Marginalized, Sporn Pre-Teens Becum Loan Shark Runners!

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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=560><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=550 colSpan=2>Boy, 12, held for helping loan sharks <!-- TITLE : end--><!--
He is among four youngsters arrested for harassing debtors. -ST --></TD></TR><TR>

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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_subtitle align=left>Sat, Oct 10, 2009
The Straits Times </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width=400 align=right><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=right> </TD><TD height=15>

</TD><TD vAlign=top align=right><FORM method=post name=emailToFriendForm action=emailToFriend.jsp><INPUT value=/vgn-ext-templating/asiaone/emailToFriend.jsp?vgnextoid=87f358f55db34210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=6c2523b606d2a110VgnVCM100000bd0a0a0aRCRD type=hidden name=emailToFriendPageURL> <INPUT value=http://www.asiaone.com/News/the%2BStraits%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20091010-172853.html type=hidden name=emailToFriendStoryLink> </FORM><SCRIPT> function openEmailA1AdminWindow(emailToFriendForm) { var emailToFriendPageURL = emailToFriendForm.emailToFriendPageURL.value; emailToFriendForm.action = emailToFriendPageURL; emailToFriendForm.target="_blank"; emailToFriendForm.submit(); } </SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><!-- Story Without Image / With eXtra Large Image End --><TR><TD class=bodytext_10pt colSpan=3><!-- CONTENT : start -->FOUR youngsters, one of them just 12 years old, have been arrested by the police in the past week for harassing people who owe money to loan sharks.
The 12-year-old is one of the youngest caught for such illegal activities in recent years.
The trend of teenagers getting involved in loan shark activities in the last year or so is worrying the authorities, with the matter being raised in Parliament in August.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_subtitle align=left>Wed, Aug 26, 2009
The New Paper </TD></TR><TR><TD height=15>

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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=right><FORM method=post name=emailToFriendForm action=emailToFriend.jsp><INPUT value=/vgn-ext-templating/asiaone/emailToFriend.jsp?vgnextoid=baff763f6d053210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=2f695ef5d34d4110VgnVCM100000bd0a0a0aRCRD type=hidden name=emailToFriendPageURL> <INPUT value=http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090825-163347.html type=hidden name=emailToFriendStoryLink> </FORM><SCRIPT> function openEmailA1AdminWindow(emailToFriendForm) { var emailToFriendPageURL = emailToFriendForm.emailToFriendPageURL.value; emailToFriendForm.action = emailToFriendPageURL; emailToFriendForm.target="_blank"; emailToFriendForm.submit(); } </SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><!-- TITLE : start -->Their misery = teen's fun <!-- TITLE : end--></TD><TR><TD height=15 colSpan=3>

</TD></TR><!-- Story With Image End --><TR><TD class=bodytext_10pt colSpan=3><!-- CONTENT : start -->HE WORKED for a loan shark because he wanted to have some 'fun' and make money.
Tommy (not his real name) got involved in loan shark running two years ago, when he was 16.
He was still in school, but his grades had never been 'fantastic'. His friends, who were members of a gang, persuaded him to join them.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=300 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="/static/ads/scripts/adsimu.js"></SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Tommy was recruited to throw paint at debtor's homes, and draw on the surrounding walls.
Said Ms Joyce Chan, youth director of Teen Challenge and Tommy's counsellor: 'He tagged along with them and found it fun. That, coupled with the fact that it came with money.'
Ms Chan said that he never got violent with the debtors.
<TABLE width=120 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD class=bodytext width="100%">Related link:
» Just 15, but she's a loanshark's 'runner'
» Loanshark runners getting younger</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>She added: 'Innocently, he tagged along and had 'fun' until he was caught by his parents a few months later.'
His parents found him to be beyond their control, and had 'tracked' down his activities.
'Parents can be resourceful people,' said Ms Chan with a chuckle.
'They found out that he was involved in 'different' things.'
She declined to elaborate what the 'different' things were, but said that they were aspects of delinquent behaviour.
This included working as a loan shark runner.
Tommy's parents confronted him, and he confessed.
They then sent him for counselling at Teen Challenge.
Said Ms Chan: 'He knew it was an offence, but it just didn't hit him hard when he was doing it.
'It just sounded like a good deal to him. There was fun and money.'
Fortunately for him, he stopped before he got caught by the police. Others were not as lucky.
Ms Chan said that it is a common misconception that delinquent youths come from a broken family.
She said: 'Tommy did not come from a broken home. Both parents were working and he isn't the only child.
'The youths in some of the cases I've handled are pretty close to their parents. It's just that they don't share certain things with their parents.
'Most of the time, when the parents find out, they are shocked.'
Tommy's case is similar to many other youths (aged 19 and below) who have turned to becoming loan shark runners.
Senior Minister of State (Law and Home Affairs) Ho Peng Kee told Parliament last Tuesday: 'Youth involvement in loan shark-related crimes is on the rise.'
He added that 81 youths were arrested from January to June this year, compared to 21 youths in the same period last year.
Since then, at least 13 more youths have been arrested for such offences.
The youngest who was arrested this year was only12.
Bored
Said Prof Ho: 'Most were impressionable youths, lured by the temptation to make a quick buck. Many were referred to work for loan sharks by their friends.'
Ms Chan said the five teenage boys she saw for similar problems in recent years, were mostly 15 or 16.
She said: 'When they come to us, they come with delinquency problems. They can be beyond parental control, have a history of theft, and some are maybe gambling or gaming addicts.
'Most go into it because they need the money.
'Some are bored and do it because they want things to do.'
The young runners never knew who the syndicate leader was. They only knew the people they worked with.
Said Ms Chan: 'It's very common to be recruited by friends, from school or outside. They get recruited at arcades, malls, or any place where youths hangout.
'Some of them would know the 'links' or someone working for the loan sharks would approach them and ask them if they are interested.
'They do things like scaring people, drawing on walls, splashing paint, and get paid a few hundred dollars each time.'
So how tough is it to call it quits once a youth has started working for a loan shark?
In Parliament, Prof Ho said that some of these young runners were exploited and recruited when they borrowed from loan sharks.
Ms Chan said that the loan sharks do not prevent the youths from quitting, because both are 'willing parties'.
She added: 'It's not difficult to come out of it, with counselling and strong support from the family.
'They need to know that the impact can be great, and understand the consequences.'
A police spokesman said that parents, family members and teachers can play a part in preventing youths from being recruited by loan shark syndicates by paying attention to the activities of their children, and also being aware of the company they keep.
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