ASSIGNMENT 2

FIK 3042 ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION 2

ERADICATING SOCIAL ILLS AMONGST TEENAGERS

GROUP: EL-AO4

Prepared by
NAME
Kasthuri Bai A/P Thangarajah

ID NUMBER
D20111049818

TELEPHONE NUMBER
013-9801264

Lecturer : Dr.Lajiman bin Janoory

Dateline :6th November 2011

ERADICATING SOCIAL ILLS AMONGST TEENAGERS.

Nowadays, the social ills amongst teenagers are so rampant that they are posing a great
problem in the society .Before we go further , let us see what are actually these social ills among
the teenagers.There are many types of social ills that are affecting our teenagers at an alarming
rate.
Some of them are addiction to drugs , smoking,gangsterism,vandalism,bullying,illegal
racing and many more.Everyday we hear and see the effects of these social ills in the form of
suicide,accidents,rapes,snatch thieves and brutal crimes.The effects of these social ills amongst
teenagers are affecting the nation badly and causing great setbacks in the country. The spreading
of social ills have to be stopped immediately to save our youngsters who are the future
generation.How are we going to eradicate these social ills if we do not know the root causes of
these problems Therefore,before we find ways to eradicate the social ills amongst our teenagers,
let us also dwell in the root causes of why the youngsters of nowadays fall an easy prey to the
negative elements awaiting them.
These causes can be categorized into several factors,mainly due to family crisis and
external factors such as the influence of friends and environment.Living in this materialistic
world can be very challenging to even adults,so what more to say for a teenager who is still
struggling between adulthood and childhood.The need for good guidance ,counceling and
parental love is essential to these youngsters.Whom should they turn to if the circumstances
arise?Can they turn to their parents? Yes, under normal circumstances ,parents should be the
childs number one counsellor but,is this the case in most childs life?In fact the parents are the
last to know about their childs problem,which is a pity!
This is because nowadays,mostly both parents are working and are too busy chasing their
own goals, that they fail to see what their children are undergoing.Usually these parents leave
their children to fend for themselves or in the care of a babysitter who most of the time doesnt
put her heart into the responsibility given .The outcome is , the child feels neglected and
deprived of parental love.

Another reason is when a child comes from a broken family,the frustration and anger is
taken upon the poor child.As a result a child grows up to be insecure and lacking in
direction.Hence falling an easy prey to the awaiting threats outside.Children are also stressed
when parents are not understanding and pressure them to study something which is not of their
interest .Parents who subject their own desires and ambitions on their children can cause a lot of
unnecessary pressure on them.
Peer pressure and the need to proof oneself in order to be accepted is also another factor
why the teenagers so easily succumb to the social ills around them.Constant innovation and
development also provide boundless network which promotes extreme socialisation among our
teenagers.Hence the exposure to all the unwanted elements in the society! Teenagers who do not
know how to cope with stress, resort to these unwelcome means of escapism.
We have seen some of the main reasons of why the social ills are spreading like an
epidemic amongst our teenagers. What can we do to help them or to curb these social ills?There
are a few very important things that can be done to nip the bud from the beginning itself.
Firstly,the role of a family is very important .Parents who are responsible,who allocate enough
quality time with their children can be a source of confidence for their children.Children will be
able to rely on their parents for any advice and grow up to be a confident and secured
person.These children often will not fall prey to the social ills as they are able to differentiate
between good and bad and have no need for any form of escapism as they get enough love from
their parents.
Parents also must make sure that their children do not lack of religious knowledge.As we
know, all religion wants its followers to be a good human and abide by the rules. So if a child is
given enough religious education and is taught to respect the humankind then,the chances of him
or her resorting to violence is slim.
Too much freedom and too much money given to teenagers will only mean
trouble.Therefore parents should act wisely and explain to their youngsters why sometimes they
cannot have whatever they want and why they must always obtain their parents permission
before going out.Parents should always be aware of their childs whereabouts but at the same
time should not also be too strict and practice veto power at home.They should be able to

compromise,understand and respect their childs feelings too.Maintaining a healthy relationship

with children is an important measure in reducing these social ills amongst teenagers.Otherwise
most teenagers will choose to rebel against their parents and try to prove to everyone that they
are in control of their lives
Besides the role of family ,the role of teachers and counsellors in schools is also very
important in preventing social ills amongst teenagers.A teacher must always be sensitive to a
childs problem .A teacher must be able to gain a childs trust in order for the child to confide in
her or him.A teacher must make it her responsibility to solve a childs problem and not be
someone who simply wants to teach but is not much bothered about the childs affair.Teachers
can help a lot to curb these social ills if they play their role kindly and caringly. They should
notice things and try to help the youngsters by sending them to a counsellor or by counselling
them themselves.While teaching in class , a teacher must always stress on the moral values and
teach their students to avoid falling prey to bad influences.
The education department and the mass media must always remind these teenagers to
avoid doing all these illegal activities and the repercussions should anything unpleasant
happen.The enforcement agencies can be invited to give talks and show slides of what is
happening and how bad it can turn into,to create awareness amongst teenagers.
A lot of opportunities must be created to allow teenagers to involve themselves in
activities such as outdoor games,indoor games,dancing and drawing classes,photography clubs
and some social services that will divert the attention of these teenagers .The teenagers will not
only be occupied but will also benefit from these extra activities.This healthy activities can be
organised by the residential commitees or by the ketua kampung.Healthy competition with
lucrative prizes can be held to attract these teenagers.The State government and the district office
can help with these measures.Money used to cure the victims of the social ills in the form of
rehabilitation centres and their medication can be put into a more healthy usage such as the
above mentioned activities.
After all one must agree that Prevention is better than CureAs a conclusion , everybody has to
play an important role in eradicating social ills amongst teenagers .Eventhough these problems

seem difficult to solve but as an Ethopian proverb says, When the spider webs unite,you can tie
up a lion.

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