More juveniles figure in grave crimes

The city police are shocked over the recovery of knives from the bags of students, writes S. Sundar

Rise in involvement of juveniles in crime — from petty cases to murder — has become a concern for the city police.

A general impression among adolescents these days is that violence is the means to achieve ends, says Jim Jesudoss, chairman, Child Welfare Committee. “Besides, heroes carrying huge weapons in videogames and the degenerating value system in society have planted negative thoughts in those young minds,” he adds.

“We find the involvement of at least two juveniles in many of the murders committed by gangsters. This is because of the hero worship the rowdy elements in their locality enjoy. And their energy is not properly channelised,” a senior police officer says.

In a recent chain-snatching case at Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, the police nabbed a polytechnic student.

More shocking is the incident in which the city police recovered knives from four students — two each from a polytechnic college and a school.

Sheer chance

“It was by sheer chance that our men found boys in uniform running away on being noticed by the patrol police,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Anna Nagar) B. Sakthivel says.

Enquiries revealed that the school boys, belonging to a particular caste, wanted to attack the two senior students of their locality as one of them (belonging to their caste) did not sever friendship with the other fellow belonging to another caste.

At least 15 students had gathered outside a city bus stand to attack them.

Knives in bags

What is worrying the police is that the students were carrying knives in their bags and it went unnoticed by the teachers.

“Teachers have limited their roles to helping students score marks. There is no effective interaction between them,” Mr. Jesudoss says.

The ACP calls for due importance to moral instruction classes where students are taught about values and ethics.

The ACP wants better parent-teacher interactions in which academic performance of students, their behaviour and suspected activities are discussed.

The incidents of teachers facing penal action for corporal punishments have put them on the back foot in mending the bad behaviour of students, he says.