Single parenthood identified as cause of child delinquency

Kumasi, May 19, GNA - Reverend Sister Mary Akuoko, Secretary to the Catholic Archbishop of Kumasi, has attributed the high spate of child delinquency to single parenthood.

She explained that due to poor parental care and supervision, children brought up by sole parents mostly women, tended to be influenced by their peers and adopt deviant behaviours. Rev Sister Akuoko said this at a forum organised by the Amakom Saint Paul's Catholic Church for women on the theme: "Parents' role in the upbringing of children", in Kumasi on Thursday. She urged men who had broken up with women they had children with to take up their responsibilities and not leave the burden of training the children solely on the women.

The Rev Sister noted that since education of the child began from the home, parents were expected to set good examples for their children to emulate since children experiment whatever they saw at home later in life.

She advised parents to desist from exposing their children to violent scenes such as physical assaults or television and video shows, which were bloody while also admonishing them to reprimand their children whenever they went wrong.

Madam Dorothy Kyei, Headmistress of the Prince of Peace Secondary School, challenged parents not to sacrifice the proper upbringing of their children for wealth and money, adding, "a well-trained educated child is worth more than money".

Mrs Rosemond Ninkabs Mahama, a member of the Church, urged mothers to always pray for their recalcitrant children since that was the best way to bring children up.