Juvenile delinquency needs attention

One of the key highlights of the report from the Public Prosecution for the year elucidated the nature of crimes in the country and the judicial progress in addressing them.

The report cited theft, physical assault/aggression, cases involving violence like slapping, beating and fighting, insulting dignity/verbal assault, bullying, name-calling, swearing, cybercrimes/misuse of technology including hacking, online bullying, and using the Internet for improper activities, traffic violations including dangerous driving, vandalism, drug/substance abuse, exposing minors to delinquency, misconduct/harassment, and running away or rebellious behaviour as widely seen crimes among the youth.

Experts define delinquency as conduct or behaviour that is not in accord with accepted behaviour or societal norms. Undesirable behaviour is affected by the same factors as desirable behaviour.

The recent rise in child delinquency and harassment cases in Oman emphasises the urgent need to reactivate religious and cultural protection systems, not just strengthen legal responses. Omani society is historically rooted in Islamic ethics and communal responsibility, where values like modesty, respect for others, accountability and the sanctity of childhood are central. When these values weaken, children become more vulnerable.

Dr Mahmoud al Rahbi, Head of Samayil Hospital, stated that the real task is to protect children from such crimes. The best way is to prevent them early, intervene quickly, rehabilitate humanely and support continuously.

'Rehabilitation shouldn't just be punishment but diversion programmes such as community service, training, supervised activities, educational and vocational support for struggling students, mentorship, and role models for at-risk youth, and addressing root causes like family conflict, abuse, neglect, academic failure, and peer pressure,' Dr Mahmoud said.

Dr Benny Panakkan, Medical Director of Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals, was of the view that parents foster open communication. 'To address rising child delinquency in Oman, parents should foster open communication and actively monitor their child's online activity. Physical punishment should not be an option for correcting unacceptable behaviour; positive discipline should be used,' he said.

Dr Abood al Sawafi, an educationist and scholar, believes that remedial measures should focus on value-based prevention rooted in Islam and Omani culture. 'International child-protection frameworks consistently confirm that societies with strong family cohesion and ethical grounding experience lower rates of juvenile delinquency,' he said.

Psychiatry emphasises that a child's individual temperament should be protected and professional help, sometimes even medicine, can assist with this. Dr Vijay Naresh, Psychiatrist at NMC Specialty Hospital, states that factors at home include parenting styles, over-permissiveness, inconsistency in discipline and the quality of relationships. Factors outside the home include peers, school and neighbourhood.

'There is a growing need to recognise, advocate, educate and rehabilitate offenders. Parents should also seek counselling if there are marital issues or frequent quarrels in the family to help prevent crimes,' advocates Dr Dilip Kumar Singvi, Specialist in Internal Medicine at Burjeel Hospital.