- Headline: "The Causes and Remedies for Escalating Youth Crime: Expert Discussion"
- Source: Kyunghyang Shinmun
- Date of Publication: March 20, 1975
- Summary:
The deteriorating moral fabric of society has left our youth in a state of confusion, and incidents of juvenile delinquency and crime are on the rise. To address this pressing issue and explore solutions for fostering healthy development in adolescents, Professor Eung-Yeon Hwang (Education Department, Ewha Womans University) and Dr. Jae-Ho Seok (Head of Neuropsychiatry, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital) offered their perspectives on possible solutions.
Hwang: While the rise in youth crime is a global phenomenon, in Korea, runaway girls flocking to Seoul and those employed in factories present particular challenges. The emergence of young unwed mothers due to moral laxity is alarming and a cause for societal concern.
Seok: Adolescence is marked by intense physiological changes that awaken dormant sexual impulses, making self-restraint difficult. Without adequate supervision and care, adolescents are at risk of becoming delinquents. I believe family factors outweigh societal influences in shaping youth behavior. For instance, children who lose their mothers before the age of 10 are more prone to developing mental illnesses.
Hwang: Many problem children are raised by maids rather than parents, leaving them starved for love and emotional support.
Seok: A healthy family is the cornerstone of a healthy society. Even in affluent households with ideal environments, children may develop issues such as stuttering, which upon investigation often stem from a lack of parental affection. Parental love is the most powerful weapon in preventing youth crime and delinquency. This is a typical article that, rooted in the middle-class nuclear family ideology emphasizing a healthy home and maternal love, attributes unwed pregnancy to the failings of women and equates premarital sexual activity with sexual immorality and criminality. CLICK the article below to view the original scanned article as it appeared in print, complete with text and images, on the Naver News Library, which archives Korean newspapers from the 1920s to the 1990s. For easier reading, click “텍스트 보기” (View text) in the top right corner to open a text-only window.
Note: Articles are in Korean, and English translations are not provided in the library.  The English summary and translation of this article is provided by UMI4AA.
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