Protecting youth through the most powerful motivating and behaviour shaping concepts
Abid Ullah Jan
The most disappointing moments are the ones when we hear the news about homicide and gun violence and find out that both the perpetrators and victims are Muslim youth. Or when we visit Ottawa police service and almost all wanted people are Muslims.
These facts become even more disappointing when we come to know from credible research that religion and parental involvement plays a key role in shaping positive conduct of youth exposed to violence and crime.
Other studies have concluded that religion is a key protective factor in the severity of crimes committed by juveniles with sexually offending behaviour.
There is no denying the fact that faith factor does reduce deviance and cut crimes. However, no research has systematically investigated the positive impact of Islamic concepts on children and youth.
Anyone who understands the basics of Islam can tell that Islam has a much deeper positive influence on both those at risk of offending and those who have already crossed the boundaries in three domains identified by the US National Institute of Justice.
First Domain: “Organic Religion”
It is the place-based support that religions offer – a place where individuals can come to be exposed to worship and religious activities. Islam’s influence in this space is unmatched merely because of the obligation upon its believers to attend prayers in congregations five times a day and have a special Friday congregation on top of that. Setting up a prayer area at home is recommended if one can’t access a mosque. It is a common sight to see Muslims congregating in a part or shopping mass or on roadside to complete their five daily prayers.
The study by Michelle J. Pearce, Stephanie M. Jones conclude that ‘persons exposed to organic religion have a greater tendency to behave lawfully compared to persons who have had no exposure to institutional forms of religion.’ Imagine the influence of Islamic, obligatory practices and the associated motivational and reward systems attached to that.
All Muslim parents need to do is to become role models and engage their youth in true practice of the obligatory prayers with the concept clarity that this is to please their Lord – not their parents or for some worldly gains.
Second Domain: “Intentional Religion”
In this form of positive religious influence on offenders and potential offenders, persons of faith reach out to those engaged in problem and criminal behaviors to provide guidance and services enlightened and motivated by their religious faith. This is a religious obligation in Islam. One’s faith remains incomplete without offering the right advice and guidance to others in need. In Islam, the act of guiding others is not voluntary. It is obligatory. Imagine the impact of motivated (by faith) Muslims offering mentorship to fellow Muslims in need. Research finds such individuals “more motivated, persistent, and empathetic in dealing with those with criminogenic needs.”
The responsibility for Muslim parents doesn’t stop at home. They are obliged to guide and mentor other Muslim youth whenever and wherever they have an opportunity to do so – particularly when they find a vulnerable, at-risk youth at a wrong place with a wrong crowd.
Third Domain: “Ecological Religion”
It is the institutional presence of faith institutions in vulnerable communities and neighbourhoods and the services they offer. They focus on the needs of individual residents and the community as a whole, thus contributing to a positive social environment and quality of life in the community.
In Ottawa, for instance, we have more self-sustaining Muslim centres than the official community health and resource centres. They have their own building and where they offer social service programs. Since their organization don’t have to worry about rents and in some cases they have more than 10,000 square feet programing area available as well, they can offer better programming by partnering with the established social services sector. Acquiring program design and delivery skills from the social service partners, and developing/delivering specific content (according to the needs mentioned in domain 1 and 2) can take the effectiveness of these organization in crime prevention to a new unprecedented level.
All Muslim leaders need to do is to build bridges to the established social services sector and develop collaborative programs to engage at-risk youth.
Byron Johnson and Sung Joon Jang systematically reviewed 270 published studies in order to better understand the state of the literature examining the relationship between religion and crime. Their conclusion is: “..we propose criminologists look beyond biological, psychological and social dimensions and seriously consider the religious or spiritual dimensions” because “all human persons are, at bottom, believers…” and moral agents “motivated to act out and sustain moral order… clarifying what is right and wrong, good and bad, worth and unworthy, just and unjust.”
Content on PeaceQuest shows how the concepts of Islam can be used to help children and youth first understand the purpose of their life – that it is not to make millions and be rich. It is not to be famous. It is to please their creator by achieving human excellence.
This is followed by the understanding that our entity is both physical and spiritual. We have spiritual needs and we have a spiritual life that goes beyond our physical existence. This help them understand the need to be mindful of their words and deeds even if they are not policed, even if something that they do not violate the law of the land, but they have to be cognisant about what they do in the context of their purpose of life and pleasing Allah.
All these concepts brings a purpose to the prescribed worship (prayers, fasting, etc.) – those become tools for enriching their soul and serving the humanity – in the end achieving peace and tranquility for themselves.
Presenting the concept in the order with the details shown in the content at PeaceQuest influence youth to spend their time productively – engaged in structured, positive activities as responsible adults.
Based on experience, I can conclude that inculcating Islamic concepts reduces deviance under a wide range of conditions and for diverse populations of youth and young adults. From the perspective of protective factors, if used appropriately as outline in the content on PeaceQuest, social efficacy of Islamic concepts is undeniable. If some have misused religion, it doesn’t mean that we discard religious factor as an ally in repairing lives, saving children and resurrecting the civil society.