INDISCIPLINE AMONG THE YOUTH IS GETTING OUT OF HANDS, THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO CURB IT.

 

The United Nations defines Youth as persons between the ages of 15-24 years, this definitions was made during preparations for the international youth the year 1985 and endorsed by the General Assembly many countries also draw a line on the youth at the age at which a person is given equal treatment under the law often referred to as the “age of majority”. This age is often 18 years in many countries, once a person passes this age, they are considered to an adult ,also definition and nuances of the term” youth” often vary from country to country, depending on the specifying socio-cultural institutional, economic and political factors. However Ghana Policy for Youth defines Youth as persons between 16-34 years releases in 2010.
Indiscipline among the youth is a very common cause of dissatisfaction or discontent and frustration for parent, teachers and the nation as well, it becomes a problem when the youth do not heed to orders or requests from elders, the youth of today only want to have their own way .Jive Education under Successful Parenting (2005 -2011) defines Indiscipline as a behavioral disorder that is classified as an act of delinquency. Indiscipline youth cause a mental and emotional damage to their parents, instances of indiscipline can assume many forms lying, stealing, and playing truant, or running away from home, and drug abuse. Some causes of indiscipline can emanate from:
v  Lack of Parental Guidance or Bad Parentage:
Bad parentage is a major cause of indiscipline among the youth and to solve such a morass we need to use scientific approach to solve it, modern society is “so complicated and fragile” that it cannot support emotional problem to solving a major social problem like indiscipline in society, from analysis youth with indiscipline behaviour come from homes with rude parents, drunkards ,drug addicts, criminal and illiterate parents” Who pampered their wards with illegal and dubiously acquired wealth.” Also expert have found that youth with behavioral problems usually have parent
Who poses ineffective discipline techniques? However some temperamental problems can also cause the youth to exhibit indiscipline, which can be eliminated with expert guidance

v  Societal Influence
There has become a sudden shift from merit to lackluster. Achievements are no longer measured by commitment and capability but influence and material wealth who you know rather than what you measure up to in terms of merit, is what determines promotion. Thus, a student needs not burn the proverbial night candle. It suffices, if he/she can get an expensive ‘gift’ or place a heavy envelope’ before his teacher whose conscience was just bought with money.


v  Bad Peer Group

In a wide analysis, it has been noted that the indiscipline among the youth is born for peer grouping. It through this peer groups that the youth can learn drug abuse, which has given birth to not only robbery but also massive violence in the society in their groupings, the youth have learnt to plan evils such as strikes, murdering, and skills for stealing among others. It is because of this that one should however come to believe that indiscipline in the youth is of peer pressure.

v  Mass Media
The mass media has taught the youth to be indiscipline than ever. It is not surprising today’s girls and boys dress indecently, and if anyone attempts to correct them or comment on the dressing code, the youth have become violent and aggressive even terming the advisor to be “a backward fellow whose eyes have learnt nothing from the four corners of the world”. Sincerely speaking this is nothing, but an acute indiscipline in the youth. And the only factor to blame is mass media.
v  The Upheavals in Society
Today’s societies are yet to blame for indiscipline. These upheavals include corruption among leader’s immorality and poor methods of governance among others. In a democratic world this may not look like a cause but called a justification rather. You find in today’s society some leaders who are corrupt and immoral, if these leaders come to advice the youth, the youth may not listen to them or may a contrary of what they are saying just as a demonstration to them.
v  Urban Drift
Much is to blame for indiscipline among the urban dwelling youth, the availability of cheap drugs such as marungi, bangi and alcohol among others. Youth do not act against society’s rules or regulations intentionally, but they are influenced by the drugs they take and drink. The drugs disorganize their minds and drive them to do that are opposed to the societies. The consumptions of these drugs lead to indiscipline.

With any Cause there is an effect which can be a plus or minus, the effect of indiscipline among the youth are manifold. Indiscipline can be defined as lack of discipline, some of the effect of indiscipline among the youth include lack of respect for teachers, parent and other senior figures often could be argued that the indiscipline of certain individuals has reduced the morality and ethics of many young people, in that teachers are no longer responsible for setting limits, merely for ensuring that certain targets are met. As discipline is no longer present, the lack of discipline does not present any sense of shame as indiscipline is not tied to immorality anymore.

Juvenile delinquency is where the child shows unacceptable or criminal behaviour. Juvenile delinquency may manifest in stealing vandalism, refusal to go to school etc. This stems from the fact that the child lacks parental care and control. He is not given proper socialization and mat be influenced by the peer group, this lead to indiscipline among which put the nation in a lot of danger because our resources will not be properly managed and country will not achieve any growth.

Sometimes indiscipline does not encourage school going among the youth. This is because the child may be staying with the mother who may be able to pay for the school fees and provide other basic needs of the child. Even where the child stays with father, school dropout is likely to occur, as men without their wives cannot provide the right condition for school going among the youth. Who is to cook for the child? Who is to encourage the child to go to school when the father is absent?

This is where pregnancy takes places before a girl is twenty years old. Broken homes lead to a situation where the children are not given the needed parental care and control. The girl may resort to offering herself to men in order to meet her basic needs What results from this is teenage pregnancy.

Some girls/women from broken homes go through frustration as they have their basic material needs not met and they do not experience the right parental control. The frustration may lead them to prostitution. They then stand the danger of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS).

This is where the youth under twenty years get to the street and involve themselves in income-generating activities which will harm their physical, mental and social development. Such activities negatively affect the proper preparation of the children for adult roles and responsibilities. This is because they are not given technical and vocational training. Children who could have become lawyers, engineers or teachers end up becoming a liability to the society.

Solution to curb youthful Indiscipline is, with good disciplinarian techniques, parents can bring in a lot of positive changes in the behaviour of their children. Rewarding is far better an option than punishing .Scientific studies have shown that people respond more quickly to positive consequences and encouragement.

Parent should be more concerned about improving the character of their youth and avoid thinking that the responsibilities for their youth straining ends at the school’s gate .National authorities to instill a high sense of discipline into the youth and take a stern disciplinary measures ones found to be fomenting trouble to pollute the minds of other youth.
On the solution to indiscipline among the youth, the elderly advice that reading is the antidote to this problem.
Moral Subject such as tatarakyat and civics should be taught and priority should be given to the subject. Youth must be made to understand the meaning of love, respect and care among themselves.
More talks and campaigns within the school premises must be organized with the co-operation of the police, bar council,
Stringent measures are necessary to curb unwanted incidents, besides these measures parent, teachers, pastors (figureheads) should educate the youth on the importance of being discipline, society should not shun and avoid the dejected youth but play a role in guiding them to right paths, without such proper guidance and direction the student may get involved in unhealthy activities such as gambling, drugs alcoholism and sex.
 

Author -Emmanuel Joojo Hanson