Crime and violence begin in the home…says Dr. Martin
By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Dr. Patrick Martin
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE phenomena of crime and violence with which the Federation has the tedious task of dealing, affects all facets of our society and, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Martin, the root cause(s) must be identified if the problems were to be effectively dealt with.
Just last week, at a rally following the March for Hope, Unity and Peace organised by the HOPE Chapel of Newtown, Dr. Martin pointed out that “crime and violence start at home” and trickle to the other parts of society.
In support of his analysis, the CMO quoted Trinidadian Criminologist Ramesh Deosaran, who, in making reference to the dysfunctional family, said it is “the factory of the juvenile delinquency”, which, according to the CMO, “feeds our violent gangs”.
“Hence,” he explained, “the father of our youth crime and violence is the man who has walked away from his responsibilities to love and protect his family. The mother of our youth crime and violence is the girl raped before she was 11 years old by a man well-known to her mother. This girl becomes trapped in a mindset of selling her body as a ‘money box’ for the financial benefit of a pimp, who is sometimes her own mother. In so doing, she may become pregnant in her teens while still a child herself.”
Dr. Martin further explained that children are not born with the words “criminal” or “violence” imprinted across their foreheads, but products of their environment and pre-existing circumstances. ~~Adz:Right~~
“What is really happening in these toxic homes? Here is a preview of what we know about the conditions in which some of our children are raised. While it is true that babies are born non-violent, it is also true that some were conceived after the mother was raped…Boys are also being raped, but it is not the masculine thing to report. Boys are witnesses to the rape and other dehumanising treatment of their mothers by their mother’s ‘man dem’. They are unable to defend their mothers and themselves…they become angry. History teaches that some of the most vicious criminals went to hell and back with their abused mothers,” he said.
The CMO explained that the snowball effect takes place here and if the signs of anger and torture which an abused child or a child who witnesses abuse displays are not observed early enough, crime and violence may be the result.
“Under these circumstances, is it possible for affected children to be children and concentrate on their lessons? Can an abused and depressed mother effectively nurture her children? Fortunately, there are astute teachers and observant neighbors who spot the signs of a tortured mind and body and refer the child and mother to the protective services. When the signs of child torture are missed in primary school, the boys and girls enter high school depressed, hostile and promiscuous. Some cannot read and, to add insult to the litany of childhood injury, they may be ostracised to a certain classroom. Youth call this treatment ‘dissing them’ and they reward society with aggression, hostility, overt anger and unspeakable violence. Sometimes the violence is turned inwards and they pose for the camera.”
With crime and violence gnawing at the fabric of our society, Dr. Martin suggested that it may not be enough to just request that youth rid themselves of the tools of crime and violence, but rather a more practical and proactive approach must be instituted.
“We are asking the youth to put down their weapons. What will they take up instead? Why should they put down the weapons when they cannot take up a book? I propose for consideration that we need more libraries to replace the 18 000 murders shown on culturally inappropriate television. I propose further that 268 males in jail equates to missed opportunities; 268 males equal one percent of the country’s male population. The current investment in expanding reading enrichment, job skills, parenting skills, sports participation and counselling is justified. Finally, if they put down their weapons, would they automatically suppress their violent thoughts? Marcus Garvey said: ‘Man is a product of his mind’. This was validated by Martin Luther King Junior… ‘The mark of the man is his mind’.”
Making reference to what he described as “the wisdom of the ages”, Dr. Martin said they could be called upon and used to “frame war forward” in dealing with violence and crime.
He stated that: “Violence begets violence
What is done to children, they will do to society
Violence is preventable
Raise up a child in the way it must go.
It takes the whole village to raise a child
Children learn by imitation
Mother is first teacher of the next generation.”
