Teenage Rebels

Kaiwen Leong

Description

You think the teenagers of today have it good? That their struggles are merely First World pains? Or only kids from broken families go bad? Think again. Negative influences are lurking at every corner and money can buy anything. For everything else, there is the Internet. Want friends? Join an online cult. Want drugs? Click and DIY. Want to forge? Learn how with web videos. Want porn? Upload your own. When such disturbing influences combine with an oppressive pressure to fit in, some teens stick to the straight path society has laid out, while others stray into dark alleys, only to be trapped, committing crimes or developing psychological problems that ruin them, leaving their futures in shambles. Through interviews, experience, and research, the authors expose stories of seemingly normal teens from average Singaporean families. Hear their voices and understand their mindsets. After all, beneath the rosy-cheeked exterior of that sweet child across the road lurks a possible future social psychopath.

Sujets

• Droit et juridique

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 05 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814516952
• Langue: English

Extrait

2014 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Photographs and cover image courtesy of Jocelyn Chuang
Design by Benson Tan
Published by Marshall Cavendish Editions
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National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Leong, Kaiwen, 1981-, author.
Teenage rebels : startling stories of cults, drugs and local youths / by Kaiwen Leong with Elaine Leong. - Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2014 pages cm
ISBN : 978-981-4516-47-1 (paperback) eISBN : 978 981 4516 95 2
1. Youth - Singapore. 2. Problem youth - Singapore. I. Title. II. Leong, Elaine, author.
HQ796
305.235095957 - dc23 OCN868031845

Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd

Contents
A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I NTRODUCTION
The Art of Pornography
Cult for Kids
Misery Mama
Husband Hunter
Schoolmates in Disguise
DIY Drugs
Kid CEO
A BOUT THE A UTHORS
A BOUT THE P HOTOGRAPHER
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, we would like to thank the individuals in these accounts, and their families, for sharing their journeys and perspectives. Without them, none of the stories would exist as accounts for future learning.
We thank Marshall Cavendish for the honour of working on this fourth title, and for their support since the publication of our first work, Singapore s Lost Son. It would be difficult to find a publisher as supportive as them.
We would like to thank Kenneth Shen for introducing us to Natalia, and subsequently, Natalia Shen, for the helpful conversations about youths-at-risk.
Our gratitude goes to Jocelyn Chuang for contributing the cover and text photos.
Disclaimer
This book is based on unedited interviews and information obtained from youths-at-risk, their families and friends.
These interviews do not represent the authors views in any way and have not been verified by the authors. The case studies are not related to any of the institutions that the authors, and those who are acknowledged, are affiliated with.
The photographs in the book are for artistic purposes only and are, in no way, related to the actual individuals.
Introduction
There are common misconceptions that four groups of people have today about teens and youths.
- Parents: They believe their children can do no wrong, and that the education system ensures they turn out the right way.
- Teachers: Many educators believe that youths misbehave to seek attention; and if they are bad, they are bad by nature and cannot be saved.
- Youths: They believe that their parents and teachers will not be able to understand them, and that they do not need to listen to anyone because they and wiser and smarter.
- The general public: The average person believes that problem kids are the ones who roam the streets and get involved in gang fights.
This book has been written to let these four groups of people know that their perceptions are wrong, especially the fourth group - the general public. Contrary to popular belief, the problem of youths involved in gang-related activities is not the major problem today. According to the Singapore Police Force website, their years of tackling youth crime by clamping down on gangs have seen the rates of these crimes dwindle.
Instead, a new wave of deviant activities have arisen - something we term intelligent crime .
INTELLIGENT CRIME - WHAT IS IT?
These are non-physical crimes committed behind the scenes. These leave little trace and are hard to detect. Most go unnoticed unless it leads to conventional crime; hence the number of reported intelligence crimes is actually an understatement. In some cases, parents took the fall for their children, hence preventing them from being officially classified as a youth-at-risk.
On a national level, an example of intelligence crime includes hacking into government websites. The Singaporean government websites suffered such attacks from an obscure international hacker group known only as Legion in 2013. On an individual level, these could be online credit card theft and email scams requesting for loans with large returns.
There are other more terrifying acts of intelligent crime, such as pedophiles pretending to be teens over the internet to lure innocent young girls. A well-publicised case in the United States saw a man persuade a young girl to send him nude pictures of herself, then used these pictures to blackmail her, driving her into depression and suicide.
Intelligent crimes may lead to physical crimes, such as assault, drugs, and rape, but the root of it all is in intelligent crime. To properly understand the rise in youth crime today, we must begin by examining how intelligent crime arises:
- How are youths exposed to such risks?
- Why do they succumb to such risks?
- How to detect the early warning signs?
- What prevention methods to employ?
- What to do if a child you know has taken steps down that crooked path?
These are precisely the type of questions we want readers to start thinking about. In the past, all we heard about were teen gangs. Today, youths-at-risk are doing things that few parents and teachers know or can detect.
Indeed, the parents today are vastly different from the generation of kids that have followed. The former grew up with paper newspapers and handwritten letters, while the latter are more comfortable with iPads and emails. It is understandable that many parents find it difficult to fully understand and guide their wards, and this is where this book aims to fill the gap. We show parents, educators and readers a new dimension in the hope that it will help reduce the number of youths-at-risk today.
FILLING THE GAP - REAL-LIFE CASE STUDIES
Instead of positing theories on today s youths-at-risk, we will present real-life case studies. Why? It is very difficult to make the leap and come to terms with the extent to which kids can descent into that category. But the truth is, (if you are a parent) there is an high chance that your youth already knows someone similar to the individuals in these case studies, or knows someone else who does.
The youths in these accounts are aged between thirteen to nineteen. Some of the accounts begin earlier to show how seemingly innocuous past experiences can have negative consequences later. Some go beyond that age to show just how far-reaching these consequences are. Names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of the people involved, but the stories remain as true to real life as can be.
We encountered these youths-at-risk through personal networks and motivational talks at schools. The story of the boy who joined an anti-religion gang, for example, was obtained when the boy approached one of us after a talk. He was frustrated that no one was willing to listen or believe him, and he turned to us in desperation. The story of the girl who was involved in an underground homemade drug syndicate was also obtained this way. In some cases, we were able to gain an incredible amount of detail because the parents and friends of the youths involved asked for our help. In our work, we have personally witnessed most of these journeys and are privy to their points-of-view.
WHY US?
You may be wondering why we were asked to help even without professional qualifications. We are not entirely sure, but it may be due to our sincerity and willingness to listen. We did not have much to say to the individuals involved, so we listened as they shared their stories. You will be surprised how far a listening ear goes when it comes to connecting with those who are troubled. Some parents felt that listeners with the will and the heart to help may produce better results than expensive professional treatments. Many youths were also more comfortable receiving help from a third party, a friend, rather than a professional who is a stranger.
At the same time, it is not definite that a professional qualification would help one to gain the insight needed. Seeing mental health professionals for emotional problems is often taboo in Asian societies. Despite needing medical help, the people involved see it as shameful. As such, they either do not see a professional or withhold a lot of information when they do go for appointments.
Instead, they seem to prefer engaging with people they trust and believe in. In one of our cases, the youth-at-risk involved was persuaded to see a psychiatrist after much effort and counselling. He had refused at first, adamant that there was nothing wrong with him and that treatment was only for the clinically insa