The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s Crime in India 2021 report says that Delhi has more juveniles indulging in crime and violation of law than any other city in India. This is an alarming development. The increasing crime rate in the Capital shows that organised gangs are luring juveniles to work for them, as they are not subject to stricter punishments under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act 2021.
But why is this happening?
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The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s Crime in India 2021 report says that Delhi has more juveniles indulging in crime and violation of law than any other city in India. This is an alarming development. The increasing crime rate in the Capital shows that organised gangs are luring juveniles to work for them, as they are not subject to stricter punishments under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act 2021.
But why is this happening?
It is well-known that a person’s mental well-being influences his/her thought process, judgment and actions, such as prosocial behaviour, which means a social behaviour that benefits other people or society by helping, sharing, donating, cooperating, and volunteering.
Several factors lead to antisocial actions. Studies show violence, substance abuse, the unsafe environment in school and exposure to violence in the family can spur violent behaviour in adolescents and young adults. If left unaddressed, it may develop into aggressive attitudes and violent behaviour in the early years of development.
A study by Manoj Kumar Sharma and Palaniappan Marimuthu (2014) has identified several risk factors responsible for such aggression. These include: Childhood abuse, substance abuse, negative peer influence and loneliness.
Research also suggests that criminal activity is a response to immediate anger that has not been managed effectively. For example, in July 2022, a 36-year-old man was shot by a juvenile in Jahangirpuri, Delhi. The police found out that it was a revenge shooting. The victim had beaten up the accused’s father seven months before the shooting.
Since India is a collectivistic society, it tends to focus more on social and prosocial behaviour, than on individual behaviour. Among social behaviour, family values are of crucial importance. Along with family, a school is an important place. A school environment and peer groups play a vital role in shaping the behaviour of young adults.
To tackle these issues, the Delhi government has initiated several programmes in its schools, including the Happiness curriculum, Desh Bhakti curriculum, entrepreneurship mindset curriculum and school mental health initiative (SMHI) to make schools a place for young adults to learn and grow, not just academically but emotionally and psychologically. These programmes aim to address the reasons behind the vulnerability of adolescents.
The first phase of SMHI was launched in 20 government schools in January 2022. SMHI aims to make schools a safe space for every child to confide in each other and talk to a trained psychologist without hesitation. The initiative will teach students coping mechanisms to deal with their negative emotions, which will help them improve their academic performance and ability to deal with real-life problems.
The project tries to destigmatise the taboo around mental health issues and get help for it. However, major steps need to be taken early to achieve the goal. Parents and siblings are the first role models in a child’s life. Helping a child learn the umbrella term --- “healthy lifestyle” --- would be a way to promote health as being inclusive of physical and mental aspects. This would encourage them to seek psychological and emotional help, not just focus on physical health issues.
Any alarming or attention-seeking behaviour in a young child should not be ignored; instead, it must be addressed early since, at this age, the brain is still developing and learning how to adjust to the immediate environment.
The first step is to create a safe environment that will lead to improved behaviour and a positive attitude towards life.
The crimes committed by juveniles can be reduced to some extent with initiatives like the ones the Delhi government has been taking, and it will help bring down the crime committed by juveniles, making our society a better place.
Shaleen Mitra is OSD to the health minister of Delhi, associated with the management of the School Health Clinics project, and a Ph.D. scholar at the department of psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia
The views expressed are personal
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