PARENTS are calling on educators to do more on keeping tabs on students, especially boys, when they leave for home each day as this is when many youngsters often get involved in anti-social behavior. Young boys tend to get into fights, go joyriding, harass women, attack storekeepers, write graffiti and vandalize buildings on their way home from school. Some parents say this is also the time when youngsters end up in cafés where they smoke hubble-bubble (shisha), which often leads to smoking cigarettes and then drugs. “The majority of problems involving schoolboys usually occur when they leave school,” Sulaiman Al-Ahmed, a parent concerned about young people's behavior, told Al-Riyadh newspaper. “Parents and schools need to play an important role in creating awareness among students. Young boys need to realize that if they mix with the wrong company, then they will end up down a dangerous path,” he said. Al-Ahmed believes young people need to help themselves by realizing there is a problem with their behavior. “Parents must realize what a dangerous time home time actually is. Fathers need to be close to their sons during this time of the day, especially when they are at secondary school. They need to monitor them and that can easily be done through telephone calls or by driving pass the school gates time to time,” he added. Saleh Al-Yami, another parent, said teenage boys have a tendency to try new things, even though it might be harmful. “Some boys think home time is freedom to do whatever they want. As a result, secondary school boys tend to do things the consequences of which they often fail to realize,” he said, adding that these boys alone cannot be held responsible for their actions. Al-Yami said many of them have cars. “If they cannot themselves realize what might happen once they leave school then the problem will persist and will not be resolved. This is the time when they often drive around fast and harass local people,” he said. He further called on the authorities to find a solution to the problem. “They should raise awareness about this among the boys themselves via their teachers and families,” he said. Saad Al-Qahtani, principal of Amr Bin Al-Aas School in Abha, said pupils often vandalize teachers' cars at home time. “Teachers have a hard time, believe me. Some of us come out and find our car windows have been smashed. We find our cars scratched and tires slashed. Some of the students will break in and steal things inside. Then there is the joyriding, anti-social behavior and inappropriate gathering of youngsters,” he said. He added that teachers and parents are helpless and suffer as a result. He also said the problem is not new but an ongoing one. Ali Al-Zahrani, an education supervisor, said home time can be a problematic period of the day for teachers, policemen and parents. “The problem is because of the lack of concern of parents and school principals. It is the duty of the school to instill in students patriotism and a sense of belonging. If these qualities are not inculcated in a student, then he will come out on to the street and smash cars, shops and public property,” he said. “Awareness on these matters will lead young people to live better lives without anyone telling them to do so,” he added. Muhammad Al-Jirayyan, a family consultant, said an entire generation can be changed if this problem was to be addressed. “After coming out of school, some of these boys end up in malls and start harassing women, and attacking salesmen and shoppers. There are others who vandalize public places by breaking things or spraying graffiti. Others joyride and some end up in cafés smoking shisha,” he said. Al-Jirayyan called on parents to keep a close eye on their children and to deal with them appropriately by rewarding them if they behave well or penalizing them if they misbehave. Punishments may include denying them pocket money or stopping them from driving. “Parents have an important role to play. They should treat their sons like friends by speaking to them and pointing out risks and consequences,” he added.
