Criminologist calls for strong parental and teacher supervision in schools amidst rising violence among students

Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware, a criminologist at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, is calling for better supervision of Senior High School (SHS) students. This comes after a recent shooting incident at Adventist Day Senior High School in Kumasi.

On April 4, a student was shot by a classmate who accidentally fired a weapon in class. Dr. Opoku-Ware believes this incident highlights issues with parental responsibility. He says many parents fail to guide their children, leading to identity struggles.

He noted that some students suffer from an identity crisis due to lack of support. “Many parents ignore their responsibilities in raising their kids,” he stated.

Dr. Opoku-Ware also pointed out that teachers have lost control over students at SHS. He claims this allows students to be influenced negatively by peers.

“Due to poor supervision, students feel they can do anything without consequences,” he said. This environment encourages them to seek identities through risky behaviors.

He explained that showing toughness often involves dangerous actions like brandishing guns at school. “This creates fear and gives them a certain identity,” he added.

During an interview on Luv FM, Dr. Opoku-Ware mentioned that many children know where their parents keep firearms. He stressed the importance of securing weapons properly.

“Parents often think hiding guns is enough,” he said. A study showed that 45% of kids knew where their parents hid guns, even if not told directly.

He highlighted that many homicides involve children accessing unsecured firearms. To prevent this, he recommends storing guns in locked boxes with fingerprint or face recognition access.

Additionally, Dr. Opoku-Ware advised separating firearms from ammunition in different containers for safety. He also suggested teachers conduct random searches to help reduce violence in schools.