Intsha Enkathini Yezingcindezi

◼ E-United States, umfundi oneminyaka engu-15 ubudala udubula izingane afunda nazo, abulale ezimbili futhi alimaze ezingu-13.

◼ ERussia, iqembu lentsha edakiwe libulala ngesihluku intombazane eneminyaka engu-9 bese lishaya uyise nomzala wayo.

◼ EBrithani, umfana oneminyaka engu-17 ushaya omunye umfana abese emgwaza. “Ekuqaleni bengingahlosile ukumbulala,” kusho lo mfana emaphoyiseni, “kodwa kuthe lapho ngibona igazi ngavele ngavukwa usinga.”

IZENZAKALO ezihlasimulisayo njengalezi zivame kakhulu. Azikwazi ukunganakwa zibhekwe njengezinto ezithuke zenzeka. Isihloko esithile kwethi Professional School Counseling sithi: “Ubudlova bentsha buyinkinga eyinhloko emphakathini wethu.” Izibalo ziyayisekela le nkulumo.

I-U.S. National Center for Education Statistics iphawula ukuthi nakuba imibiko yobudlova basesikoleni iye yehla ngezinga elithile e-United States, “abafundi abaneminyaka engu-12 kuya kwengu-18 ngo-2001 bantshontshelwa okuthile esikoleni noma bagetshengwa kodwa bangabulawa ezehlakalweni ezingaba izigidi ezimbili.” Kanti nemibiko yezingane eziqinela ezinye esikoleni iye yanda.

Kodwa akubona bodwa abafundi abayizisulu zalobu budlova bentsha e-United States. Lo mthombo ofanayo uyabika: “Eminyakeni emihlanu kusukela ngo-1997 kuya ku-2001, othisha abangaba izigidi ezingu-1,3 bagetshengwa esikoleni kodwa bangabulawa, kuhlanganise nabantshontshelwa abangu-817 000 kanye nabahlaselwa ngobudlova abangu-473 000. Ngaphezu kwalokho, “amaphesenti angu-9 abo bonke othisha basezikoleni zabaqalayo nabasezikoleni eziphakeme asongelwa abafundi bethi bazobalimaza, kanti amaphesenti amane ahlaselwa umfundi.”

Sinjani isimo kwamanye amazwe? Omunye umthombo wezindaba uyabika: “EChina kwaboshwa izingane ezingu-69 780 ezingamahlongandlebe ngo-2003, okuwukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-12,7 kunangonyaka ka-2002.” Lo mbiko wezindaba uphawula ukuthi “amaphesenti angu-70 alezi zingane ezingamahlongandlebe ayehileleke ebugebengwini bamaqembu ezigilamkhuba.” Umbiko waseJapane ngo-2003 ngokufanayo wathi ingxenye yobugebengu obenziwa eminyakeni eyishumi eyandulela lowo nyaka babuhilela intsha.

Ukulinyazwa Kwemizimba Esakhula Ngezidakamizwa

Ubufakazi obengeziwe benkinga yale nkathi buhilela isenzo sentsha eningi sokulimaza imizimba yayo siqu. Umbiko we-U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse uthi inani eliyingxenye yayo yonke intsha e-United States lithi liqeda esikoleni esiphakeme libe selike lazama ukusebenzisa isidakamizwa esingekho emthethweni. Lo mbiko uyanezela: “Ukuphuza utshwala kuseyiyona nkinga eyande kakhulu entsheni yanamuhla. Cishe abafundi abane kwabahlanu (77%) bathi lapho beqeda esikoleni esiphakeme babe sebeke baphuza utshwala (obungaphezu nje kokuqhabula amathamo ambalwa); futhi abangaba ingxenye yalesi sibalo (46%) baqala ukuphuza besafunda ibanga lesithupha.”

Ubuhlobo Bobulili Nabantu Abaningi

Kule nkathi yengculaza, akungabazeki ukuthi ukuba nobuhlobo bobulili nabantu abaningi kuyingozi. Noma kunjalo, intsha eningi ibonakala ibheka ubulili njengomdlalo nje ongeyona ingozi. Ngokwesibonelo, enye intsha eMelika ikhuluma ngokunganaki nje ngenkulumo ethi “hook up”—okuyinkulumo yesiNgisi ehloniphisayo futhi ezwakala ingenangozi esho ukulala nomuntu nibe ningenazibopho zothando. Futhi ikhuluma ngokuba “nomngane ozuzisayo [friend with benefits]”—umuntu olala naye kodwa nibe ningenazibopho zothando.

Umlobi uScott Walter uchaza amaphathi anokuziphatha okuxekethile enye intsha yasemadolobheni eba nawo lapho abazali bayo besemsebenzini. Kwenye iphathi enjalo, intombazane esencane yamemezela ukuthi “izolala nabo bonke abafana ababekhona lapho. . . . Kulawo maphathi kwakuba khona ngisho nezingane ezincane ezineminyaka engu-12.”

Kuyashaqisa? Akushaqisi neze ezazini eziye zahlola ngokuhlanganyela kwentsha ebulilini. UDkt. Andrea Pennington uyabhala: “Eminyakeni engu-20 edlule, siye sabona isilinganiso seminyaka intsha evame ukuqala ngayo ukuba nobuhlobo bobulili siya ngokuya sehla. Akuseyona into engavamile ukubona abafana namantombazane beqala ukuba nobuhlobo bobulili beseneminyaka engu-12 nje kuphela.”

Okwakucindezela nakakhulu umbiko owakhishwa ephephandabeni i-USA Today: “Inani elandayo lezingane lapha e-United States . . . lihlanganyela ebulilini obenziwa ngomlomo. . . . Izingane ziye zazikhohlisa zithi ‘lokhu akubona ubulili bangempela.’” Omunye umbiko maqondana nokuhlola okwenziwa emantombazaneni angu-10 000 uthi, “amaphesenti angu-80 áthi ayizintombi, kodwa amaphesenti angu-25 kuwo ayeke ahileleka ebulilini obenziwa ngomlomo. Futhi amaphesenti angu-27 ala mantombazane áthi lesi senzo ‘singokuthile okwenza nesoka lakho ukuze nje nizijabulise.’”

Imibono enjalo ngobulili iye yasakazekela nakwezinye izindawo. Inhlangano okuthiwa i-UNESCO iyabika: “Intsha yase-Asia isilengela engozini enkulu yokungenwa igciwane lesandulela-ngculaza ngenxa yokulala nabantu abaningi, kanti futhi intsha eningi iqala isencane kakhulu.” Futhi iyanezela: “Kuya ngokuya kwanda ukuba intsha ingazishayi mkhuba ‘izindinganiso zokuziphatha zabase-Asia’ abazali bayo abasabambelele kuzo, futhi lokhu ikwenza ngokuba ibe nobuhlobo bobulili ingashadile, ngokuvamile nabantu abaningi.”

Ingabe zikhona ezinye izimpawu zenkathi yezingcindezi intsha ephila kuyo? I-Women’s Health Weekly yaseCanada iyabika: “Amaphesenti angu-25 amantombazane aneminyaka ephakathi kuka-16 no-19 ayohlaselwa ukucindezeleka okukhulu.” Nokho, ukucindezeleka kuyisifo esihlasela kokubili abafana namantombazane. Ngokwe-U.S.News & World Report, unyaka ngamunye abantu abasebasha abafinyelela ezinkulungwaneni ezinhlanu bayazibulala. Lo mbiko uphawula ukuthi ngesizathu esithile, “izinga abafana abazibulala ngalo liphindwe izikhathi eziyisithupha kunelamantombazane.”

Ngokungangabazeki, isizukulwane sanamuhla sentsha sisenkingeni enkulu. Ibangelwa yini le nkinga?

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

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