Dubai: The misuse of social media networks and abuse of uncensored technological entertainment means are today’s most influential factors that drive juveniles to delinquency, warned a top prosecutor on Thursday.
Children and teenagers should not be left unattended while using social media and entertainment networks and parents should be present to guide them and guard them against becoming delinquent through abusing such means, according to Senior Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Ali Rustom, Head of Family and Juvenile Prosecution (FJP).
Addressing the last day of the 19th International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) Annual Conference 2014 while discussing the main causes that drive juveniles to delinquency, Rustom said: “The major causes that push children and teens to delinquency are family negligence and break-ups, bad friendship, negative behaviour in spending leisure time and lack of coordination and communication between schools [and other places that take care of children such as sporting clubs] and family. The high cost of living and an increase in uncensored technological entertainment means is also another cause.”
FJP is part of Dubai Public Prosecution (DPP) that is hosting and organising the 19th IAP Conference that concluded on Thursday.
Addressing around 400 prosecutors and attorney-generals during the conference’s 4th plenary titled ‘Dealing with Youth Offenders’, Rustom listed the factors that limit juvenile delinquency such as family care and follow-up on children, a good choice of companions and friends and reinforcement of family and kinship links.
School’s role
“Other factors are activating the school’s role in monitoring and guiding the juveniles, developing the work of bodies and institutions related to the juvenile category and giving priority to awareness and follow-up programmes and charging juveniles with tasks suitable to their age bracket and supporting them to accomplish the desired goals,” he added.
Chaired by Elivera Du Plooy, Senior State Advocate, Prosecution Johannesburg, South Africa, the fourth plenary included four other panellists who discussed the organisational structures-good practice examples, youth crime-roles and responsibilities of prosecutors, investigative methods and disposal options and treatment of youth offenders-prosecutorial duty of care.
The panellists were Genvieve Cleary, State Prosecutor, Children’s Court Office of the Director of Public Prosecution for Western Australia, Shaikha Noura Abdullah Al Khalifa, Advocate General and Chief Juvenile Prosecution, Bahrain, Donne Lebowitz, Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles, USA, and Jean Fils Ntamack, Prosecutor of Tribunal de Grande Instance of Yacounde, Cameroon.
In his presentation, Senior Chief Prosecutor Rustom also discussed FJP’s programmes that are dedicated to juveniles to raise their legal and social awareness such as ‘Nibras’ (an educational and awareness programme special to school students) and others.
He also highlighted the importance of FJP’s procedures in which they handle juveniles’ cases.