Renowned child and family expert, Assoc Prof Adisak Plitponkarnpim, who serves as director of Mahidol University’s National Institute for Child and Family Department, recently offered his insights in the wake of a disturbing event. The incident under discussion is the shocking shooting at Siam Paragon, a popular mall in the bustling city of Bangkok. Tragically, two people lost their lives in the event, while five others sustained injuries.
Diving into the psychological aspects of such incidents, Adisak conjectured that the ruthless act by the teenager could potentially stem from two major causes. Firstly, it could be due to an inherent brain abnormality or secondly, the result of violent tendencies nurtured over time in certain environments.
Adisak explained that if the root cause of this violent outburst was the boy’s upbringing, then the blame could not solely rest on the family’s shoulders. This is because the societal environment also plays a significant role in shaping an individual’s behavior and can foster violent instincts.
The esteemed professor highlighted several catalysts that could be responsible for inciting violent tendencies – which include exposure to violent computer games, certain extremist websites, and other varieties of online media. These digital platforms, unfortunately, are quite accessible to the younger generation in Thailand.
Adisak, therefore, emphasized the need for government intervention in this matter. He suggested the implementation of an online media rating system that could help restrict children’s exposure to unsuitable content and limit their access.
He brought to light an alarming revelation – the police had discovered firearms at the boy’s residence. He suggested this might indicate that the boy had developed a morbid fascination for violence, possibly due to unrestrained access to violent content on online platforms.
The professor underscored the joint responsibility of parents, the government, and relevant government agencies in curbing such occurrences. The need of the hour is to monitor children’s behavior closely and construct regulations to control their exposure to harmful online media.
Adisak ended his discourse by addressing the prevalent loopholes in the legal system. Although there exists legislation related to the healthy development of preschool children in the country, execution leaves much to be desired. Therefore, he urged all relevant parties to reconsider the enforcement of these laws to ensure the holistic development of children in Thailand.
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