Violence and crime
In a recent conference (April 2023), CARICOM chairman, Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis KC described the situation of crime and violence in the region and an epidemic that takes lives and generates fear and anger. In 2022, Jamaica had a staggering homicide rate of 52.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, Trinidad and Tobago had a rate of 39.4 per 100,000, and The Bahamas, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines all recorded homicide rates above 30 per 100,000. This is over five times the global average. CARICOM heads meeting in Port of Spain in April 2023, declared crime and violence as regional public health issue.
Sexuality/Pornography
The statistics on Google Trends for the highest number of Internet searches for pornography per capita in the world, places Trinidad and Tobago first on the list.
In the twin island state, we have teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, drug use, a lack of discipline and many of our youth suffer from low self-esteem. According to a UNICEF report, “teenage pregnancy is a major concern…In Trinidad and Tobago, 15% of live births were registered to adolescent mothers aged 13 -19 in the year 2000.”
PAHO Study Statistics
A 2007 study sponsored by PAHO, the WHO and CDC showed among other things that students are engaging in sexual activity at puberty. Male students were found to be more sexually active than female students. 32% of males and 19% of females had intercourse before the age of 13.
The report also showed that violence in schools is a problem with 22.2% of male students indicating that they belonged to a violent group. Likewise, the prevalence of alcohol use among students is at a worrying 42.5%.
Addressing root cause
It is no secret that there is a breakdown in the transmission of values and virtues in early childhood that has paved the way for our current predicament on the regional and local level. Education in values and virtues is an essential remedy, and studies prove that the foundations are cast in childhood. There is an urgent and dire need to expose our children to alternative lifestyles through teaching the right values and virtues if we are to rescue our country and our region from the present crisis