EDITORIAL: Embrace the ‘lost’ ones
Tue, 05/17/2016 - 12:00am
AS children transition from one level to another, guidance becomes even more necessary in helping them navigate the additional stresses coming their way. Unfortunately, some youth do not have a good support system in place, or are exposed to drugs from an early age. Recent statistics show that some children continue to experience severe challenges, yet we believe, with strong intervention, they can realise their full potential.
Registrar of the Supreme Court, Madam Justice Barbara Cooke-Alleyne’s recent report gives cause for alarm. She revealed that 44 per cent of young people who go before the courts test positive for marijuana use, and that assault cases were on the rise. Adding to this was Cheryl Willoughby, Director of the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit, who said that the average age of first use of marijuana is seven. When we hear educators complain of violence and deviance in schools, it is clear a worrying minority of students are falling by the wayside, influenced by negative behaviours and exhibiting a lack of self-respect and self-esteem that can have devastating effects.
There are already organisations which use education to push a positive message against drug use. For example, a recent workshop by the Centre for Counselling Addiction Support Alternatives (CASA) was held for some fourth form students, while the 11-Plus programme ‘In the Winner’s Circle’ specifically targets participating children who are moving onto secondary schools. However, there needs to be a larger private sector involvement in such programmes. Madam Registrar made the point that these interventions need to be expanded to reach even more children around the island and, as also recommended by Ms. Willoughby, to start education from the nursery level.
Be part of the solution
National crimes have their genesis in our schools and communities and are often a long time in development. As a society, it is not enough to throw our hands in the air in frustration and just complain. A well-known saying encapsulates it better: ‘If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem’. When teachers stress that violence
is becoming worse in schools, this is the time to examine causal factors and move swiftly to redirect youth who have fallen on a path to deviance.
Parents need to appreciate the generational differences, which means these tough conversations about life have to start at an earlier age. With the various media our children consume, they are being bombarded with all kinds of messages and misinformation, in some cases, and need the steadying hand of trusted adults (whether parents or not) to guide them through challenging periods.
As for those who have already embarked on a deviant path, we need not fear working to get them back. After all, there is nothing new under the sun, nor is it impossible. Jesus explained in a parable that if one out of 100 sheep go astray, it is the duty of the shepherd to retrieve the one. We have our mission; we owe it to our charges to do all we can to ensure they are encouraged to embrace the positive.