‘Violent crime rise worrisome’ – Tolerance evaporates

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 4: A majority of the people – Kuwaitis and expats – feel insecure the moment they leave the house because of the escalation of “street violence” and the high crime rate, which some have classified as a phenomenon, such as killings, stabbings, running over or street battles even for a simple reason such as ‘right of way’, reports Al-Rai daily. The strange question they ask is why violence has become the way of life for some for whom it makes no difference whether they live within the confines of their house or a prison; whether they live a free life or in shackles.

A number of academicians and behavior specialists, who the daily spoke to randomly feel the solution lies in monitoring, follow-up and preparing studies to measure the size of the problem within the society and compare it to other societies, especially societies that are “similar to ours in terms of customs and traditions, religion, economic and social conditions, lifestyle, etc., after which the finger can be placed on the wound and look for medicine.” They attributed the prevalence of violence to several reasons, such as the failure to inculcate the values of love in the hearts of the new generation, and the avoidance of morality and sportsmanship, in addition to poverty in social and sports clubs, which accommodate young people and devote their energy to games that fill their spare time, instead of loitering in the streets and shopping malls. The opinion poll concluded that there are 10 main reasons that must be addressed and 10 solutions that must be activated and put into practice.

Implementation
Professor of Public Law at the College of Law, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hamoud, said, “We have respectable laws, but we need to be strict in implementation. The increasing violence has reached the dangerous level and believes Kuwait has “respectable” laws in Kuwait that calls for severe punishment for assault and attempted murder, penalties for causing permanent disabilities or beatings that lead to disability and others, “but despite that there is a lack of awareness among a large group of young people, unfortunately, and the lack of awareness is accompanied by a feeling of indifference.” Attorney Bader Al-Husseini says the Kuwaiti society, like other societies, has become violent, “but we have noticed in the recent period an increase in crime rate, which is a dangerous phenomenon especially because most of them are young people and because of the “intermediaries” the matter ends with apparent reconciliation Professor of Psychology at Kuwait University, Dr. Owaid Al-Mashaan, explained there are many causes and factors that lead to the tendency to violence, noting that “violence is a phenomenon that exists in all countries of the world, but the need of the hour is to know what young people want and what their desires are that can help us solve the multifaceted and intertwined problem.”

For her part, Professor of Social Planning at Kuwait University, Dr. Siham Al-Qabandi, attributed the increasing frequency of violence at various levels to various causes saying psychological and social security pushes them to adopt violent methods. For one, she said, “The violence that we live these days is a natural product of the general situation and developments surrounding us from all sides, be it the wars, epidemics, diseases, or targeting humanity, thoughts, religion, work and your very livelihood through defensive or violent methods. Ten reasons cited for increased violence are — Covid-19 pandemic, replacing human communication with electronics, films, series and electronic games full of violence, disintegration of families and family problems, weakness of the family upbringing, lack of awareness and a feeling of indifference, attempt of some to empty what is within themselves on others, ineffective or unequal application of the law, drug abuse and the spread of highly dangerous industrial types and intolerance. The ten solutions to contain violence according to the behavioral experts are conducting studies to measure the size of the problem and applying its recommendations effectively, improving educational curricula, monitoring media, drama and games; paying attention to verbal and psychological violence, not just physical; preparing educational and awareness programs by civil society institutions; developing laws and strict application of them; activating the roles of the mosque, Diwaniya, clubs and universities; involving young people, listening to them, and understanding their problems and needs; giving young people a space of freedom; and society’s cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior.

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