Last Updated on May 18, 2022, 8:09 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The police administration in Antigua and Barbuda is concerned about the degree of violence demonstrated by young people.
School fights and a street beating that left one adolescent in the hospital getting ICU care stirred concern and sparked discussion on social media about how young people may resolve their conflicts peacefully.
The country’s young people, according to Police PRO Inspector Frankie Thomas, lack understanding of conflict resolution in the past.
“We’ve seen where disagreements are resolved by anger, violence, and in some cases criminal outcomes, which is concerning since they are the country’s future.” “It can’t be just the cops,” Thomas said in an interview Wednesday. “It has to be a coherent, collaborative effort from every citizen of this country.”
Thomas argues that the Ministry of Education, including Director of Education Clare Browne and all of the ministry’s technocrats, should not be solely responsible for youth leadership.
He did, however, push for community leaders to support programmes that help young people resolve their conflicts without resorting to violence or criminality.
“I just hope that as time goes on, we see some change, some cessation of that type of behaviour, this level of aggressiveness that is coming from our young people.” At the end of the day, they are not only damaging themselves, but they are also causing a distraction for others who are going to these centres of learning to at least acquire an education, and that should be a national concern,” Thomas added.
Meanwhile, the Police PRO added that the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s Youth Intervention Unit (YIU) has been working with at-risk youths and their families to prevent them from taking a negative route in life.
“[It] was created with one concept in mind – to divert our young people from incarceration and refocus their minds away from serious legal issues by working with them, their families, and even stepping into the schools where they attend to see how best we can be a motivator and mentorship to them because that is clearly the idea of the Youth Intervention Unit.”
Thomas also expressed his desire for YIU to continue providing life-changing services to the nation’s young so that they can mature into productive citizens as adults.
“The crew is quite professional, and they continue to work closely with the Ministry of Education.” I’m sure they’ve got their work cut out for them. They have been involved in our youth’s growth, and I am confident that we will see positive results.”
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
