He's at Home with at-risk youth

SINGAPORE - He may not live in the same house now as his parents, but they work in the same type of homes - juvenile homes, that is.

Mr Ken How, 33, and his parents are youth guidance officers, whose job is to coach troubled young people in self-discipline, good habits and values.

The Hows are among 80 or so youth guidance officers at the two juvenile homes run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

Mr How and his father, 62, work at the Singapore Boys' Home; his mother, in her late 50s, at the Singapore Girls' Home.

"I heard stories from my parents during conversations over dinner, so I had some understanding of what the job is like," he told The Straits Times last week, during a media visit to the Singapore Girls' Home.

Youth guidance officers spend the most time with residents of these juvenile homes, more than teachers and youth case workers.

Mr How, who has an engineering diploma, said it was a remark by his father which led him to work at the Boys' Home two years ago.

Before that, he spent 10 years in the Singapore Armed Forces and had enforced discipline as a warrant officer.

"One day, my father said: 'Since you're dealing with difficult soldiers in the army, and you're quite good at it, why not consider joining the home and taking care of difficult youth?' "

His parents, who met in the police force, joined the juvenile homes after retiring. Mr How's younger sister is a secretary.

The Boys' Home has about 120 boys, mostly juvenile offenders.

But the younger Mr How takes care of boys said to be beyond parental control (BPC) or under care and protection orders (CPOs).

The orders are usually issued to those who are neglected, abused, or at risk of abuse.

However, he said, taking charge of non-offenders is not an easier task.

This is because juvenile offenders "accept their punishment" and usually keep a low profile.

"For BPC cases, their mindset is - 'I didn't do any crime. Why should I be in the home?'

"So every day, they curse and swear, curse and swear."

In turn, the CPO youths do not have a role model, so they "behave almost like a BPC case".

On a morning shift, from 7.30am to 3pm, Mr How does things such as conduct body checks to look for bruises from overnight fights or chat with the boys to get to know them better.

"You have to talk to them using their lingo, so that they'll open up to you," he said. He also urges them not to swear. And there are the daily conflicts.

Before a fight breaks out, the boys always quarrel, and that is when officers must intervene or it will be "too late".

"The boys will see where your 'line' (limit) is... When they know your line, once you stare at them like that, they'll back off," he said, stressing the point by tilting his head upwards.

"We are firm, but we are showing concern in a firm way," he said.

"The army teaches you to be firm and fair, so that's also helped me in my work."

His wife Claris Wang, 33, a secretary, wondered about his job at first: "I was a little apprehensive initially, but I believe his past work experience and interpersonal skills put him in good stead."

This article was published on April 21 in The Straits Times.

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