By Azara Lavia
“The manifestation of escalating youth violence in Antigua and Barbuda is a direct result of a lack of planning, including planning at the familial level.”
That is the perspective of the Director of Youth Affairs, Dr Jrucilla Samuel.
She is of the view that in an era of materialism and warped values, the family’s role of providing social support is weakening.
“Many families are just surviving. They are not focusing on long-term plans, but just trying to get by daily,” she told Observer.
“There is a popular fallacy of autonomy which we all need to avoid. It’s the belief that what goes on inside the family can usefully be separated from the forces that affect it from the outside. It’s not that simple. The reality is that we do not operate in a vacuum.”
She asserted, “The issue of poverty cannot be ignored in this time of escalating food prices. We need more investment. The already vulnerable position of many has worsened, and their capacity to support their families has been reduced.”
Dr Samuel added, “Extreme deprivation, coupled with substance abuse, creates multiple stresses not strategic plans. Parents, especially those in depressed communities, find it increasingly difficult to supervise their children because they are too busy hustling, putting food on the table.
“That reality of inadequate parental supervision and lack of parental and community support, is largely responsible for the surge in delinquent and criminal behaviour.”
As thousands of students look forward to the new academic year, Dr Samuel urged parents and guardians to plan strategically for them after school.
She recommended that they enrol their children in meaningful after-school programmes and activities. Although the summer vacation is almost over, she insisted that it is not too late to do so, especially since there are many initiatives that can help reduce youth idleness.
“Parents and guardians must ensure that they try their best to fight idleness. I am not saying that there shouldn’t be periods of relaxation. Those are critical too, but we must embrace a variety of strategies that already exist,” the youth leader added.
She suggested that parents seek out clubs or sports that align with youngsters’ interests and encourage them to explore what they love.
Dr Samuel, who is also the parent of a teenage daughter, underscored the importance of teaching life skills.
She said parents “must ensure that their children are engaged in household chores, not just watching TV, surfing the internet, and waiting on parents to reach home to do all the work”.
“Get them involved in different household tasks. You can also get them involved the National Youth Volunteer Corps, Youth Arise, Leo Club, or any organisation that will help them feel a sense of worth or purpose,” she added.
