An official with the RoA Crime Investigation Department says that "juvenile crime" in Armenia isn’t out of proportion when compared to other nations. Nelli Douryan, says that the drug usage problem among young people in Armenia today is under control and that the number of wandering adolescent beggars is on the decrease. "Due to the on-going continual efforts of the police, panhandling by children has dropped relative to past years," she said, adding that the drop could be credited to a slight improvement in socio-economic conditions and as change in the mentality of the adolescent panhandlers. "If you take a close look, you will see that kids who once were forced to beg to survive are now working. Many are now ashamed to be seen begging for handouts; it’s no longer seen as acceptable behavior." "Panhandling is a social problem. If a child is out on the streets begging, then there are certain issues involved in the home, the family. Thus, in-depth work is carried out in the home and with the family," she said, adding that the most painful sight today is to see mothers with small children begging on the streets.