Rigorous social interventions must start early to impact crime and violence

‘ASO di ting set’ is a phrase most Jamaicans lean on as we bemoan the massive conundrum of unabated crime and violence. How is it that our country not only has the highest homicide rate in the region, but is ranked the fourth highest in the world as it relates to homicides?

The Violence Prevention Alliance, Jamaica (VPA) suggests that more rigorous, coordinated, resourced and sustained social interventions can impact and change those labels.

It is troubling to see that Violence Related Injuries (VRI) cost the Jamaican healthcare system 12 per cent of the annual budget. Direct cost of care of these VRI to the health sector is $3.6 billion. Given these statistics, it is increasingly evident that the country needs sustained strategies to address the seeming runaway train of violence.

The interventions cannot be just about law enforcement or “boots on the ground”, as in the case of the states of public emergency in St James, Westmoreland, Hanover and Clarendon.

The VPA posits that starting early, collaborating, sharing data and resourcing sustainable social interventions are equally important. This position is supported by both local and international evidence that demonstrates that implementing psychosocial activities in communities and across the country play a critical part in stemming crime and violence.

Start early

We need to recalibrate our approach to include effective early intervention strategies to prevent problems of crime and violence from occurring before these problems get worse.

We should focus on reducing violence against and between children, which will cut the pipeline of recruits into criminal gangs, among other ills.

The earlier that behavioural problems in children are identified and effectively treated, the greater the cost-effectiveness and cost benefit of interventions. Programmes with family involvement and strengthening support services for families and communities are key components for sustained success.

Collaboration

Coordination of services to meet the behavioural needs of children and families delivered by teams drawn from various disciplines, ministries, departments, associations and services clubs will contribute to reducing violence.

These teams need to be able to:

– Provide the therapeutic services to build positive change in social and cultural norms.

– Understand the nature of community assets

– Increase positive community assets such as clean, green, safe recreational spaces, proper solid waste disposal and good, welllit pedestrian pathways.

Sharing data

Data collection, analysis and dissemination are critical, as expounded at the VPA’s recent Violence Prevention/Peace Building Symposium in Montego Bay held in partnership with the Ministry of National Security. Analysis of data that shows where and when violent incidents occur, supported by research that highlight employment, landownership among other relationships, should be used to modify social intervention programmes, taking into consideration the cost benefit, cost-effectiveness and sustainability of the interventions.

Resourcing sustainable social interventions

Resourcing of interventions and research are always contentious issues. Should it only be the Government that provides the financial and human resources? Too often projects are implemented that are really the proverbial ‘band-aid’ on gaping wounds. Creative resourcing strategies must be explored, as other countries have done, to ensure that those initiatives, which evidence proves are effective, can be sustained.