Poor parenting is a major issue in Trinidad and Tobago.
That’s according to Social Development Minister Donna Cox, as she spoke during the opening of the regional symposium on crime at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on Monday.
Minister Cox said the issue of poor parenting can increase the likelihood of a child engaging in criminal behaviour later in life, including delinquency and violent crime.
“In some families, it is reported that gangs have taken over the role of parents guiding our young men and women and providing them with a false sense of safety and security.
“Poor parenting has a range of adverse effects on children, including but not limited to difficulty forming healthy relationships, lower academic achievement, increased risk of substance abuse, mental health problems, increased risk of criminal behaviour and increased school violence,” Cox said.
“Speaking of school violence, the Education Ministry reports thus far that for the 2022/23 academic year 5,362 students were suspended from secondary school for offences ranging from arson, assault with or without weapons, cyber bullying and possession or use of drugs and explosive devices, to name a few.
“Primary school students, generally under 12 years old, accounted for an additional 463 suspensions for similar offences including one child for leadership of a gang!”
These findings are extremely disturbing and media reports of parents entering schools to fight or violently engage teachers and students are similarly distressing.”
Cox said the data presented, “when combined with each other, creates the perfect storm” and paints a picture of families in crisis.
“Families in crisis mean communities in crisis and communities in crisis reflect a nation in crisis. When this is spread across the region, we can safely say our region is in crisis.” she said
Cox said the T&T Government appointed a committee to take a holistic public health approach to crime and violence.
“This is co-chaired by the Ministries of Health and Social Development and has been mandated to develop a national action plan,” she said, adding that in the past seven years Government spent approximately $40 billion on social services.
“We’ll extend our net further to ensure better outcomes for citizens and ultimately reduce crime. Our continuous data gathering will drive decisions that identify misaligned strategies and help us reframe,” she said.
Minister Cox also revealed during her presentation, that for the 2022/23 academic year, 5,362 secondary school students have been suspended for offences including assault with weapons, possession or use of drugs and explosive devices, while the 463 primary school pupils that were suspended included a 12-year-old for leadership of a gang.
She said in some T&T families, gangs have reportedly taken over the role of parents and there have been almost 10,000 cases of domestic violence reported to the T&T Police Service (TTPS) since 2018.
“Even more startling is the number of incidents involving sexual and physical abuse and neglect of our children. Annual reports from the Children’s Authority between 2017 and 2022 indicate 5,340 reports of neglect, 5,267 reports of sexual abuse and 3,530 reports of physical abuse,” Cox added
She listed social media influence among factors contributing to family breakdown.
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