[EDITORIALS]Youth violence affects us all

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[EDITORIALS]Youth violence affects us all

It is shocking to learn that a teenager is the primary suspect in the deaths of two primary school children. Although violence by youths inside and outside of school campuses has long been a headache, the frequency of recent horrors is something adults need to address now.
If you need more proof that something is wrong, a video of a group of children harassing a student is being circulated via the Internet. According to a survey conducted by the Commission on Youth Protection of 14,600 primary, middle and high school students last year, some 26 percent said they had experienced ostracism.
One can imagine how bad it is when some students say that they fear being in their schools more than being on a deserted street at night.
Another example is three primary school students who were rescued after eight hours in a boiler room, where the temperature was higher than 40 degrees centigrade (104 Fahrenheit). They had been locked in by seniors, who forced them to strip and then bound them with packing tape.
Young people commit crimes by imitating criminals. Cruel cliques at schools, media showing excessive violence and an idolization of violence ruin our youths.
The reality is that a film on school violence is popular and violent Japanese cartoons have free access to our market. These things give students the wrong ideas about violence and crime.
If youthful bad behavior is left unchecked and as delinquents get younger and younger, the whole country will sooner or later become the den of crime.
The most agonizing part of the ordeal for the victims is that they cannot let their parents or teachers know the truth, out of fear of retaliation.
The prosecution, the police and school authorities must set up a system through which students can report crimes and violence inflicted upon them without worries about retaliation.
There should also be a program to help those who suffered mental or emotional harm before they turn violent themselves.
The responsibility of families is great. Parents should not teach ethics to their children only. What the parents do will be followed by their children.
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