THE EDITOR: I must admit, my first look at the videos on social media showing a student on a wild tirade directed at her teacher was very difficult to watch. But once my emotional response subsided, my more rational, solution-oriented side kicked in.
Firstly, what was on display was a child in desperate need of guidance and counselling, since it is clear she has anger-management and/or other underlying issues.
Her peers, who were egging her on, speak to the power of peer influence and a wider problem of a societal norm and acceptance of violence to solve problems.
This child’s actions stem from the same place students engage in physical altercations, and sadly, it is also the foundation for the other video making the rounds on social media, in which a group of young men attack, beat, and rob a woman in broad daylight on Charlotte Street.
The solution to this problem is not more licks, as study after study shows it not only lowers cognition in children, it reinforces that violence is the solution.
What is actually needed is a comprehensive integrated strategic plan which involves parents working hand in hand with the ministries of social services, education and national security through the TTPS.
We need a parenting skills programme similar to what was just done in Jamaica, where 40,000 parents benefited from such an initiative.
We need early childhood testing to assess and address any learning difficulties, along with making resources available to effectively address any issues discovered, so that we can effectively nip potential anti-social issues in the bud.
In the long run, this approach is not only effective, but less costly, as it is cheaper to fix a child than house and feed a prisoner.
We need to effectively deal with the present situation in schools and homes. We need to immediately set up and properly resource a truancy triumvirate between schools, the TTPS, and social services, where schools will have dedicated staff to digitally record student absenteeism, and anti-social and disorderly behaviour, etc.
This digital report will be conveyed to representatives from community policing and the Child Protection Unit, along with a network of social workers, who will then contact the parents/guardians, etc, to ascertain why their child is not in school, or glean insights into their disorderly behaviour.
Visits to the home and community are the next step for issues that are not resolved by the first contact intervention, and after an assessment, we must provide the resources to remove children from dysfunctional homes.
Consequently we need stricter regulations for orphanages and other homes where these children will be placed, and most importantly, we need a mechanism specifically dedicated to anonymously reporting abuse at these homes, for the children as well as family, friends, workers and other adults.
The TTPS’ Child Protection Unit should be beefed up accordingly.
Finally, we need to address our low crime detection rate, and overall corruption, which can only be described as fi
