There's a violent streak in many children

Conducted by the Office of National Economic and Social Development Board, the study found that more than 30 per cent of the children aged three years and above had a violent streak.

"These children have no compassion for animals," Prof Dr Sakorn Dhanamitta said yesterday, expressing concern that these youngsters will grow up to be troublemakers. She is a senior adviser at the Mahidol University's Institute of Nutrition.

"The findings are very alarming," she said.

Sakorn said the survey reflected flaws in the emotional development of these children, which might stem from the fact that they had not been given proper love and care by their parents or caretakers during their formative years.

"Children start showing their violent side by the age of three," Sakorn said.

"Even a sevenmonthold foetus can absorb love and warmth from their parents. If parents want to instil morality in them, they need to embrace them, show them kindness and have friendly chats with them from the time it is just a foetus until it turns six. It is at this age that children absorb the idea of love and kindness, which helps them grow into wellrounded adults," she advised.

"Never think that very young children don't understand in kindness, because waiting to teach them until they are in primary school might be leaving things too late. If they don't understand love and morality right from the start, it will become impossible to change them," Sakorn added.

According to her, young children should be encouraged to play in natural surroundings.

"Children will be more attentive to lessons in natural surroundings, which will help boost their intelligence, emotional and moral quotients," Sakorn added.

She also said that toys made from natural products were much better than the more expensive plastic versions.

"It costs very little to raise children along the lines of brainbased learning [BBL]. Even late Princess Mother used these methods when raising her children, including His Majesty the King."

The Education Ministry is implementing this learning method in state schools, but implementing BBL before school is up to the parents. Sakorn believes the government should make the issue a national one, adding that Mahidol University was thinking about establishing a learning centre where parents are given proper advice on how to raise their children.