Study says no single solution to 'gangster' children problem

Balbhadra Rana | Dec 15 2007= reposted from stolenchildhood.net 

A recent report by COAV [Children and youth in Organized Armed Violence] project says there is no one solution to the problem of city children taking to guns and joining gangs. The study was conducted in a number of countries around the world.

It finds marked similarities between child soldiers and city gangs? kids. In both the case they [the child] are guided into violence and misused by adults. As far as the city child gangsters are concerned they are controlled by criminals, often drug peddlers.

The question springs to mind: Why do children join such armed gangs and take to violence? The answer is simple- poverty. Youth take to gangs because they feel insecure in the present situations. Their families are poor.

According to the COAV study, policing alone will not make this problem go away. Harsh repressive measures might be effective and advisable against hardened criminals but such an approach will only push the gangster child deeper into the world of crime.

The emphasis should be instead on a number of productive actions. First of all policemen should cultivate good relations with the communities they are supposed to protect. If the local cop is looked up to, then the criminal elements will not be able to attract local kids. A corrupt and brutal policeman will make the youth feel that the local gangster is better.

Stress should also be on finding jobs in the areas, so that growing children are not forced to join gangs for survival.

In nine out the ten countries surveyed it was found that the drug trade was the chief recruiter for child ‘gangsters’. Drug policies will have to be reformed. Killing drug lords only increases the atmosphere of violence. Curbing the drug trade only pushes up drug prices attracting more child gangs.