Where are the caring mothers?

THERE ARE many good reasons for children to stay away from dance halls. Lyrics laced with expletives and including derogatory references to women, explicit dancing, drugs, nudity and X-rated conduct are all par for the course at these adult dances. And above all, babies should be safely tucked away in their beds at nights.

So it was quite shocking to learn from Deputy Commissioner Clifford Blake that babies in prams were found at some of these dances about closing time somewhere between 2 and 3 a.m. Mr Blake estimated that as many as 40 children are found at various venues across the island in one night.

The senior cop’s revelation struck a nerve within the entertainment community. In a follow-up story in THE STAR newspaper, some dancehall promoters challenged him to show the evidence, while expressing disbelief that this was, in fact, happening.

We are puzzled why this behaviour was not made public and why the mothers who exposed their children to these unsafe environments were not publicly punished. Yes, Mr Blake’s revelation could be enhanced by hard evidence, the kind that would shake some people out of their reverie.

But even as the promoters are charging Mr Blake with disinformation, they are agreed that if, in fact, mothers are taking their children to dances, such reckless conduct should be punished. Some have vowed to turn away patrons who take their children to dances.

Not only is the behaviour reckless, it rises to the level of cruelty to the children they are raising. Sadly, in Jamaica at this time, there is a palpable sense of frustration among people who crave a return to better values and attitudes.

One of the arguments raised in defence of this behaviour is that the mothers have no babysitters and they can only protect the children by taking them to the dance. But while they are attempting to keep their children safe, they are exposing them to environmental harm.

Children are abused and assaulted in Jamaica with regularity because the people who are charged to keep them safe do not take their responsibility seriously. And even when they are in state care, they can become victims of abuse.

CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Deputy Commissioner Blake was also concerned about the number of young boys who are left unsupervised, making them susceptible to being targets for gang recruitment and sexual abuse, as they often congregate in the streets or walk around aimlessly in the towns and cities.

Much has been said and written about these “unattached youth”, but they remain a constant all across the country.The bottom line is that too many mothers are not protecting the children in their care. Their poor parenting skills, coupled with the absence of the men who fathered their children, leave the children wanting for proper attention and care.

When it comes to keeping our children safe, we all have a role to play. Safety of children has become a global issue because every day, in every country, children are being abused.

Education, particularly on parenting, strong enforcement of the law, and compassionate state actors, can contribute to a better world for our children. Given the circumstances described by Mr Blake, the police must now step up efforts to keep children out of dance halls and punish the mothers who think it all right to take them there. This morally reprehensible practice must be stopped.