Al-Ghadouri to 'Al-Siyasa': Protecting juveniles is a shared responsibility... based on trust in them, not punishment
It emphasizes the need for integrated roles among the family, school, and society.
A sudden change in a juvenile’s behavior calls for understanding and follow-up, not accusation.
Online grooming may be the beginning of radicalization and criminal recruitment.
The juvenile’s family and school are the first line of defense against bullying and blackmail.
If your child comes to you with a problem, do not become their second problem… be the first to protect them.
Teach your children that not everyone who contacts them online is a friend.
“Al-Siyasa” is the media partner of the Ministry of Interior for “Juvenile Protection.”
Within the framework of the media partnership between the Ministry of Interior and “Al-Siyasa” newspaper, as part of the “Prevention and Safety” awareness campaign launched by the Ministry coinciding with the start of the 2026/2027 academic year, “Al-Siyasa” sheds light on the “Juvenile Protection” pillar, one of the campaign’s key components. This includes the most prominent issues and matters related to juveniles, the behaviors and risks they may face, and ways to avoid and prevent them.
This is achieved through a balanced awareness approach involving social specialists and security experts, contributing to the protection of children, strengthening community partnership, and instilling concepts of prevention and safety among students and parents. At the end of the period, the media impact of this pillar will be evaluated.
Brigadier General (Retired) Badr Al-Ghadouri, Head of Community Security and Research and Studies at the Retired Officers Association, affirmed that protecting juveniles is a shared responsibility requiring the integration of roles among the family, school, relevant authorities, and society. He stressed that dealing with juveniles should not begin from the perspective of error and punishment, but rather from protection, prevention, guidance, and correction.
In an interview with “Al-Siyasa” discussing the juvenile pillar within the “Prevention and Safety” campaign launched by the Ministry of Interior coinciding with the start of the 2026/2027 academic year, Al-Ghadouri stated that juvenile protection holds particular importance given the multiple sources of influence on students inside and outside school and in the digital space.
He explained that childhood and adolescence are among the most important stages in building personality and forming values and behaviors. Early detection of danger indicators and calm handling of them help protect the juvenile from problems whose effects may extend to their family and community. He noted that bullying, blackmail, online grooming, sudden changes in behavior, academic performance, and social relationships are among the most prominent issues requiring attention.
He emphasized that protecting children does not mean constant surveillance, but achieving a balance between follow-up and privacy, and building trust, so that the juvenile understands that seeking help and reporting danger is not a flaw or weakness, and that prevention begins before a problem occurs, not after. Below is the text of the interview:
Who is a juvenile under Kuwaiti law, and why is this stage of particular importance?
Under Kuwaiti Juvenile Law No. 111 of 2015, a juvenile is any person who has not reached the age of eighteen. This is a fundamental stage in building personality and forming values, attitudes, and behaviors.
Based on security experience in the field of juvenile protection, dealing with a juvenile should not begin from the perspective of error and punishment, but from protection, prevention, guidance, and correction, because protecting them at this stage may spare their family, community, and state institutions from greater problems in the future.
What are the most prominent risks and indicators that require attention among juveniles?
With the start of the academic year, the environment surrounding the juvenile changes. They move daily between home, school, means of transport, social media platforms, and friend groups, leading to a multiplication of sources of influence and risks.
Among the most prominent indicators are sudden changes in behavior, social withdrawal, unusual irritability, frequent absences, declining academic performance, changes in peer groups, sleep disturbances, fear of attending school, or sudden and excessive use of the phone. However, not every change should be interpreted as a problem or deviation; what is required is calm observation and understanding the cause, rather than passing judgment.
Behaviors
Which behaviors may appear minor at first but escalate if not addressed early?
These include repeated lying, truancy, associating with bad company, bullying, aggression, online misconduct, experimenting with smoking or harmful substances, and entering unsafe online relationships. The issue is not always the initial behavior itself, but its persistence without understanding the underlying causes or timely intervention.
Is a sudden change in behavior, relationships, or academic performance necessarily evidence of a problem?
Not necessarily. It may be linked to a developmental stage, academic or social pressures. However, if the change is clear, sudden, or prolonged, it is an indicator that warrants understanding and follow-up by the family and school. It could stem from bullying, blackmail, online grooming, peer pressure, family issues, the onset of risky behaviors such as substance use, or an experience the adolescent is afraid to disclose.
I tell parents: “Do not only ask your child, ‘What did you do?’ but also ask, ‘What happened to you?’ This question can open the door to dialogue and trust, whereas direct interrogation and accusation may close it and drive the adolescent into silence. Prevention begins with observation, then dialogue, and then timely intervention.”
Given the widespread use of phones and social media, how are adolescents exploited?
Online exploitation may begin with seemingly ordinary communication, followed by building trust and requesting personal information, photos, or private conversations, before escalating into pressure, threats, blackmail, or grooming.
The solution is not to frighten adolescents about the internet, as technology is part of their lives, but to teach them safe usage. We want an adolescent who says, “This behavior is unsafe; I will stop and seek help,” not one who fears informing their family because they expect punishment.
Blackmail and Bullying
How can families detect blackmail, bullying, or grooming before it escalates?
Close relationships and continuous observation are the first line of defense. Among the most prominent signs are: sudden fear of the phone or excessive attachment to it, unusual deletion of conversations, emotional reactions to notifications, social withdrawal, sleep disturbances, refusal to attend school, or fear of a specific person or account.
Moreover, online grooming is no longer limited to blackmail and bullying; it may extend to exploiting adolescents, influencing them ideologically, or recruiting them to carry out activities serving extremist groups or criminal entities. Recently, we have witnessed cases handled by security authorities who identified and apprehended those behind them, confirming that targeting may begin with what appears to be ordinary communication.
Therefore, attention must also be paid to ideological and behavioral changes, such as increased isolation, sudden adoption of extremist ideas, receiving instructions from unknown individuals, or concealing the nature of online relationships.
However, protection does not mean random searching or surveillance based on suspicion, but rather building a relationship of trust that makes parents the first refuge, and teaching children that not everyone they communicate with is a friend, and that seeking help is a form of protection, not weakness.
What mistakes might parents make when they discover a problem?
Among the most dangerous mistakes are shouting, threatening, and holding the minor fully responsible, especially if they are a victim. This includes spreading the issue among relatives and friends, sharing photos and chats, and making the minor feel accountable for what happened to them. I recall a case I encountered through professional experience, in which a minor told his father that he had been sexually assaulted at school. Instead of providing containment and protection, his father kicked him out of the home, forcing him to stay with a relative. Due to the psychological and social impacts and the pressures he faced, he later drifted into drug use, eventually becoming addicted.
This case underscores that a family’s reaction can either protect the minor or, if mishandled, complicate the problem and exacerbate its effects. The principle I emphasize is: first, stay calm; second, listen to your child; third, protect them; fourth, preserve evidence; and then, seek assistance from the competent authorities. In cases of sexual assault specifically, the minor needs protection, containment, and psychosocial support—not blame or punishment. It is essential to refer to the competent authorities and avoid attempting to handle the incident haphazardly or by publicizing it.
Most importantly, the minor must not feel that disclosing what happened to them was a mistake, as fear of telling the family may drive them to silence, allowing the problem to worsen. If your child comes to you with a problem, do not become the second problem they face; instead, be the first to protect them and stand by their side.
Protecting Children
How do we balance protecting our children with respecting their privacy?
Protection does not mean constant surveillance, and privacy does not mean leaving the minor without guidance. The balance depends on age, level of awareness, and the nature of the risks; young children require more close monitoring, while adolescents need greater privacy alongside clear rules and prior agreements with the family. Most importantly, monitoring should be based on trust and dialogue, not constant suspicion.
What role can schools play in early detection?
Schools may detect issues that families miss, as teachers monitor students’ behavior, interactions with peers, academic performance, and attendance. This highlights the importance of activating the roles of social workers and psychological counselors so that their work does not begin only after a problem occurs, but extends to ongoing follow-up, observation, and early assessment of cases showing indicators that warrant attention.
Trust should also be built among students, encouraging them to report and seek help from social workers, psychological counselors, or trusted teachers. Clear and confidential channels for reporting, referral, and follow-up must be established, along with enhanced communication between schools, families, and competent authorities to safeguard the minor’s privacy and dignity.
The goal is not to pass judgment on the student or treat them as a problem, but to understand what lies behind the behavior and identify the root cause. Early detection and reporting can prevent a minor issue from escalating into a major one and enable the student to become a partner in their own protection, knowing when they feel at risk, whom to turn to, and how to seek help.
What should we do when a minor hesitates to seek help for fear of punishment?
We must instill in them a clear message: “If you face a problem, tell us without hesitation and do not keep it hidden.” They must understand that reporting extortion, bullying, grooming, or any other danger is not a flaw or a sign of weakness.
Sometimes, in the initial moment, the minor needs less advice than they need an adult to say: “I am with you, and we will handle this together.”
What are the most common misconceptions about protecting minors, who bears responsibility for their protection, and why is it important to raise their awareness of their rights?
One of the most prevalent misconceptions is the belief that juvenile protection solely entails dealing with delinquent minors, whereas prevention encompasses all young people, as a minor may be a victim of a problem rather than its perpetrator. Moreover, strictness alone does not prevent errors; upbringing requires firmness, but it also demands dialogue, trust, and emotional support.
Protecting minors is a shared responsibility. The family plays the primary role, the school is a fundamental partner, and security agencies fulfill their roles in prevention, protection, and law enforcement. Meanwhile, the media contributes to public awareness, and society bears the responsibility of not ignoring behaviors that expose minors to danger. Consequently, the focus must shift from asking “Who is responsible?” to embracing the concept of “How do we cooperate?”
Furthermore, educating minors about their rights and the appropriate boundaries in interacting with others enhances their ability to protect themselves. This includes understanding their right to refuse any behavior that makes them uncomfortable, seeking help, and refusing to allow anyone to threaten, blackmail, or exploit them.
Online Grooming
How should families respond when a minor is exposed to danger? What are the most common forms of online grooming, and how should awareness-raising be tailored to the minor’s age?
Upon discovering that a minor is in danger, the family should begin by remaining calm and avoiding emotional reactions. They should then listen to the minor, giving them a full opportunity to speak, ensure their safety, and remove them from the source of danger. It is also crucial to preserve evidence before contacting the relevant authority, depending on the nature of the case.
Online grooming may extend beyond blackmail and bullying to include ideological influence on minors or their exploitation by extremist groups or criminal entities. This necessitates vigilance regarding behavioral and ideological changes, as well as the nature of online relationships with unknown individuals.
Conversely, awareness-raising efforts must be appropriate to the minor’s age and level of understanding. Children require stories, scenarios, illustrations, and simplified examples, while adolescents need realistic situations, discussions, dialogue, and decision-making training to strengthen their ability to protect themselves and respond appropriately when facing danger.
If a family discovers that their child is facing danger, what are the first steps?
The initial steps involve maintaining calm and avoiding emotional outbursts. The family should listen to the minor, allowing them a full opportunity to speak, ensure their safety, and remove them from the source of danger if possible. They must also preserve evidence, particularly in online cases, and refrain from deleting messages, accounts, or chats before seeking consultation. Subsequently, they should contact the relevant authority based on the nature of the case. Conversely, they must avoid threatening, beating, exposing, or publicizing details of the problem, as well as confronting the other party impulsively or holding the minor responsible for what they experienced.
What is your message to minors, families, schools, and society?
To minors, I say: Believe in yourself, respect your own boundaries and those of others, and do not allow anyone to exploit your fear or hesitation. If you encounter a situation that causes concern or feel it may put you in danger, do not wait for the problem to escalate; instead, proactively seek help from someone you trust.
To families: Get closer to your children, listen to them before judging them, and make dialogue with them a daily habit, so they feel that the family is their first refuge and source of security in any problem.
To schools: Monitor behavioral and academic changes, activate the roles of social workers and psychological counselors, and build bridges of trust with students to encourage them to report issues and seek help early.
As for society, it must recognize that protecting minors is a shared responsibility that does not fall solely on families, schools, or the Ministry of Interior, but requires the cooperation of all and the refusal to ignore any behavior that may expose them to danger.
True prevention begins before a problem occurs: with a family that listens, a school that observes, a minor who knows how to protect themselves and seek help, and an aware society that does not ignore signs of danger.
From this perspective, “Waqaya wa Aman” (Protection and Safety) is not merely a slogan tied to the start of the academic year, but a culture and behavior that must be sustained, with the aim of detecting danger early and preventing problems before they escalate.
Five Steps When Danger Is Detected
Al-Ghadouri outlined five essential steps families should follow upon discovering that their child is exposed to danger. These begin with maintaining calm and avoiding emotional reactions, then listening to the child and giving them a full opportunity to speak, ensuring their safety and removing them from the source of danger, preserving evidence, and finally contacting the relevant authority according to the nature of the case.
Online Grooming Extends Beyond Blackmail
Al-Ghadouri warned that online grooming may not be limited to blackmail and bullying, but can extend to ideological influence on minors or their exploitation by extremist groups or criminal entities. He emphasized the importance of paying attention to sudden behavioral and ideological changes, as well as the nature of online relationships the minor forms with unknown individuals.
Awareness Must Be Age-Appropriate
Al-Ghadouri stressed that awareness efforts must take into account the minor’s age and level of understanding. Young children require stories, scenarios, illustrations, and simplified examples, while adolescents need realistic situations, discussion and dialogue, and training in decision-making, all of which enhance their ability to protect themselves and respond appropriately when facing danger.
If Your Child Comes to You with a Problem… Do Not Become the Second Problem
Retired Major General Badr Al-Ghadouri emphasized that the family’s reaction when a minor discloses a problem can be a decisive factor in either protecting them or exacerbating their suffering. He underscored the necessity of remaining calm, listening, providing emotional containment, preserving evidence, and seeking help from the competent authorities, while avoiding shouting, threats, or holding the victim responsible for what they experienced.
