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Title: Increasing crime rates and drug abuse have become Bhutan’s major concern for its

youth. Identify and explain reasons why Bhutan is seeing this shift in youth behaviour.

The dramatic increase in the number of youths in prison in this country is a result of changes

in criminal acts that today’s youth are adopting. As his majesty has rightly said, “The future

of our nation depends on the worth, capabilities and motivation of today’s youth”. Eyeing at

the modern fashion in our realm, the juvenile crime is triggering more threat and fretfulness

to the social order. Bhutan is seeing an increasing number in the activity of youths related to

crime and drug abuse and this is mainly because of the reasons such as unemployment,

influence of western culture, unawareness of parents, and a bit corruption.

Culture and heritage must remain a source of inspiration to younger generations but Youths

of Bhutan are really into the influence of the western cultures. The 2006 report recognizes

that substance abuse is a youth-related problem and that students are the most vulnerable

group (kuensel, 2010, April29). These students do such kind of things only by the influence

of western cultures. Similarly according to the Bhutan narcotic control agency (BNCA)

indicate, of 817 arrests made between 1989-2005, the maximum (91%) were youth under 24

years and 56 percent of abusers were students (kuensel, 2010, April29). This is also because

of the reason that Bhutan is close to certain areas in Nepal and North-East India where

intravenous drug use is high. Because of this, Bhutan has had an increase in intravenous drug

use.

Although others say that parents must play a greater role in addressing the issue but many

parents do not seem to be aware. According to Bhutan narcotic control agency (BNCA),

increasing over dose (OD) deaths could be attributed to abusers mixing drugs with alcohol.

The frequency of delinquency is assumed to rise from the early to mid-adolescence and peak

at late adolescence or early adulthood when the young people experience feelings of self-rule
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from their parents and take risks on their own. “Adolescent have more time to socialize than

children because children are kept at home and are more closely monitored, and adolescents

have more time than adults, who are tied up with family, home, and career responsibilities”

(Robinson & Godbey, 1997, Lotz. R &Lee.L, 1999).

The problem that Bhutanese are facing at the moment in Bhutan is the mismatch between

supply and demand of the job. The degree of joblessness has not dropped from seven percent

as claimed by the incumbent government, according to Druk Chirwang Tshogpa (DCT) and

said that unemployment is the major contest faced by youth. She said that there are over a

thousand university graduate and “thousands of Class X and XII dropouts” without jobs. The

problems faced by youths could be minimized matching demands and supply of every entity.

The society should never fail in providing the preeminent guidance and facilities to our youth

and keep a close investigation to them not as delinquents but as lively yet delicate thoughts so

as to address the problems related to them. One more issue is that most of the people migrate

from rural to urban centres in search of employment and improved opportunities. With rising

unemployment, delinquency, such as petty crime and prostitution, is on the rise (Bhutan

foundation, (n.d., p.154). Minor problems are inevitable for a society that is undergoing swift

alterations every single fleeting day.

Corruption is a system that starts out good but somehow goes wrong. Corruption is very

harmful for a society and country. The first case of corruption in Bhutan was reported on

April 5, 2002. A man was charged with embezzlement. Four cases of white-collar crime and

violent crime were reported in April 2003. Most of Bhutanese found a good earning in doing

business of drugs and all. So this leads to the increase in crime rate and mostly the youths get

affected. It is found out that most of the people who are doing a drug business are the ones

who are responsible for stopping it.

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Growing participation of adolescents in a variety of criminal violations already specifies that

juvenile delinquency requires crucial consideration. It is indeed abominable for the general

civic to see the audacious adolescence commit various delinquencies such as battery,

stabbing, and robbery and gang fight, but if the people assess deeper into the cause, it might

be the unemployment which compels the youth to adopt incorrigible lifestyles. Therefore,

substance abuse, juvenile delinquency and unemployment require wider dimension for

discussion and critical understanding for its solution.

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References

Bhutan Foundation.Bhutan’s Population is Young. Retrieved from

http://www.bhutanfound.org/?p=154

Bhutan facing drugs with young youth problems.(2010, April 29).Kuenselonline.Retrieved

from /www.kuenselonline.com/

Dorji, L., Kinga, S. (2005).Youth in Bhutan: Education, Employment, Development.Retrieved

From http://mms.thlib.org/typescripts/0000/0313/1650.pdf

Tenzin,P.(2013, February 01).Prioritise youth issues: DCT. Bhutan Observer. Retrieved from

http://bhutanobserver.bt/135-bo-news-about-prioritise_youth_issues_dct.aspx

Voice of America.(2009, November 20).Bhutanese Youth face rising Unemployment as

Migrant Workforce Grows. Retrieved from

http://www.voanews.com/content/a-13-

2008-04-01-voa57/403369.html

Youth Related Problems in Bhutan. (2012). Retrieved from

http://leythro-

darlo.blogspot.com/2012/03/youth-related-problems-in-bhutan.html.
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