Parents need to be vigilant, these are 5 juvenile delinquencies that are often done

Adolescents become a transitional phase that makes children very curious. At this age, many teenagers dare to try many things from positive to negative. Therefore juvenile delinquency seems to be something that is commonplace but actually should not be tolerated. So, what are the delinquencies that teenagers often do and what should parents do?

Why does juvenile delinquency occur?

Here are some things that cause children to fall into juvenile delinquency:

Have a high enough curiosity

As previously explained, each child will go through a stage of adolescent development. This is a transitional phase from being a child before he goes through the phase of becoming an adult.

In this phase, children tend to have high curiosity. Therefore, there were many things that he wanted to try for the first time in his life.

Experiencing an identity crisis

Quoted from the page of the Social Counseling Center of the Ministry of Social Affairs, it is also during this phase that teenagers often experience an identity crisis.

This self-crisis is characterized by the unstable emotional development of adolescents who are also easily influenced by other people, especially their closest friends.

In this phase, children tend to experiment with many things that suit them and make them feel better.

For example, he felt that by smoking all the burdens of his mind were gone and he felt cooler.

From that trial and error, it can eventually become a habit that will carry over to adulthood.

Stress

Parents' quarrels, quarrels with their boyfriends, or other stressful problems can lead to juvenile delinquency in their children.

When he feels stressed and is not even noticed by his own parents, at that time he feels the need to vent his stress on something else.

This is what then makes children fall into juvenile delinquency.

Therefore, adolescence is a phase where children actually need to be guided, not left alone because they are considered to be older.

Proof of self-esteem

In addition, ego and self-esteem are often the reasons why adolescents end up falling for negative things.

For example, when his friends smoke and drink alcohol, then your child is offered but he refuses.

Then his friends said that "Ah bad, not cool and not really a boy".

When children hear these words, their ego and self-esteem feel tarnished, finally they want to try cigarettes and alcohol to prove that these words are not true.

The combination of all these things can eventually plunge a child into juvenile delinquency.

The kinds of delinquency committed by teenagers

Juvenile delinquency behavior that violates norms in Indonesia is no longer a taboo subject.

This can happen because of the surrounding environment, association, technological advances, to economic problems that occur in families.

Not only that, but in adolescence the brain is not fully developed, so there are times when you do impulsivity and make bad decisions.

The following are things that are classified as juvenile delinquency, namely:

1. Drugs

Drug abuse is no longer a new phenomenon among school children. It seems that one of these juvenile delinquencies is more pervasive than experts and parents may have suspected.

There is statistical evidence that a child's first contact with drugs generally begins during grades 6 to 8 (ages 12-14 years).

The reasons for teenagers to use drugs can vary. For example, using it to have the same experience with his friends and dabbling in until he really gets caught up in it.

There are also those who use steroids to improve their athletic appearance or strength. Others use ecstasy to relieve anxiety in certain social situations.

Then there are teenagers who abuse prescription drugs for ADHD sufferers, such as Adderall, to help them learn or lose weight.

Drug use in adolescence can interfere with brain function. As a result, a person will lose motivation, experience memory problems, difficulty learning, making decisions, and controlling habits.

This is also related to the addiction effect cited by Medline Plus, that people who try drugs at a young age have a higher chance of developing addiction later in life.

This is why it is important to watch for signs of substance abuse in adolescents and early young adults. Most individuals start abusing at least one substance before becoming addicts.

Signs that your teen is starting to use drugs

There are several signs or characteristics of drug users, namely:

• Sudden or extreme changes in friends, diet, irregular sleep, and physical appearance.
• Injection marks or loops in the arm or leg (can be hidden by wearing a long sleeve on a very hot day).
• Redness of the eye, frequent pain, excessive sweating, strange odor from the body, tremors, frequent nosebleeds, and other physical changes.
• Becomes irresponsible, has poor judgment, and generally loses interest.
• Going against rules or staying away from family.
• In the room there is a medicine box or medicine kit, even though the child is not sick.
• You experience the loss of money, valuables, and children often ask for money by force even though they have never done that before.
• Shutting down, staying silent, isolating, engaging in suspicious activity.
• Forcing more privacy, locking doors, and avoiding eye contact.
• Skipping truancy, dropping report cards, and frequent problems at school.

How to wisely ask children?

If you suspect changes related to juvenile delinquency such as drug abuse, don't be afraid to ask questions.

Some of the questions you can ask are:

• "Brother, lately how come you don't focus and look thinner, Brother, have a problem?"
• “Brother, if you were honest you wouldn't be angry. Have you seen a syringe in my sister's room, what is it for? "

Decide in advance how to respond to a "yes" answer. Make sure you convince your child that you will take care of him and want the best for his life.

Of course, not all teenagers will admit to drug abuse.

But if you have evidence and show it to your child slowly he will follow suit.

That's why experts highly recommend that you consider a professional assessment of your child's condition with a pediatrician or psychologist to find out what really happened.

Working with professional people to help the teenager is the best way to ensure he has a healthy future.

2. Alcohol addiction

Starting from curiosity and making it commonplace, teenagers will also start trying to drink alcohol.

When drunk in small amounts, alcohol can make the body more relaxed.

However, the effects that alcohol can give are drunkenness, poisoning, and it affects the organs and systems in the body.

Research in Consequences of Underage Drinking shows that people who start drinking alcohol at an early age will have problems later in life.

Moreover, adolescence is a period of development in the area of ​​the child's brain.

You also have to be careful because any of these juvenile delinquencies can also interfere with the hormonal changes in puberty for both girls and boys.

To prevent children from drinking outside of supervision, you are also required to provide education about the dangers of alcohol and teach how to refuse invitations from peers to drink alcohol.

3. Smoking

Smoking can also be categorized as juvenile delinquency. Based on data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, almost 80% of total smokers in Indonesia start smoking when they are not yet 19 years old.

The age group that smokes the most in Indonesia is 15-19 years old. While in second place is the 10-14 year age group.

According to WHO, Indonesia is the third country with the largest number of smokers in the world after China and India.

Teens who smoke have a poorer health status than adolescents who don't smoke.

The most frequent consequences of these young smokers are headaches and backaches.

Another thing parents need to know is that once a child starts smoking, it will be difficult to stop.

However, this applies when the child is addicted. Because the body and mind quickly adapt to the nicotine content

4. Free sex

Free sex is one of the juvenile delinquencies whose cases continue to grow. Whereas in the past, sex was taboo before marriage.

However, along with the changing times, sex before marriage is even considered as a lifestyle for teenagers.

Therefore, providing sexual education to children is very important for parents to do from an early age.

This is intended to prevent free sex and pregnancy outside of marriage.

Give an understanding that having free sex has fatal consequences in his future life.

Also tell him that sex outside of marriage, let alone changing partners, can cause venereal disease.

Tell him that you don't forbid your child to be close to the opposite sex but still have to know the boundaries and be responsible.

5. Escape from home

When they have a serious enough problem, there are some teenagers who look for a way out by running away from the house.

Usually this method is done if he feels disgusted with the condition of the house, whether it's the parents' fights that always happen or they feel unnoticed.

So that this does not happen to your child, try to create a comfortable home atmosphere to live in.

Tips to protect children from juvenile delinquency

If you don't take wise steps quickly, it is not impossible for your children to be dragged into the increasingly alarming tide of juvenile delinquency.

Here are some things you need to do as a form of juvenile delinquency prevention:

1. Invite children to discuss

You can provoke chatter from the simplest of topics. For example, asking what the child's activities are at school and how children usually get along with their friends.

After that, then you lead the chat to the main topic.

Explain to the child what juvenile delinquency is in general, what things go into the act, and what the dangers are if s / he gets into that circle.

2. Provide sexual education

Adolescents have a high curiosity about sex and sexuality. This is a natural part of the development process.

However, if this curiosity is not accompanied by good knowledge, the channeling can be mistaken.

Therefore, sexual education is one of the important lessons in educating adolescents.

Sexual education is not just about sexual relations. You could start by explaining, for example, about the differences in the body of men and women in general and the body changes during puberty.

Yes, sexual education is not only about keeping teenagers from promiscuity as a result of wanting to "try" out of curiosity.

Early sexual education can also protect your child from the dangers of sexual harassment by those around him.

3. Apply strict rules at home

Applying strict rules at home is a surefire way that parents can do to avoid promiscuity with adolescents.

There are several rules that need to be enforced, for example about the curfew at night.

Tell every child, both boy and girl, not to come home late at night.

Ask the children to get home at least 8 p.m. Unless there are other matters with good reason.

4. Get to know each of your child's friends

In many cases, the behavior of adolescents is reflected in their daily environment of friends. Therefore, make sure you get to know his friends well.

Knowing your child's circle of friends also allows you to get to know the parents of other kids.

As a result, you can also exchange ideas and information on tips for educating children with other parents.

5. Monitor child's activities

Try to always monitor and supervise activities to avoid delinquency in teenagers.

Give understanding that what you are doing is not a form of restraint, but supervision.

One form of monitoring, for example, always asks where he is going and with whom.

Tell your child that as a parent you are just worried and this is your way to keep him safe even if you are far away.

6. Support the child in the hobbies he likes

Adolescence is a period when children are actively trying various activities. Whatever activity the child chooses as long as it is positive, support it.

In essence, divert children's attention from juvenile delinquency through various positive activities that he likes.

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