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The Problem
Social stability in the
developed nations is being threatened by growing
numbers of young people who have tendencies
toward:
- Violence;
- Criminal activities;
- Drug, alcohol and substance abuse;
- Welfare dependency;
- Disregard for the laws and customs of the land.
And, for tough young male individuals with
wayward tendencies this problem is today being
further compounded by street gangs glorifying a
lifestyle and subculture that justifies:
rebellious attitudes, irresponsible behaviour,
self-destructive tendencies, little or no desire
for personal integrity and no respect for the
society that gives them the freedoms and
privileges which they demand. . . .
All exciting
stuff for tough young individuals with wayward
tendencies. |
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In New Zealand over the last
12 months, ~45,000 male youth aged between 9 and
16 years were apprehended by the police, and in
the 17 to 20 age group, ~50,000 youth were
apprehended, and the alarming thing is that
Police statistics are showing that these numbers
are increasing every year.
Right now, New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada
and Europe are all facing a generation of young
people growing up in their societies who are
fearless, jobless and hopeless. Without
any role models in their junior lives to teach
them right from wrong they are becoming what is
now called ‘super predators’.
These so called ‘super predators’ are children
who grow up in moral poverty, not economic
poverty, but moral poverty. These youth
come from every race and class, from cities and
rural areas. They have literally no
concept of the future, neither their own nor
anyone else’s. . . they don’t feel any remorse
when they hurt other people and when you combine
these characteristics with the impulsiveness of
youth, you have on your hands individuals who
are capable of committing the most heinous
crimes without the slightest pangs of
conscience.
Statistics show that today there are not only
increasing numbers of criminals, but also that
they are starting at a younger age. And
the problem is getting worse as we now have a
class of young criminals coming up who do not
fear the stigma of arrest or the penalties of
imprisonment. For these kids going to
prison has truly become like going to college.
It is a place where they gain a better education
in crime. Sending these youth to prison is
like giving them a scholarship to learn how to
become professional criminals — for many the
longer they are in prison the higher qualified
they become. They consider their prison
time like a badge of honour or a proof of
membership in the criminal world. |
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