South Africa is gripped by a wave of teenage violence which defies any reason. Very young children, as young as 12 and 14 years, have perpetrated deeds so violent and cruel, resulting in the deaths of equally young and vulnerable victims.

The current spate of violence appears to be linked in particular to school communities and school children on or off school campuses. In the past weeks, several incidences of youth violence have been recorded in more than one province. The diversity in background indicate, that popular analyses pointing to the usual factors such as socio-economic deprivation, adverse housing conditions, dysfunctional families and substance abuse, cannot easily be attributed as causal factors in all of these cases. The primary common characteristic of the present (and past) phenomena points to the youthful age of perpetrators and their status as active learners. Another myth which is debunked is that violence is a predominantly male domain. Cell phone video footage doing the rounds, testify to the emergence of school girls as antagonists and perpetrators, in some cases of quite heinous crime – involving potentially life threatening ‘weapons’ and actions.

Who is to blame?
Presently youth follow the ways of dealing with conflict demonstrated by the adults and significant others in their lives, by community and societal examples, by what they see in the broadcast and print media. The adults have to lead by example and we have to acknowledge that as adults and parents we are lacking and not always the best role models.

The role of parents and families in value generation and value acquisition of children is widely acknowledged. Beyond meeting basic material needs, this is the critical role of parents and adults. Strong values which reflect an abhorrence of crime, a deep respect for the humanity of others, a respect for the dignity and value of the self should be inculcated from an early age.

Parents have to engage in active parenting and not abdicate this responsibility to the TV, entertainment, recreation outlets, the school or even the church. Parents should be in the face of the child 24/7 – know where your child is, who his friends are, know and meet the parents of friends, ensure that social dalliances are monitored. Parents are too easily delegating and ignoring this duty, taking refuge in the glib belief that the child should learn independence and responsibility the hard way. Youth and adolescents are in a rebellious phase, they face life- changing physiological and emotional changes and they need firm guidance and strong, tough love from parents and adults.

Quick fixes don’t work.
Whilst law enforcement approaches assist with accountability and due legal process, and security processes such as alarms, electric fences, guards and the like assist with reducing the likelihood of external perpetrators, the villain is the very youth that these measures are meant to protect! They have to be taught the basic freedom of saying no. We have to concentrate on strengthening the resolve of the youth NOT to engage in criminal activity – by setting proper examples and through embedding strong value convictions to empower them to integrate non-violent conflict resolution and problem-solving skills into their behavioural pattern so that when they are taunted, they are equipped to easily defuse potential destructive behaviour in a dignified and adamant manner.

How to do this?
NICRO firmly believes that answers can be found in the return to the time-tested systems of positive values, conflict resolution and building self esteem as antidote to this unrelenting force of vicious activity by youth-on-fellow-youth, all of whom are considered to still be vulnerable themselves. The most important skill that should be taught to ALL youth is how to resolve conflict in a non-violent and non-threatening way, which values the dignity and humanity of both the wronged and the wrong doer; a therapeutic skills education which can be integrated in the individuals permanent repertoire of behavioural responses.

Parents and adults must as a collective rise to the occasion to educate their children and set proper examples; this approach should be extended to the entire school curriculum and parents MUST engage in school based efforts, as a condition to school enrolment of their children!

In the words of Finance Minister Trevor Manuel: "Only a stronger sense of society, of community, of family: a sense of responsibility to each other -Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu- can heal the fractures that give rise to crime."

Celia Dawson
Deputy Executive Director
The National Institute for Crime prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders
25 September 2007