‘Children bombarded with sexuality, gun talk’
ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER of Police Ealan Powell said that the anti-gang legislation was in place and that it would take care of those found to be behind the recruiting of students.
“Gone are the days when role models in the community were decent pastors, policemen and women, and the postmistresses. Today, our children are being bombarded with sexually explicit information and gun talk that is no good for them,” stated Powell.
“We will have to use structures, such as the police youth clubs and proper parenting, which will help a lot. Parents should exercise better control. Add to that the propensity to invest in material things and you will find why we are in the position we find ourselves,” Powell added.
Meanwhile, Everton Hannam, president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica, agrees that the focus must be on the prioritising of education.
Students being recruited into criminal gangs are a reflection of the society, Hannam told The Gleaner. He said that the phenomenon must not be viewed as an isolated activity, but one that has connections to the community and parenting.
“We have to first find where along the line these children were morphed into what we are now calling them – ‘shotta’ students – and to see how best we can approach it. There has to be a collective approach, starting with vital education of our children,” Hannam said.