The Anti-Kidnapping, Human Trafficking, Child Abuse and Drug Abuse Initiative has called on the Anambra government to take immediate action to rehabilitate children of juvenile offences.

AKH-TRACADA’s executive director, Belonwu Ezeanyaeche, made the call in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Ezeanyaeche, who was reacting to a trending video of nine children apprehended for various crimes in Anambra, attributed the children’s involvement in crime to a combination of factors.

The director said the children were arrested for various crimes like burglary, theft, drug abuse and robbery.

He noted that the factors that led to crimes committed include broken homes, lack of parental guidance, peer pressure, idleness, and drug abuse, among others.

He, however, lamented the trend of parents outsourcing discipline to institutions, such as schools and law enforcement agencies.

Mr Ezeanyaeche said a multi-faceted approach, which includes immediate rehabilitation and skill training to equip the children with vocational skills to break the cycle of crime, should be adopted

He stated that the state government, parents, and the community must work together to address the root causes of children’s involvement in crime.

Mr Ezeanyaeche added that no institution could replace a parent’s guidance, stressing that parents must take ownership of their role as first teachers.

He encouraged parents to participate in their children’s lives actively, teaching them values and discipline to shape their future.

(NAN)