XN000022-1980-11-24 — Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1980

PARENTS CAN DO MOST TO STOP JUVENILE CRIME

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THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DENIS BRAY TODAY CALLED ON PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN THE AGE GROUP 7 TO 15 TO CONSIDER CRITICALLY RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THEIR FAMILY TO SEE IF THE CHILDREN WERE BEING GIVEN PROPER ATTENTION.

COMMENTING ON THE UPSURGE IN JUVENILE CRIME IN THIS AGE GROUP, AT A MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PAST CHAIRMEN OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS, MR BRAY SAID SOCIAL WORK BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE WELFARE AGENCIES, AS WELL AS SCHOOLS WOULD HELP IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY COULD NOT DO EVERYTHING.

+BY FAR THE GREATEST HELP CAN BE GIVEN BY PARENTS THEMSELVES,+ HE SAID.

HE ASKED THEM: +DO WE TRY HARD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND OUR CHILDREN'S ASPIRATIONS AND PROBLEMS? DO OUR CHILDREN SEEK REFUGE IN FRIENDSHIPS OUTSIDE THE FAMILY BECAUSE THEY FEEL UNWANTED IN THE FAMILY? WHAT DO THEY DO IN THEIR LEISURE TIME AND IF THEY ARE MIXING IN BAD COMPANY WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CHANGE THIS? DO WE GIVE SUFFICIENT THOUGHT TO ESTABLISHING SOUND MORAL STANDARDS?+

HE REGRETTED THAT PARENTS TENDED TO FEEL THEIR CHILDREN AT THIS AGE WERE OLD ENOUGH TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES. YET THEY STILL NEEDED WORRYING:

+THEY ARE NOW OLD ENOUGH TO TALK TO. THEY STILL TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF NOTICE OF WHAT PARENTS HAVE TO SAY. THEIR FUTURE DEPENDS A VERY GREAT DEAL ON HOW MUCH TROUBLE WE AS PARENTS ARE PREPARED TO TAKE.

+ IT IS WELL WORTH PRESERVING JUST THOSE FEW EXTRA YEARS SO THAT OUR CHILDREN WILL GROW UP HAPPIER AND MORE USEFUL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, MR ERAY SAID.

HE SAID SOME PRELIMINARY STUDY HAD BEEN DONE ON THE JUVENILE CRIME STATISTICS AND IF IT WAS ANY CONSOLATION THE CRIMES WERE NOT VIOLENT ONES, ALTHOUGH EVEN THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBERS INVOLVED IN ASSAULTS AND SEXUAL OFFENCES WERE WORRYING.

MOST OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE COMMITTED RELATIVELY MINOR OFFENCES SUCH AS SHOPLIFTING, BLACKMAILING FOR SMALL SUMS OF MONEY AND PETTY THEFTS IN OTHER WORDS OFFENCES INVOLVING DISHONESTY AND THE URGE FOR QUICK AND EASY CASH.

THE NT NEW TOWNS SEEMED TO HAVE FARED PARTICULARLY BADLY: IN THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, OVER 40 PER CENT OF THOSE PROSECUTED FOR MISCELLANEOUS THEFTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WERE UNDER 16 AND A FAIRLY LARGE PROPORTION OF THEM CAME FROM PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.

THERE WAS COMPARATIVELY LESS JUVENILE CRIME DURING THE SUMMER VACATION AND MR BRAY WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THE VIGOROUS ANNUAL SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMME HAD HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.

/THE NUMBER