The incidents of brutal killing of a girl in Soibugh Budgam by a carpenter and that of minor girl by his own father in Khurhama Kupwara followed by the busting of a prostitution racket by police in Bag-e-Mehtab locality of Chanpora area in Srinagar show that social crimes are rising to new heights in Kashmir. While occurrence of such heinous social crimes has triggered a debate over the role of social policing across Kashmir, the incidents also show Kashmir’s family system in bad light. Never forget that nurturance of children begins from the families to which they belong and as such the role of parent stands at the centre of the nurturance of the children. The failure of the parents in inculcating in their children the values of honesty, generosity, love, compassion, patience, humility, self-discipline, caring for the aged, gender equality, and inclusivity is obviously the cause of increasing waywardness among youth in Kashmir and consequently the cause of rising social crimes as well. The social crimes witnessed during last more than a month be it killing of a girl in Soibugh Budgam by a carpenter, murder of minor girl by his own father in Khurhama Kupwara, death of a biker while performing stunt biking at Boulevard road Srinagar or busting of a prostitution racket by police in Bag-e-Mehtab locality of Chanpora area show their roots in the failure of the family system the central role of which is played by the parents. While the incidents of criminal and antisocial behaviour are rooted in family system, the onus of taking corrective measures lies on the parents of the children who play a central role in the functioning of family system in Kashmir. A brutal attack on women and children mostly by the people within the family show that conduct and behaviour of those duty bound to do the job of parenting is not good.
“Though individuals in modern society are influenced by many sources other than the family, but irrefutable fact is that family factors account for more variance in the rates of antisocial behaviour than any other single variable. So better for the people of Kashmir to focus on the family with a motive to gain a complete understanding of antisocial behaviours. Since Children are watching and learning values from parents, grandparents and other elders in the family, it is for the parents and elders in the families to lead their children by example”.
Though family system of Kashmir was world over known for affection, harmony, and care giving but unfortunately people of Kashmir have lost love and respect for affection, harmony and care giving over the period of years. Unfortunately conscience of people in Kashmir has died down to the extent that even the occurrence and re-occurrence of heinous social crimes like killing of children by their own parents and busting of prostitution does not wake them up from deep slumber. Though individuals in modern society are influenced by many sources other than the family, but irrefutable fact is that family factors account for more variance in the rates of antisocial behaviour than any other single variable. So better for the people of Kashmir to focus on the family with a motive to gain a complete understanding of antisocial behaviours. Since Children are watching and learning values from parents, grandparents and other elders in the family, it is for the parents and elders in the families to lead their children by example .
