Innumerable times we have seen headlines spanned across the front pages of our newspapers describing criminal activities of certain wayward youth. Recovering from the initial shocks, one sits back and ponders. Is this then what the youth have come to symbolise—rape, arson, loot? Sociologists have typed such students as ‘psycho-pathetic’. But are all our youth mentally ill?

Youth belonging to the lower socio-economic groups indulging in such activities for the sake of monetary gain is comprehensible, but why the affluent? Many of the accused belong to the ‘privileged’ segment of society. During interrogation, they admitted the offence for the sake of "pleasure". Is pleasure then for the ‘haves’ synonymous with killing and looting leaving loopholes for the police to jump into?

Perhaps it is not known to many that ‘gangs’ exist which specialise in training youngsters—whom they find easy prey—in the art of pick-pocketing and theft. They succumb to such activities to earn that extra money which enables them to see a ‘cheap’ movie or indulge in other forms of prohibitive entertainment.

Our universities are full of ‘sick’ students who are propelled into action at the slightest provocation. They give vent to their pent-up grievances by attacking anything symbolic of authority—public property.

Juvenile crime has soared to staggering heights in recent years. This complex social problem has engaged the attention of sociologists, criminologists and correctional workers all over —what causes the youth to deviate from the established social norms, to rebel against society? While pointers move towards frustrating economic conditions, it must be realised that affluence and economic prosperity have not been able to stem the tide of delinquency in the West. Statistics show that the rate of delinquency is higher among the ‘haves’ than among the ‘have-nots’. There certainly are more deep-rooted causes which cannot be inundated by all the pecuniary advantages one may aspire for. Let us turn to the family, the most important social unit in moulding the child during its formative years. A home which is sterile of love and affection or where the father, a pot-bellied rich businessman, is too occupied calculating how to make his next million and the mother too busy socialising, produces children who are handicapped in learning how to get along with people. Suffering from inadequacy and rejection, their resentment is manifested in aggressiveness, disobedience and other forms of unsocial behaviour.

Youth is a phase when the young seek recognition for their activities. Failure to seek recognition at home makes them turn to outsiders, who not being totally scrupulous, exploit the vulnerability of their age. For the young, it gives them this opportunity to assert themselves and display their strength and power.

Unfavourable parent-child relationships, parental discord and broken homes lead to a deterioration of moral behaviour. An environment in which there is constant tension and bickering tends to stimulate the child’s emotions unduly. As an eminent sociologist has stated: "In the fast changing society of today, the youth is reared in a milieu very much different from that of his parents and does not share the same values."

Being more liberal, permissive and progressive in their outlook than their tradition-bound elders, they dismiss as archaic the code of conduct advocated by them. Elders must refrain from imposing on the youth what they consider to be ‘right’. This stifles the independence of the child. However, while on the one hand, they resent parental authority, on the other, they accept it as inevitable.

These youngsters, while avoiding open clashes with their parents, release their bottled up wrath on society by indulging in acts of indiscipline. With the home environment getting more and more out of tune with the outside world, the personality of the youth seems to grow more outside the influence of the parents and elders. Thus, the youth have little use for a society which lives by double standards and advocates a different set of values for the young and the old. Prominent among the ‘don’ts’ for the young are the ‘do’s’ for the old.

Inconsistent disciplining by parents is responsible for the youth emerging confused individuals—bundles of contradictions. This brings to mind the case of a 16-year-old boy who murdered his mother for having illicit relations with a man—she had all along preached the values of good, ethical behaviour! A ‘must’ for all parents is the saying: "Practice what you preach".

A specialist in human behaviour has attributed youth indulgence in abnormal behaviour to the lack of leisure time activities. While admitting that the home factor was the most pertinent cause, she was of the view that "lack of any form of organised entertainment" contributed in a large measure to the youth participating in anti-social activities Proper canalisation of the energies of youth would thus definitely lead to a decline in the crime rate. "At an age when they’re bubbling with energy, they need to find an outlet. Society seems to be a convenient target for attack."

The same may be said for eve-teasing and other offences committed on the female species. In a society where free mingling of the sexes has always been looked down upon, the youth have to find some outlet to satisfy their sexual urge. The accosting looks, brushings and pinches coupled with snide remarks like "Hai meri jaan" and "Aaja, Sweety, cycle ke peeche" are proof enough of their pent-up frustrations.

A child has certain basic physical and emotional requirements that need to be satisfied. It is up to the parents to create a wholesome atmosphere whereby the child can satisfy these basic needs. Otherwise, it is bound to seek fulfilment outside the home, associating himself with undesirable activities. In conclusion, we really cannot dismiss lightly the impact of movies that make millions at the box-office only to have an undermining effect on the morals of the young.