On Wednesday, 17th of October, 2012, school children at Happy Hill Secondary School screamed and fainted at the sight of their slain Fifth form colleague, who lost his life following an alleged knife attack by a female Form 1 student of the same school.
Innocence and expectations both were shattered, as survivors now live with brittle hearts, desensitized to death, as the wonderland of childhood has quickly evaporated.
Grenadians reacted to the news of the tragedy with horror, as they did in recent years, to other stabbings, including a fatal one too at other High Schools and the suicide of a troubled teen. Some time ago, a primary school student fired a gun on another, causing injury. An older child even allegedly killed her sister, a toddler.
This happens in England, America, or Trinidad… Not in the island paradise Grenada – is our denial. The obvious questions are now asked: Why are children becoming so aggressive with extreme behaviour? How are these ideas getting into their heads? Who is to blame? Will the girl face the justice system? She will have to answer a Judge and jury of adults not her peers, as adults begin to point fingers: at parents, teachers, schools, the School Board, Security, the Ministry of Education officials, the Church.
It is time to collectively take stock. There are troubling revelations from internal and external researchers and experts. The research indicates that the norms of our social and cultural environment enable conditions that may lead to aggressive and sexually charged behaviour by children. Children in this region, including Grenada, have the earliest sexual debuts in the world. It is criminal that children as young as four-years-old are sexualized, sexually molested and raped in their own homes and communities. Domestic violence also negatively impact their lives and psyches. The abuses and influences manifest in behaviours at schools, where they spend most of their early lives. It is no secret that mini gangs are fashionable in schools mirroring the gangs of society and movie land.
Multi media television programming, music and internet access can lead children to violent and pornographic content if unsupervised. Parents and guardians must guard against these influences on their children’s lives from early childhood. It starts at home. Don’t let televisions, computers and Ipods babysit them. They need your love, attention and example, at home where anger management and conflict resolution begins. Neglect and abuse may have fatal consequences. It will cost us plenty. For the irreparable losses of our children lives; then we will pay taxes for trials; placing children in conflict with the law in the prison/ juvenile centers, and security at school.
A. Anande Trotman-Joseph, Attorney at Law for GNCRC.
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