Jamaica similarly represents this paradox; though Bob Marley’s music resonates peace and love around the world, today Jamaica is known for its widespread poverty and high gun crime. The effects that poverty has on crime can be explained in multiple ways. Aside from policing, our underprivileged communities require proper amenities, far more social monitoring, schools and production facilities to increase employment. Most of us are afraid of becoming vigilantes (although many are just looking for an opportunity.). What Are The Primary Contributing Factors To Crime And Violence In Jamaica Jamaica is a small third world country in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 2, 709, 300 people. … Crime and violence prevails in three main areas of Jamaica: Kingston, Montego Bay and Spanish Town. But, most pain-anger-hate-driven violence will be directed outward at family members (even children), spouses, the community or the entire society. The following are the biggest factors, in my opinion, that contributes to crimes that occurs in Jamaica. And we refuse to address the problem of what it is that actually creates criminality in the first place. Most of the violence seen in Jamaica is 'senseless'. But as usual, I feel that no one is listening. View/Hide Comments (0) | We need increased 'good parenting' educational programmes in the media and at medical facilities, especially those that see obstetric cases. Josep Borrell | The other transatlantic relationship, Ronald Thwaites | No shortcut in education standards, Editorial | Fightback against derelict regulators and developers, Kristen Gyles | What not to mandate in a democratic state, Editorial | Potential pitfalls on tobacco law, Digital Archives: Online editions 2006-Now. Given the large number of physical conflicts and violent crimes that we have, there must be a whole lot of major emotional pain in our society. Since the 1970s Jamaica's obvious internal threat has come from social violence. Crime And Violence In Jamaica. However, if one should analyze reports on crime and violence after 2010 throughout the island, then a conclusion can be made that there is a crescendo in criminal activities in … And most ordinary Jamaicans think that "high level" corruption is rife. In addition, the report provides a survey of the various crime prevention and suppression policies, programmes, and projects adopted by government, private organizations, However, Tara Abrahams-Clivio, in her column in the Jamaica Observer of January 20 th, 2005, noted that from her observations, the poorest countries did not have the highest murder rates. There’s no escape from the fact; the crime rate continues to increase every single day despite the governments taking so many precautionary measures. Former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson described the situation as "a national challenge of unprecedented proportions". What Are The Primary Contributing Factors To Crime And Violence In Jamaica Jamaica is a small third world country in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 2, 709, 300 people. Jamaica is plagued with robbery, gang violence, domestic violence, rape and carnal abuse. As they grow up and develop what are sometimes murderous intentions, they do so against the backdrop of their personal spirituality; that is, their relationship with God. The breakdown of stable communities into crime … My sister's daughter, Savannah, recently graduated from Adelphi University in New York, where they live. Situation of Youth in Jamaica The Socio-economic realities of their families often result in a breakdown in the family unit This creates shifting households, and in some cases leads to involvement in illegal activities such as crime and violence, gang warfare, drugs The chapter on Jamaica is an historical analysis of race, culture and class in Jamaican society. Yet, in the year 2000, Jamaica had the third highest murder rate in the world with 887 murders in that year. Poverty Isn’t Just About Having a Lack of Resources. We teach each other that He is vain (put me first or else) and violent, The Passion of the Christ was one of the most violent movies of 2004 and vengeful (hell and its fires are waiting for those of us who do not follow the narrow way.) Therefore, calling upon the police to do even more to prevent, suppress and solve crime has significant limitations when it comes to solving and not just temporarily ameliorating our crime problem. Now that you've read the article, please let us know if you agree with Wade's opinion. Causes of crime and violence Jamaica has one of the highest crime rates in the world, but a relatively low rate of property crime. This report is part of an IDB technical note series on crime and violence in the Caribbean. The country faces many problems yearly but the worst is the ever increasing crime rate. Poverty, parental neglect, low self-esteem, alcohol and drug abuse can be connected to why people break the law. Jamaica is not among the least educated countries in the world. Mostly females are the victims. Jamaica’s police force is understaffed and has limited resources. Violence against others in self-defence or to protect an innocent life is seen as justifiable. One only has to examine other countries (poorer and richer than Jamaica), the history of Jamaica and other countries, to find a multitude of examples which contradict the assertion of a poverty – crime link. The country faces many problems yearly but the worst is the ever increasing crime rate. Recent crime statistics have shown that Jamaica’s crime rate has decreased by 80 percent. We need to get to the root cause of violent crime. Some areas of Jamaica, particularly cities such as Kingston, Montego Bay and Spanish Town, experience high levels of crime and violence. we have to improve the legal system, accelerate hanging, give the police more latitude, eradicate corruption from our security forces, and we have to “fahget bout no police, and tek care of de bad bwoy dem weself.”. But it is agreed by our local experts that the root causes of violence run deep in our society, tapping into such issues as poverty, hopelessness, joblessness and greed.". Editor's note: Part 2 of this piece comes out tomorrow. Passing new laws and reforming the security forces is beyond our reach. The truth be told, the real world is a blend of multiple opportunities and mixed economies which is why a lot of people get left out. There will always be crime, but urban crime tends to always be located in high poverty areas. Worry, fear, frustration and hunger all lead to pain - the kind of pain that ends in violence against you and against me. In 2004, we had a total of 1445 murders which would have put our murder rate just below that of the most dangerous country in the world in 2000 – Columbia (which is neither the poorest nor the least educated.). Poverty causes hunger, when impoverished people are hungry they engage in acts of stealing or robbery to acquire what they … Violence begets violence, and we have generations of violent socialisation confronting us. Socioeconomic Factors Contributing to Crime and Violence in Jamaica - Jamaica is an English-speaking country located in the Caribbean Sea to the south of Cuba. I want to include 'anger' in that statement, because pain often leads to anger, and anger, in turn, leads to violence. Perhaps the source of criminality in our country is not far away, remote and difficult to conceive. Copyright © 2020 The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited. - Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. MONTEGO BAY, St James — National Security Minister Peter Bunting believes that controlling the flow of guns into Jamaica will not, by itself, solve the country's crime problem. His passion is the transformation of Caribbean workplaces, economies and society. The Minister in the meantime, noted that while Jamaica has experienced a spike in murders for the first half of the year, a 2014 Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) study shows that the country is ranked among the lowest in the region in crime victimisation. This pain-anger-hate triad may lead to violence directed inward - to suicide. Jamaica has had one of the highest murder rates in the world for many years, according to United Nations estimates. We need urgent and major social intervention, which should begin once a woman is pregnant. We must make the sacrifice to assuage the pain that leads to anger and violence. A horrible economy, corrupt government and police force, the feeling of being inferior because of our melanin, lack of proper guidance and an overall sense of despair and destitution. In the current frame of mind that we find ourselves in (i.e. The causes of crime are complex. A new strongman may arise to fill this space unless the fundamental causes of crime and violence in these areas are resolved. But crime in Jamaica is a complex issue that has to be analysed from the root. He said, "Violence is what we do when we don't know what to do with our pain.". But, the truth is that most killers are high on unquantifiable, unquenchable hate. The answers may actually surprise you. Incidentally, Jamaica is not among the poorest countries in the world. Perhaps it has everything to do with choices, decision and behaviours that we, the average citizens, exercise on a daily basis. However, when violence falls outside those criteria, we call it 'senseless violence', which cannot be justified. That relationship is the one that they have with God. Over time, it has become a firm belief for the majority of Jamaicans that the source of criminality in our society has nothing to do with the vast majority of us, the law abiding citizens, but instead has everything to do with “them” – the criminal element. We need to stop the pain that people are experiencing. ), We pass this unexamined picture on to our children in our homes and churches to help “keep them in check.”. HUMAN nature in the postwar period will be pretty much what it was during the war, and before the war. Also, she noted, levels of education did not seem to be correlated with murder rates from country to country. It is widely accepted in our society that this is one of the best ways to raise children - that they should be afraid of God and what He will do to them. Criminal activities are a part of every aspect of society from targeting demographics to controlling communities. The rise of the Italian mafia in the early 1900s, also served to control neighborhoods and stimulate gigantic profit for those involved and in charge of mob operations. Slow growth compounded with a high unemployment rate is just one of the causes of poverty in Jamaica. Jamaica has the most churches per capital in the Caribbean. I believe that there are solutions that we can find that are much closer to home, and in fact can be found in every home, and are therefore immediately implementable. Violent crime, including sexual assault, is a serious problem throughout Jamaica, particularly in Kingston and Montego Bay. Long before the idea of killing someone enters the mind of a would-be murderer, there is a relationship that they develop that powerfully shapes their actions. Some people speculate that perpetrators of heinous crimes get themselves high on some sort of psychotropic drug in order to carry out their evil acts. Poverty causes hungriness, when destitute people are hungry they engage in Acts of the Apostless of stealing or robbery to get what they need as they lack legitimate agencies to achieve them. After all, it worked for us, therefore it must work for them. diagnosis of the size, characteristics, and changing nature of the crime problem in Jamaica over the last 10 years. Many of our citizens are in some sort of severe (emotional) pain and quite a few are angry/hateful because of it. And, sometimes we are the architects of our own pain; however, in general, I agree with his perspicacious statement. All Rights Reserved. Core Causes of Jamaica’s Violence. In the past five years Jamaica has, on average, realized a half of a percentage of annual GDP growth. However, where there are high poorness degrees the rate of offense is significantly high. I'm not for one moment saying that one's personal pain can ever justify any form of violence. "Jamaica is divided into three ranked strata, according to Madeline Kerr (1952) white, colored, and black, the latter being the dispriveleged majority (61). Crime exists everywhere in Jamaica and among all people. This is said without asking if the current murder rate is proof that it is “working for us?". E-mail comments to comments@thenewblackmagazine.com, Send to a friend | In fact, in 2006, 75.2% of all murders committed in Jamaica involved the use of guns. The struggles of daily life in marginalised communities are not abstract anecdotes; their sad reality becomes our nightmare sooner or later. https://www.tremorworkout.com/Mark The Tremor Trainer discusses the increasing crime rate in Jamaica as he explores the possible causes of this devolving trend. Perhaps our high murder rate has something to do with the following three sources: the personal pictures that we have of God’s personality, our willingness to tolerate violence, and our propensity to try to separate and differentiate ourselves from who are close to us, and therefore we are one with. However, Tara Abrahams-Clivio, in her column in the Jamaica Observer of January 20th, 2005, noted that from her observations, the poorest countries did not have the highest murder rates. There is serious risk from crime in Kingston. The violence of war or any legal activities during state-sanctioned combat is also seen as justified. In a recent Gleaner editorial published Saturday, May 30, 2015, titled 'Turn outrage into action, Dr Williams', the piece cited several cases of multiple murders and went on to state: "It is hard to define and explain what causes this level of brutality. Gated resorts are not immune to violent crime. Speaking to the Jamaica Employers’ Federation he said that crime and corruption remained the main obstacle to Jamaica’s rapid growth and development. In keeping with these kinds of “solutions” we often attribute the causes of Jamaican crime to macro-realities such as poverty and a lack of education. The same old forces will be operating, even though changed … continue to talk about the link between poverty and crime as if there is a causal relationship, in this order, between the two. The Primary Contributing Factors to Crime and Violence in Jamaica. How does poverty influence crime rates? Rape and carnal abuse is rapidly increasing. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com. However, where there are high poverty levels the rate of crime is significantly high. The overall aim is to establish a baseline of the crime prevention arena against which progress can be assessed. In keeping with these kinds of “solutions” we often attribute the causes of Jamaican crime to macro-realities such as poverty and a lack of education. If the personality that they ascribe to God in their mind’s eye is one that is vain, violent and vengeful, then it follows that they will, in seeking to “be like Him,” model their behavior after Him. It stems from a myriad of factors ranging from poverty and parenting to the lack of perceive justice and trust in the government. Tourism is quite sensitive to crime thus, the main crime are against hotels which tends to be theft at an alarming rate of 72%. In a recent Gleaner editorial published Saturday, May 30, 2015, titled 'Turn outrage into action, Dr Williams', the piece cited several cases of multiple murders and went on to state: "It is hard to define and explain what causes this level of brutality. Rethinking the idea of God and criminality. Many horrified people try fruitlessly to understand how it is that a sane human being can murder another human being (a baby, a child, a male, a female, an elderly person, the sick, the helpless, the innocent, any human being) with such cold-bloodied cruelty and then just go on with life as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. They can do so much and no more. But it is agreed by our local experts that the root causes of violence run deep in our society, tapping into such issues as poverty, hopelessness, … In today’s Jamaican society, this is exactly what happens. A member of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group. If we should have a crime wave now, it won’t be due to anything new or strange. This corruption, the political parties' support of gangs, and the increase in drug trafficing over the past three or four decades, are undoubtedly the root cause of the increase in violence and crime in Jamaica. In the early 1900s, the Ku Klux Klan began a series of lynchings to keep mental and physical control over the recently-freed black population. One of the speakers at the graduation ceremony made an extremely profound statement. We can no longer just leave some citizens to fend for themselves without the requisite tools for survival. After all, doing something like changing the country’s legal system is not done by you or I acting on our own. A Jamaican child growing up comes to hear that God exists, and as God is described to them, comes to form an image in their mind of who He is, and how He relates to us – in short, God’s personality. 1.2K views Policemen examine a crime scene along Spanish Town Road, Kingston, on June 11. Jamaica’s potential for growth and development is enormous; What Causes Crime? 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