Parents have been urged to spend more quality time with their children and pay closer attention to their emotional and psychological well-being as part of efforts to curb rising juvenile delinquency. 
The call was made by Ali M. Male, a practising mental health professional who provides specialised mental health and psychosocial support services, during his appearance on Salam TV's Omukeeze programme, hosted by Twaha Mukiibi. 
Male observed that many parents, particularly in middle-income households, spend limited time with their children, often assuming that schools provide everything necessary for their growth and development. 
He warned that a lack of parental attention, guidance and emotional support leaves children vulnerable to negative peer influence. 
According to Male, children who lack trusted relationships with their parents often turn to outsiders for emotional support and guidance, potentially exposing them to harmful behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, drug abuse and gambling. 
He explained that these behaviours can gradually develop into addiction and, in some cases, lead to criminal activities if the underlying emotional and psychological challenges are not addressed early. 
Male also raised concerns about how children who come into conflict with the law are handled, particularly in remand homes, where the emphasis is sometimes placed more on punishment than rehabilitation and psychosocial support. 
He noted that although some remand facilities have started incorporating psychosocial support into their rehabilitation programmes, more needs to be done to ensure children receive appropriate mental health care to facilitate their recovery and reintegration into society. 
He emphasised the importance of involving parents in psychosocial support sessions, saying their participation is essential in helping children overcome challenges that may have contributed to their behaviour. 
Male further warned that some juvenile offenders are influenced, manipulated and recruited by hardened criminals. 
He cautioned that placing young offenders in environments where they interact with experienced criminals without adequate rehabilitation could expose them to further criminal influences instead of helping them reform. 
He urged parents and guardians to ensure that children who engage in criminal activities are handled through appropriate juvenile justice and rehabilitation systems, including remand facilities, rather than being exposed to adult prisons. 
The mental health professional also cautioned parents against waiting until their children's mental health challenges become severe before seeking professional help, particularly when symptoms have progressed to conditions such as psychosis. 
He encouraged parents to establish open and honest communication with their children through regular one-on-one conversations to understand their difficulties and identify appropriate solutions before problems escalate. 
Male also called on government to conduct nationwide research to establish the number of juvenile offenders and assess how many are currently outside formal police and court processes. 
He said such research would help authorities understand the scale of juvenile delinquency, identify gaps in the justice and rehabilitation systems, and develop appropriate interventions. 
He stressed that preventing juvenile crime requires more than law enforcement and punishment, calling for stronger parental involvement, early mental health intervention, psychosocial support and effective rehabilitation programmes to give vulnerable children an opportunity to rebuild their lives.