MADURAI: From just a mere three in 2012 to a whopping 110, the number of juveniles involving in crimes in Madurai city has skyrocketed in the last decade. In light of this data accessed by TNIE from the city police, child welfare activists, doctors and various officials opined that drastic measures must be taken to reverse this trend.
Attributing the rising number of offenders in this age group mainly to drug addiction, a child rights activist said kids who drop out of school are more prone to become addicted to alcohol and drugs. This situation is more prevalent in economically weaker sections of society. "Daily wage labourers are short of time to focus on their children's lives. By the time they become wise of their child's addiction, it might be too late. So, the government should focus more on those who drop out of schools," he said.
"How the families and society treat offenders after their release from observation home is also vital. Parents should care for them more, and in the case of orphans, the child welfare committee should admit them to shelter homes. Society must refrain from treating them as criminals, as this labelling would prevent them from turning over a new leaf," the activist added.
Citing data from the Social Welfare Institute in Madurai, Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) psychiatric department head Dr Ananda Krishna Kumar said 45% of those below 18 years, who get exposed to drugs, are due to peer pressure, 21% owing to isolation and around 17% began the use of drugs as an experiment (out of curiosity).
"By helping children overcome their psychological problems, we can restrain them from using drugs. Under the state government's 'Natpudan Ungalodu' scheme, one counselling team comprising a trained teacher and a student representative is available at every government school. The students can dial 14416 for seeking help with issues affecting their mental health. Parents also should allot more time to spend with their kids and understand their problems," he said.
Elaborating on the detoxification treatment provided at GRH, Dr Kumar said they will first remove toxic substances from a person's body. "Then we will check for co-morbidities, which is followed by individual and group counselling sessions. Finally, we provide counselling for the patient's family members. The entire process will take 14-21 days," he further said.
District Child Protection Officer from Madurai R Sundar said a child may begin taking drugs or alcohol either due to problems in a broken family or owing to influence from peers or even sometimes parents. He said proper parental guidance can bring down the rate of juvenile offences by 90%.
Children councillor Villivan Ramadoss from Chennai stresses the need to appoint a special educator -- one who is well versed in academic and counselling aspects -- in all schools. "The special educators should be easily accessible to every student. They should give special attention to kids suffering from learning disorders or trauma," he said.
Juveniles involved in crimes in Madurai city
Year - No. of offenders
2012 - 3
2013 - 6
2014 - 15
2015 - 26
2016 - 30
2017 - 66
2018 - 74
2019 - 62
2020 - 69
2021 - 84
2022 - 110
2023 (till Feb 28) - 9
Total = 554
Source: Madurai City Police