The apparently unprovoked and senseless beating to death of a man in Hsinchu earlier this month shocked society and provoked widespread discussion.
Five suspects were arrested, four of them minors.
The parents of these teenagers apparently had no idea prior to the incident that such a thing could happen. When police informed the parents of the arrests, they were shocked to learn that apparently perfectly good children could suddenly become suspects in a murder case.
As children develop emotionally, they need role models. If children’s need for love and attention is not fulfilled at home, they will naturally seek emotional support from outside the family.
Often they will try to build self-confidence and gain a sense of belonging among their peers.
CRUCIAL PERIOD
Adolescence is a crucial period for character formation. If a teenager falls in with a circle of friends who are not stable or mature enough, he or she may be lured into a pattern of delinquent behavior such as seeking instant gratification through acts of violence.
Perhaps such children have had no adults by their side to keep them on the right path, or else they think they are already grown up and so refuse to accept advice from anyone outside their circle.
What influences were at work on the youths involved in the Hsinchu killing?
The four minor suspects are all high-school dropouts. Although a lot of social resources are now available for dealing with such children, those who return to school are generally not welcome. Often their character has been influenced by social factors that make it hard for them to get on with their classmates, while teachers may not have enough resources to give them the help they need.
Even if such teenagers manage to finish the compulsory component of their education, more often than not they are regarded as poorly educated and incorrigible.
They often become marginalized, neglected by their parents and forgotten by the education system.
BUSY WORKING
We at the Child Welfare League Foundation (兒童福利聯盟) know from our many years of experience working with families that parents are sometimes so busy working that they cannot set aside time to be with their children.
This can be the case even to the extent that parents do not know how to interact with their children apart from asking “How is your homework coming along?” or “When are your next exams?”
Family meals are accompanied by television, often with little communication between those present.
As they grow increasingly distant, parents may be quite unaware of what their children are up to.
When something goes wrong, the parents cannot understand or forgive their children’s behavior, and the children don’t accept their parents’ criticisms.
Parents have a pivotal role to play in keeping their children company as they grow up, but they need to discuss with other people how to teach and discipline their children.
Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, the Child Welfare League Foundation provides a family counseling hotline. Parents are welcome to call (02) 2550-5959, ext. 6, to talk to a social worker about any problems they may encounter in relating to their children.
Kelly Hsiao is a researcher at the Child Welfare League Foundation.
TRANSLATED BY JULIAN CLEGG
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