The Primary Contributing Factors to Crime and Violence in Jamaica
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. The country faces many problems yearly but the worst is the ever increasing crime rate. In October 2011 Jamaica was ranked 3rd in a report of countries with the highest crime rates by the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development . The country has taken a turn for the worst over the past few years. Our local television stations and newspapers are packed with daily stories of robberies, political disputes, abuse in its many forms, murders, kidnappings, rapes and more recently, scamming. There are many factors which may contribute to crime and violence in our country. There are factors such as lack of jobs, lack of education, poverty, abuse or influence in homes, poor justice system and improper methods of dealing with conflict. A primary contributing factor to crime and violence in Jamaica is lack of jobs. Upon leaving school it is extremely difficult for Jamaican youths to find jobs so many of them turn to crime to sustain themselves. Many young people who fail to get jobs, either because they were under qualified or there was just nowhere to accommodate them, turn to felonies such as robbery and drug sale (especially marijuana). When asked why they choose to rob and sell drugs, many persons reply that they are just trying to make a living. There are also some situations in which students whose parents are out of jobs, sell drugs to make money for their tuition. Another primary contributing factor to crime and violence in our country is poverty. It is a well known fact that many families in Jamaica are poor. In many of these families there is usually only a single parent, more often than not- a mother, and several children. In these situations the parent is unable to care for so many children. We see families with five, seven and sometimes even ten or more children
Jamaica is a small third world country in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 2, 709, 300 people. The country faces many problems yearly but the worst is the ever increasing crime rate. In October 2011 Jamaica was ranked 3rd in a report of countries with the highest crime rates by the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development . The country has taken a turn for the worst over the past few years. Our local television stations and newspapers are packed with daily stories of robberies, political disputes, abuse in its many forms, murders, kidnappings, rapes and more recently, scamming. There are many factors which may contribute to crime and violence in our country. There are factors such as lack of jobs, lack of education, poverty, abuse or influence in homes, poor justice system and improper methods of dealing with conflict. A primary contributing factor to crime and violence in Jamaica is lack of jobs. Upon leaving school it is extremely difficult for Jamaican youths to find jobs so many of them turn to crime to sustain themselves. Many young people who fail to get jobs, either because they were under qualified or there was just nowhere to accommodate them, turn to felonies such as robbery and drug sale (especially marijuana). When asked why they choose to rob and sell drugs, many persons reply that they are just trying to make a living. There are also some situations in which students whose parents are out of jobs, sell drugs to make money for their tuition. Another primary contributing factor to crime and violence in our country is poverty. It is a well known fact that many families in Jamaica are poor. In many of these families there is usually only a single parent, more often than not- a mother, and several children. In these situations the parent is unable to care for so many children. We see families with five, seven and sometimes even ten or more children