Monday, 8 Jul 2002

Walking the right path
- Today

Youths face a myriad of grow-ing-up issues, and they are not left alone to their troubles.

Today, young people facing problems in their lives need not even step out of their homes to seek help. With cyber-counselling programmes, such as 'Me to You' by Marine Parade Family Service Centre, our internet-savvy youths can share their problems with trained counsellors online. Such internet-based counselling programmes provide youths needing help with easy first-stop access to adult counsellors. They provide alternative avenues for troubled youths not comfortable seeing a counsellor face-to-face.

Other than cyber-counselling, our internet-surfing students are also educated on cyber-risks, through the CRUSH programme (Cyberspace Risks & where U Seek Help), conducted by TOUCH Community Services in schools.

Early school-leavers are also not left on their own. Whether they have lost interest in their studies, or have been compelled by circumstances to take up full-time jobs, these youths have some place to turn to for direction and guidance. Professional agencies such as Project Bridge and Project 180 run career guidance and skills development programmes, to support youths who do not have the school system to steer them in their lives.

These are just some of the measures initiated and coordinated by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime (IMYC), to keep youths from crime and rehabilitate juvenile offenders. Members of the IMYC include representatives from various government ministries and statuary bodies, with the National Youth Council as the secretariat. Since its formation in 1995, youth crime in Singapore has steadily declined, with the number of youths arrested dropping 29% from 3,466 in 1999 to 2,474 in 2001.

www.imyc.org.sg