UNHAPPY KIDS TURN TO SEX, DRUGS

Psychiatrist Lays Blame On Parents

Sex and drugs are being used by youngsters as tools to escape from distress
and troubles which have battered their lives, a child psychiatrist said
yesterday.

Dr Amporn Benjapolpitak, a psychiatrist at the Institute of Child and
Adolescent Mental Health, raised the issue at a seminar on the influence of
sex and drugs on children.

She explained that the two are becoming increasingly important to
youngsters today because of loneliness and lack of happiness.

"They need something to fulfill what has been missing from their lives, and
drugs and sex provide the easiest answers," said Dr Amporn.

While adults turn to drugs and sex for momentary happiness, children may
view them as a great relief for their sorrows, she said.

"Youngsters have sex in order to forget something they don't want to
remember, and they have drugs to make them smile, a smile that will cover
up the distress in their lives," said Dr Amporn.

She said parents' lack of understanding and consistency in taking care of
their children was mainly to blame.

Deputy Education Minister Sirikorn Maneerin also agreed that teenagers'
problems will be hard to solve if parents do not co-operate.

She cited her own experience from her daughter's teenage years.

"My daughter's problem was her beauty. She may be beautiful and bright, but
she is not street-wise," said Mrs Sirikorn. "When she was 12, she felt
embarrassed to let me take her hand when crossing the road. When she grew a
little older, she tried to make herself distinguished by wearing revealing
dresses."

"I had to use all my wisdom and patience in dealing with her, teaching her
that beauty does not last long. What will stay with her forever is her
knowledge and skills to work and live in harmony with others in society. It
took me three years to change her attitude and get her to understand how
much I loved and cared about her," she said. Besides parental care, schools
are second-most important in looking after the children. Mrs Sirikorn said
teachers should be close to their students in order to understand their
thoughts and feelings.

"Up until today, the ministry's anti-drug campaign has not succeeded
because many school administrators and teachers have refused to accept the
truth. They understand that having their schools named 'a white school' is
a proof of success, which is wrong," she said.

Supachai Sathirasilapin, of the Public Welfare Department, cited statistics
from an NGO which shows that there are around 400,000 unwanted pregnancies
each year.

Last year, the number rose to 500,000. After the enforcement of the
child-friendly Criminal Procedure Amendment Act two years ago, 24,000
criminal charges were brought against children, 13,000 of which involved
drug offences and 3,000 sex offences.