, the teenagers are becoming victims of sexting. Often it results in widespread distribution among colleagues, friends and family, resulting in embarrassment, harassment and blackmail," the website reads.

It also addresses issues like underage drinking and child trafficking, besides helping parents identify whether their child is being abused or not.