A 17-year-old boy in the southern city of Chiayi was arrested and charged with killing his father. The youth, according to police, was angry with his father because the latter allegedly was a gambling addict and made life miserable for the rest of the family.

In the other case, a 28-year-old woman in Taichung County was apprehended after police found she had slain her mother-in-law.

In both cases, the suspects committed the killing with shocking savagery. The boy hacked his father to death with a long, newly sharpened knife. The young woman first pushed the old lady down a stairway and then killed her with a cleaver.

The slaying of an elderly person or parent by a young person was rare or even unheard-of in Taiwan’s former days. Now they have occurred with growing frequency.

Educators and sociologists as well criminologists should pay attention to this trend. One explanation for the increase in violence of this nature is the government’s educational policy.

The government, which considers the development of moral values at school a Chinese tradition, is inclined to replace it with instilling political beliefs. It is sad to think that our students are not being taught such values as respect for the elderly, kindness to neighbors and loyalty to friends. Taiwan residents who want to live in a stable, safe society should not overlook this trend.

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