Photo: Courtesy
The gang culture among teenagers is becoming increasingly alarming day by day across the country. This culture is intertwined with conflicts among senior and junior students in schools and colleges, expansionist mentalities, drug abuse, violence against women, and even tendencies towards crime and murder. Apart from these, they engage in criminal activities to gain popularity through social media, including platforms like TikTok.
In January 2017, a murder took place in Uttara involving a dispute between Disco Boys and Nine Star Group, leading to the death of Adnan Kabir, a ninth-grade student of Trust School and College. This incident brought attention to the issue of teenage gangs. In May 2015, a stabbing incident in the seventh sector of Uttara resulted in the murder of Anik, a tenth-grade student of Milestone School and College. Similar incidents are on the rise in various districts and cities, portraying the terrifying picture of teenage gang culture and their organized criminal activities.
According to the Crime Analysis Division of the police, in the last few years, at least 50 teenage gang groups have been identified in Dhaka alone. The members of these groups are typically between the ages of 14 and 18, and their numbers are increasing. Teenagers in different districts and cities are also getting involved in various criminal activities related to gangs.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, there are around four crore children aged between five and seventeen in the country. Among them, one crore thirty lakh children are engaged in hazardous work. Due to various factors like poverty, lack of education, parental negligence, and the presence of criminals within families, most of these children are getting involved in different types of criminal activities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has revealed that, according to the statistics of 2016, 44% of street children were involved in drug trafficking, 35% in pickpocketing, 12% in snatching, 11% in human trafficking, and 21% in other crimes. According to the Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum, children aged 12 to 17 in 2015 were arrested for carrying firearms, murder, drug trafficking, robbery, theft, political violence, and sexual harassment. Despite admitting that they are involved in crimes, about 80% of these children claim that they are involved due to various problems.
Why are teenage gang groups formed, and why have they become so alarming? According to experts, teenagers are more inclined towards adventure and heroism during adolescence. The environment of growing up encourages them to become criminals. Instead of moving towards constructive discussions during adolescence, they tend to lean towards revolutionary talks. When they see that those who commit crimes are gaining more benefits in society, teenagers tend to follow suit. They lack family and social control, and there is a prevalence of various inconsistencies in our society.
Not only are friends influencing teenagers towards the world of crime, but the disparity within society is also pushing vulnerable children towards the world of criminals. There is a considerable difference present in our society. Although friends may be leading some teenagers towards the world of crime, others are being drawn into this world due to the lack of food and shelter for underprivileged children.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in 2008, conducted research to find the average age of child offenders. According to that research, the average age of children involved in crimes is 14.9 years. Mostly due to the economic shortcomings of the family, lack of education, absence of governance, parental indifference, and the presence of criminals within the family or their involvement in crime, children are pushed towards danger.
In most cases, the family itself lacks ethical and human values. In the absence of family and social control, children are drawn towards criminal activities. There is a lot of inconsistency present in various aspects of our society. We are moving away from our own culture, and the behavior of many teenagers is changing. Online social media, along with various foreign cultures, is influencing their behavior as well. Apart from that, the use of teenagers for political purposes is creating an opportunity for the growth of gang culture among them.
In the past year, in Uttara, about 70-80 teenagers, under the name 'Apu Vai,' blocked a road to create TikTok videos. When a person named Robin tried to pass with a car, Apu Vai and his group physically assaulted him, resulting in severe injuries to his head.
The issue of teenage gang culture and teenage crime has become the most significant social problem in current times. Therefore, to solve this problem, there is an urgent need for a unanimous social movement. Families need to be more aware because family is the fundamental organization and foundation of social life. Families and educational institutions also need to play a proactive role in instilling ethical and human values in teenagers.
Counseling facilities and rehabilitation centers in sufficient quantities need to be available for the improvement of teenagers. It is essential to keep teenagers engaged in positive social activities. Hence, a long-term plan for society and the country is necessary right now. If we want a healthy and normal development of the coming generation and the formation of a crime-free and healthy society, everyone needs to be actively involved in this matter. Adolescence is the most valuable part of life – the chapter of dreams, possibilities, initiatives, and organization. Therefore, the most crucial aspect of society is the youth community. They are the new sun, the dream, and the possibility of society. The decline and decay of this sun into darkness and destruction mean the future of society is plunging into darkness. Therefore, it is essential to bring them back. from the path of decline.
The Writer is a Columnist
Messenger/Sun Yath
