Juvenile crime rates on the rise

A senior official of the DRDO was stabbed by a juvenile pickpocket in busy Charminar area after snatching his mobile on Sunday. This incident forces one to think why is the crime rate among juveniles increasing?

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has seen a rise in juvenile delinquency and related offenses, much of which is driven by consumerism.

The commission had recorded a significant increase in the number of crimes involving minors since the start of the year, many of which were committed to support their lifestyles.

The commission handled 212 cases of serious crimes involving minors this year, while in 2011 it received only 116 reports on such cases.

“What has become our main concern is that most of the suspects said they committed the crimes, murder and robbery, to take the victims’ money to buy liquor, motorcycles or gadgets,” says Shanta Sinha, ex-chairperson of NCPCR.

“It is a very serious problem when consumerism can drive minors to take the life of others, just to support their lifestyle needs and have fun,” she added. Last month saw a 17-year-old arrested in Hyderabad for the robbery and killing of his grandfather. The crime was driven apparently by the desire to play online games and to buy alcohol.

Inspector Jaganadh Rao from Charminar alleged that the suspect’s grandfather knew he was playing online games under the influence of illicit drugs. When the grandfather questioned him, the 17-year-old killed him.

Dr Usha Naik, a leading child psychologist described it as ‘morbid and horrific’, that teenagers could commit such crimes for unproductive things like online gaming and drinking.

Dr Kalyan Chakravarthy, another child psychologist, said that addiction played a big role in shaping teenagers’ behaviour.

“Online games and alcohol can lead to addiction and once people are addicted to something, they can lose their sense and do anything to fulfill their needs. Some gaming contents can trigger an adrenaline rush, which later can also result in addiction,” he explained.

Besides addiction, Dr Usha said that teenagers could commit such crimes because they had somehow lost their empathetic side — probably due to familial or environmental influences.

“The key is, do not pity the perpetrators and do not let them off unpunished. We have to remember to provide justice for the victims and their families and to protect other potential victims,” she said.

“In the end, claiming the life of another is still a crime and whoever does it should be punished according to the criminal code. The suspects should be treated as minors in things such as separating them from adult detainees or a slight leniency in sentencing, but should never be allowed to evade the law,” says ACP Amarkanth Reddy.

Achuyuta Rao, member, Child Rights Commission, said that the best preventive measures for such crimes, comes from the family and the environment of the teenagers.

“Parents have to monitor the activities of their children and who they make friends with. Community and neighbourhood units also have important roles to play in monitoring and shaping residents and providing them with productive activities,” he said.