“Children Need Love, Proper Communication”

Children as young as 20 years are involved in deviant behaviour, among which pornography, drug use, smoking, violence, etc. Are these signs that something is lacking in their upbringing?
Youngsters of today are involved into anti-social behaviours, as a result of social influence, group dynamics as they socialize and form impressions. Young people have their worldviews. It’s a period where hormonal changes begin and the onset of puberty. Youngsters spend most of their time with their friends than with their families. Some of these youngsters get to influence their peers via self-presentation because of power dynamics. As a result of social influence, their peers turn to engage in deviant behaviours because they want to comply to group norms and this is done via social persuasion by peers. The search for identity and self-concept enable their peers to engage into drug use, the intake of tramadol and other drugs, alcohol consumption, promiscuity, scamming and cyber criminality among others. It’s as a result of family conflicts, family division, lack of appropriate parenting styles, where some parents are not always available and even know the needs of their children. Laisser-faire parenting, parents busy at their job sites, no family come together or family meetings to shape and modify the behaviour of children as well as monitor those they interact as friends.

To what extent does the absence of parents impact the upbringing of a child? 
The absence of parents affects the upbringing of their children psychosocially. Parents are the first agents of socialisation at home. The first education of children starts at home informally. The morals of children and other values are inculcated first at home. When parents are absent, it impacts children negatively as they are loose and wander around their neighbourhood. The lack of control affects the future personalities of children as they get to have bad companies that influence their way of life, attitudes. And most of them now spend their time on social media where they get to learn through social networks, imitation and modelling of negative behaviours. Only few children can overcome societal ills. It is a call for concern for parents to spend time with their adolescent children to shape and modify their behaviour.

What are the recipes to better bring up or discipline a child in the current society? 
The modus opendi to bring up children in today’s society should start from the micro level, the family. The family is the backbone of parenting. Parents should spend time and monitor their children, shape and direct their academic careers, monitor their needs and provide their needs. Parents should also sanction and discipline children, sometimes corporal punishment can help, while also giving them advise and counselling. Parents should monitor the peers of their children and ensure they make friends with positive impact...