Young people who are constantly exposed to violence invariably develop complex psychosomatic illnesses which very often lead to other chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, according to CARICOM Deputy Programme Manager for Youth Development Dr Heather Johnson.
Johnson, who also majored in psychology, made this disclosure in her opening remarks at the national consultation on youth gangs and gang violence organised by the CARICOM Secretariat, with support from the United Nations Development Programme, in St Kitts and Nevis on Monday. She said that while globalisation and new media technologies had created several opportunities for young people, it had also exposed them to unprecedented levels of risk and vulnerability, a press release from the CARICOM Secretariat said. She also pointed out that young people who were both the victims and perpetrators of violence were committing more vicious and senseless crimes each day.
Johnson noted that an effective response to this problem is urgently needed and CARICOM’s Social Development and Crime Prevention Action Plan was one such response that could help to address this phenomenon. She also said that the pilot project targeting vulnerable youth was a giant step in the right direction.
According to the release, gangs and gang violence among CARICOM youth is one of the priority issues to be addressed in the CARICOM Crime Prevention and Social Development Action Plan which is being implemented on a phased basis. The plan was jointly developed by the CARICOM Secretariat in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime to address the development challenges posed by the high levels of crime and violence in the region, the release said. “The youth gang violence component of the action plan is designed to provide intensive support services and programmes to reduce involvement in gang life and to equip ‘gang leavers’ with life skills to help them reintegrate into their societies,” it added. The release also said the programmes and services, to be developed in consultation with stakeholders will be implemented through pilot projects at the community level.
Sharon Rattan, acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Social Development Culture and Gender Affairs in St Kitts and Nevis, endorsed Dr Johnson’s remarks. She also said that the consultation was in response to the government’s ongoing search for solutions for tackling crime as distinct from law enforcement. In her address, Rattan told stakeholders that it was important to keep children’s future at the centre of the consultation because the more vulnerable the child, the more prone he/she is to joining a gang.
CARICOM said St Kitts and Nevis is one of four countries selected to pilot the project, which is designed to mitigate gangs and gang violence through social interventions. The others are Belize, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Another consultation is set for Trinidad and Tobago within the next two weeks.
