'Counselling need collective efforts'

Nashik: Attempts made by the city police to prevent juveniles from taking to the wrong side of the law have seem to have borne no fruits.
Police have conducted counselling sessions of minor criminals, but concerted efforts need to be made to stops the youngsters going astray, say psychologists.
A senior police official said counselling sessions through psychologists have been conducted in Ambad, Panchavati and Upanagar area this year."The juveniles on police record for petty crimes and other offences have been counselled. Support for education has also been offered to address their problems," he said.
The official said it was also the duty of parents to be vigil about their children and their activities to ensure that they did not tread the wrong path.
Shital Patil, a city-based psychologist and lecturer in a private college, said the social background of such youngsters plays a role. "Disturbed family or negligence from parents often result into such behaviour. Teenagers are rebellious while they are growing towards adulthood and it is important that youngsters are heard about their problems and resolve them," she said.
Patil said attraction towards electronic gadgets and wrong influence of the media are other reasons for such incidents.
Another psychologist Sarita Pagare said it was the collective responsibility of parents, educational institution and relatives to groom the child at right stages.
"Effective communication at all times is the key to know and address the issues faced by child. Also, it is found that parents give up on unreasonable demands placed by their child which should be checked," she said.
Pagare further said that mere providing materialistic needs of the child does not solve the purpose, keeping check on activities, friend company, influence of other factors are also important.