A nation’s most precious resource is its young people. They are expected to carry on the socio-economic development of a nation as it passes from generation to generation. Some of our young people have turned to violence to resolve problems, a very disturbing trend within a small developing nation such as ours.
Most recent incidents once again bring the issue to the forefront. Within two weeks after the 2009/10 school year opened, a gang fight on a school bus broke out. Weapons confiscated at the scene and from controls at other locations include machetes, hatchet and a sword. When Police questioned those on the bus involved in the fight, none of +
them according to media reports gave any information about the incident.
Another disturbing and troubling development is when two 11-year-old primary school pupils were caught with a knife on school grounds. They reportedly told teachers and police that they intended to stab a girl pupil from another primary school with whom they have been having problems with.
In recent years, there has been a major growth in the understanding of how violence burdens communities and contributes to a wide spectrum of health consequences and health risk behaviours in children and adults.
Violence accounts for over 1.6 million deaths per year globally or 4000 people per day. This has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a significant public health, human rights and human development problem.
The health impact of violence is not limited to physical injury. Long-term effects can include depression, mental disorders, suicide attempts, chronic pain syndromes, unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections. Children who are victims of violence have a higher risk of alcohol and drug misuse, smoking, and high-risk sexual behaviour.
Violence is preventable and its impacts can be reduced. There are proven and promising prevention strategies according to the WHO.
Proven individual prevention strategies include pre-school enrichment programmes during early childhood (ages 3-5 years), life skills training and social development programmes for children aged 6 to 18 years and assisting high-risk adolescents and young adults to complete schooling and pursue courses of high education and vocational training.
Proven family prevention strategies include providing training for parents on child development, non-violent discipline and problem-solving skills; promoting parental involvement in the lives of children and adolescents through programmes to develop home-school partnerships; and mentoring programmes to develop attachments between high risk youth and caring adults in order to build social skills and provide a sustained relationship.
Proven and promising community prevention strategies include increasing the availability and quality of childcare facilities, increasing the availability and quality of pre-school enrichment programmes and improving school settings, including teacher practices, school policies and security.
A considerable amount of investment will have to be made in the aforementioned in order to tackle the challenges being faced by a certain segment of our society. These investments and interventions need to be made sooner than later.
Roddy Heyliger
