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- Dragged to the corner: experts have revealed the reasons for the increase in child crime
Dragged to the corner: experts have revealed the reasons for the increase in child crime
Interim police statistics indicate problems with juvenile delinquency. Minors have become more likely to commit crimes themselves, but more offenses are recorded against them. And although a significant part of the attacks on children occur online, there are still a lot of troubles and tragedies happening on the so-called accounts. These are random apartments where children arrange meetings, and often live for several days. Sexual violence, bullying, alcohol and drugs are the eternal companions of such gatherings. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Chronicle of childhood tragedies
Recently, the TFR data was released, stating a significant increase in crimes against life and health committed by adolescents — by almost 13%. The trend is also confirmed by police statistics. According to the Interior Ministry's report on the state of crime, 14.3 thousand minors were brought to criminal responsibility in the first eight months of this year, which is 6% more than in the same period last year. The TFR also reported an increase in the number of children who violated the Criminal Code but were not liable due to their age. And this is against the background of a general decrease in crime in the country by almost 5%. It is worth noting that statistics hardly reflect an objective picture of the criminogenic situation, given the latency of juvenile delinquency.
Children deprived of parental and pedagogical control can get into bad company on the food courts of shopping malls, as previously reported by Izvestia. Another danger is the so—called entries. Such youth gatherings gather in private apartments, country houses, and dachas. Police reports report daily on various incidents involving children in such places: beatings, rapes, and drug overdoses. One such story is the massacre committed by a 17—year-old boy in May in a rented country house near Baikal. A young man in a state of alcoholic intoxication stabbed four people because of a girl's refusal to have sex. He himself died in a fire he started after the murders.
How to get to the "flat"
"Admissions" can be open and closed, a source in the youth environment told Izvestia.
— Usually a group or channel is created in social networks, where communication takes place, — says the young man. — Most often, when it comes to a local company, for example, a parallel at school or college, the temporary departure of parents is used. But it happens that guys rent a flat for the weekend — that's where it's more dangerous. It's not easy to rent a daily apartment for a party. Someone of legal age is needed, and he arrives decently dressed for a meeting with the landlord. But now there are many contactless ways of settling in. We came across the fact that in the midst of a party, the owners came to the apartment and asked them to clean up.
The most cheeky parties take place in rented country houses that are rented for the weekend through a fake or parental account. Such "events" sometimes end with burnt-out real estate. According to the young interlocutor of Izvestia, some "entries" are required to enter with "nishtyaks". But girls, as a rule, are allowed in freely — just like in nightclubs.
— Alcohol is extracted by the older guys — those who are 18 years old. It is impossible to buy alcohol and cigarettes in online supermarkets, but it is quite possible in private shops. Especially outside the city.
Previously, invitations to parties, especially private ones, were passed from mouth to mouth, but now they are done using messengers. The favorites receive an invite, or an invitation link to the created group.
"Registration" in a rented apartment is a terrible dream of the owner. What children do on their own makes adults shudder. Traces of blood, as well as biological waste from human activity, are the most harmless consequences. In September 2023, an 11-year-old girl burned down her parents' apartment in Moscow.
According to a representative of the daily rental business, trained market players, even with remote check-in, control the situation regarding parties in their premises. For example, with the help of door sensors at the entrance / exit, with the help of neighbors. Even one party in a rented apartment can cause huge trouble to the owner: fines for violating silence, spoiled relations with tenants, furniture damage, and so on.
The owner of the "registration"
"Check-ins" are usually organized by company leaders to emphasize their superiority, or those who want to achieve such a status, says Elena Zamyshevskaya, a clinical psychologist and specialist in the field of adolescent deviant behavior.
— He demonstrates to the environment: "I decide who to admit to my account," says the psychologist. — Or, on the contrary, it is not the leader who is satisfied, but the one who wants to build communication links and interactions. And in an attempt to build this communication, he finds nothing better than to organize a "check—in" - this is communication, this is alcohol, and so on. He needs this to gain credibility.
At the same time, the guests are both close friends and outsiders who go to the party for the sake of social approval and easily become victims of bullying.
According to Zamyshevskaya, the digital environment is particularly dangerous. The organization of parties has moved to messengers, where open or closed groups are created. This creates a new phenomenon — "digital self harm", when teenagers themselves post compromising content with their participation (videos with alcohol consumption, inappropriate behavior, etc.), causing reputational harm to themselves. In the future, these materials can be used for blackmail.
Alcohol and drugs are another risk factor, which increases the risk of severe poisoning and unpredictable reactions.
A dangerous haven
Often, "check-ins" become a place for children who have run away from home to spend the night. Dmitry Vtorov, President of the Search for Missing Children Foundation and a member of the Public Council at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, shared several cases from practice.
— In order to survive on the street, especially in the cold autumn-winter period, children resort to "cramps". They find them through casual acquaintances in youth gatherings or purposefully search the Internet, where there are special groups on social networks and messengers. As a result, the child gets to a place where he can spend a night or several days.
Vtorov spoke about cases when adults posted ads offering separate accommodation for boys or girls.
— Indirectly, this may indicate possible criminal intentions, although there is no direct evidence of this. The children they found sometimes confided that there were places where they could get shelter and food for "affection" or sex. However, when giving official testimony, children usually shut up and refuse to talk about what happened, which makes it difficult to collect evidence to initiate criminal proceedings.
In the process of searching for 15-year-old Maria B., representatives of the foundation established that she met 41-year-old Vasily, who invited her to spend the night at his place, got drunk and committed sexual acts against her.
— In this case, the man was caught red—handed, there was direct evidence, and a criminal case was opened, - said Vtorov. — Unfortunately, this does not always happen.
They do not report the departure of children
According to him, in recent years there has been an increase in latent cases of child care, when the child is not at home, but the parents do not report to the police.
"This happens with systematic caregivers and due to the unwillingness of parents to come into conflict with the police and guardianship authorities, avoiding calls to the juvenile affairs commission and possible fines," Vtorov told Izvestia.
The main criminal article for combating "slips" is art. 232 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (on the organization of brothels).
— However, the issue of evidence base is acute here. It is problematic to collect it, especially in conditions of personnel shortage and shortage of police personnel, in particular district police officers.
The only sure way to protect children is to know the child's environment, be interested in which sites he visits, and be attentive to changes in his behavior, says Dmitry Vtorov.
— It is important to develop trusting relationships, show empathy, and delve into the child's problems. Only with our love and attention can we protect children from harm.
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