These are unusual times and parents and society in general must rethink child upbringing.
Social media and modern technology have come with their pros and cons, altering thereby the dynamics of child upbringing. The quality of the outcome of this upbringing will be dependent upon the seriousness put into it.
Child upbringing is an onerous responsibility which parents shirk to the detriment of not only the child but society in general. Miscreants, in some cases, can be traceable to poor parental upbringing. Irresponsible management of the child has a devastating outcome for which, in some instances, parents must be held responsible.
The foregone is aggravated with the prevalence of human predators who are so devious they would go to all lengths to satisfy their lustful and monetary craves.
With the trend of growth spurts presenting very young persons as mature adults, these irresponsible persons pounce on them using assortment of trickeries.
It behooves parents to observe their growing kids to identify untoward developments in their lives so immediate correctional interventions can be employed before it is too late.
A couple of days ago, the Ghana Police Service held a press conference to announce the arrest of a man who presented himself as a pastor. The suspect is alleged to have engaged in sexual predatory activities with a minor, the video thereof suspected to have been circulated for monetary purposes.
It is a story which can break the heart of parents, especially as they imagine that this can befall their own children too.
The tendency to send children to charlatans who profess to be spiritualists with the powers to rid persons of demons is something which poses questions in this day and age. While we do not intend to delve into the propriety of demons and exorcism, the subject being beyond us, we can state however that there are more charlatans than persons with the ability to deal with such esoteric matters. The need therefore to watch before leaping when suspected unusual behaviour is noticed in children is necessary. The victim was reportedly taken to the ‘pastor’ to, as it were, exorcise her, the outcome is what the law enforcement personnel are dealing with.
Children as gifts of God and foundations for society’s future should therefore not be exposed to human predators who are prowling the country using social media and technology to prop their nefarious enterprise.
Those who find themselves in the net of the law enforcement for their alleged engagement in such behaviour must be taken through due process and, when found culpable, dealt with according to the law.
This latest victim, whose details we are unable to provide because of ethical reasons, has been failed by her parents who in the first place took her to the so-called exorcist. We say bravo to the teacher whose swift response brought the matter to light and to attract the attention it is receiving now. We shudder to think that there are many other human predators ready to pounce on innocent and vulnerable minors.