Crime Counselling Programme

Counselling programmes involving family institutions and the promotion of good noble values are in great need today than ever before.

Noble values must continue to be preserved and nurtured to act as a shield against the various social ills plaguing the society.

When a nation progresses the family institution could be the first victim with children not getting enough attention and guidance leading to the emergence of various social ills affecting our teenagers.

A dilemma facing Malaysian parents today is really how to strike a balance between their working career and nurturing their children made more complicated by demanding employers who make their staff stay back late to get work finished.

Another problem is also perhaps due to lack of parenting skills which has to be addressed.

The fact is that parents are busy with their career and are not able to spend quality time with their children with the result that thousands of urban children are left to the whims and mindsets of foreign maids, baby-sitters and in some cases relatives.

Children who return from schools find themselves in empty homes as both their parents are out at work. There is no one around to show parental love, teach and inculcate in the children good family values.

Instead of seeking guidance from parents these children do so from their peers. With negative peer pressure an environment will exist which will eventually lead to various social ills.

Children who grow up in such environment will end up in becoming the victims of many social ills like truancy, violence in schools, drug abuse and even crimes.

If this problem is not addressed it will result in a serious divide between children and parents and an increase in social problems and crime involving young people.

Parents must be prepared to make an effort to spend quality time with their children. Children need parental love and without it their lives will be destroyed as they will neither understand nor appreciate love and family ties later in their lives.

Parents must be increasingly concerned about the quality of family life and must constantly take steps to instill into their children the basic moral values needed to build the foundation of a strong, stable and cohesive society.

What is also needed is a continuous programme of moral strengthening and reinforcement to make the children aware of their responsibilities to themselves, their parents, the community and the nation.

The world today is confronted with a very disturbing phenomenon. Wherever modernization and economic development takes place and results in a better standard of living, new problems, such as a decline in human values and moral degradation, occur.

To arrest the situation, a massive programme of inculcating values is required at all levels for children, youths and teenagers.

Values such as obedience, filial piety, respect for elders, patience and tolerance, truth, responsibilities, honour, etc need to be emphasized.

Strong human values along with strong families are key to building a peaceful and stable community which will then lead to a strong and stable nation.

The need for these has never been greater than today.