How are you today my young dear friends? Sure you are doing great. For those of you, who had your mid-term break last week sure you took time to rest. And for those, who are on mid-term break this week, sure you are doing splendid.
I am still on the topic of personal safety/self-protection from recruitment into terrorist groups. Today, I will continue with the profile of the children, who are likely to be recruited into terrorist groups:
1. Untrained senses: children/teenagers, working with their parents must have their senses trained to be able to decipher between good and evil. Where this is not done, the child/teenager lacks sound sense of judgment and standards of behaviour. He/she is simply gullible, believing that all that glitter is always gold and that life is a bed of roses. Such child/teenager does not have any screening capacity or standard of judgment. They become easy prey of peer pressure and drown by it.
2. Abandonment: many parents and guardians are too far from their children. They do not have any rich relationship with them. Therefore there is no communication. Where there is no communication, it means the parents are not their children’s confidants. Love to children means appreciation and attention. Once they are denied of both, they feel abandoned. When children are abandoned, it means, parents are not available and when they are not available as primary and secondary caregivers, they lose the edge of vigilance and sensitivity to find out things for ourselves by observing our children. When young people are faced with a situation where they are being wooed to do the wrong thing, they do not find us (Parents) AVAILABLE, FRIENDLY, VIGILANT, SENSITIVE and UNDERSTANDING enough to talk to. The absence of the parents diminishes their influence and renders them ineffective in the days when their children need them most.
3. Lack of control/supervision: many primary and secondary caregivers do not have family and institutional policies to regulate their children’s behavior and habits. I believe that every family or institution of learning today must have a clear policy on children and internet use, particularly as it relates to the use of social media. There are principles of control that must be in place to ensure that children partake of the huge benefits of the internet technology without getting lost in the process. The principle of control must address addiction and purposeless use of the internet and social media. Parents must identify and address positive and negative use of the social media and how to cultivate and reject same respectively. The truth of the matter is that many children go to the internet without control and defined purpose and plan. The saying is ever true that when you do not know where you are doing, every bus stop looks attractive.
I think I should stop here. We should wrap this discussion next week, sharing with you the steps you can take avoid being recruited. Please note that I am available on this platform to interact with you and answer your questions. Do have an INSPIRED week. Stay SMART!
Taiwo Akinlami is a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, foremost Child Protection Specialist, Consultant to UNICEF, governments, and other leading national and international organisations on Child Protection, Independent Legal and Social Regulatory Expert on Child’s Rights and Responsibilities Issues, Legal Enlightenment & Development Enthusiast, Researcher, Social Empowerment Advocate, Author, Blogger and an accredited facilitator of the British Council School Leadership Program. Website: www.taiwoakinlami.com│Blog: www.taiwoakinlami.wordpress.com│Twitter: @taiwoakinlami
