The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Juvenile crimes are urban-centric

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Juvenile crimes are urban-centric

K.V. Subramanya

Glitzy images and ritzy lifestyles dazzle deprived youngsters into taking the easy road to crime

Over 70 per cent of juveniles arrested are from poor families
Segregation of juveniles at observation homes favoured

BANGALORE: The Hulimavu police recently arrested five teenagers who had robbed at knifepoint eight students of their mobile phones and gold chains, all worth Rs. 80,000. During interrogation, the boys, all hailing from lower middle class families living on Bannerghatta Road, told the police that they had taken to crime to lead a posh life.

A glance at Bangalore’s crime scenario reveals that in the recent years, several juveniles have been indulging in mobile phone and vehicle thefts, chain snatching and burglary to make a quick buck to buy trendy clothes and two-wheelers and to dine at good restaurants. While various factors have been contributing to the rise in crime by juveniles, the police mainly attribute the worrying trend to the rapid urbanisation and hectic economic activity Bangalore has witnessing in the past few years.

Digital divide

The massive lifestyle change and economic divide created by the information technology revolution is said to be the major cause for youngsters from the socially and economical backward sections taking to crime.

According to statistics available with the City Crime Records Bureau, 83 cases of juvenile crimes (registered under different sections of the Indian Penal Code) have been reported from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2007.

Analysing the social factors forcing juveniles to crime, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Gopal B. Hosur said mainly children from impoverished and non-literate families are taking to crime. Bombarded by images — be it cinema or television — and watching the affluent flash around their money, youngsters are longing for a lifestyle change. Such boys have been mainly indulging in vehicle theft, he said.

Besides urbanisation, lack of social controls both at home and in schools have been largely responsible for children going astray in Bangalore. Juvenile crimes are urban-centric, Mr. Hosur told The Hindu.

According to “Crime in India-2005,” the latest report on country’s crime scenario published by the National Crime Records Bureau, 71.2 per cent of juveniles arrested are from poor families, whose annual income is less than Rs. 25,000 a year. A huge chunk of children in conflict with law (64.4 per cent) are illiterates or primary school dropouts, the report states.

“Children pick up vices at early age. So parents should monitor their activities, mainly the company they keep, and prevent them from watching films or television programmes that glorify crime,” Mr. Hosur said.

He also emphasised the need for segregation of juveniles at the observation homes so that one does not learn the details of the crime committed by the other and get inspired to do that.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka