Group Report

The members within this group are; Monifa Edwards, Romeka Allen, Jahiem Griffiths, La

Shanya Walcott and Abigail Belnavis. In order to complete our assignment as quickly and as

efficiently as possible within the time allotted to our group. After the teacher had explained to us

the different sections of the English Sba, we took a number of steps. We discussed information

pertaining to our objectives through online chat via Watsapp through a group created by the

teacher for the entire class, to help us with any trouble we were having. We also decided create

our own individual watsapp group to keep in contact with each other on weekly basis and would

also meet regularly during school time until all our individual objectives were completed.

Our groups chose to use three sources as requested of us. A poem from Abigail Belnavis on

“Measures that can be implemented to prevent crime and violence” and two articles from both

Jahiem Griffiths on “What are the main causes of Crime and Violence” and Jahiem Griffiths

Romeka Allen on “How crime and violence affects the health sector” which are all presented at

the end of this report. Each of these sources where chosen to give insight our group’s overall

theme and we believe they are suitable to represent the point of our theme in the best way.

Poem from Abigail:

CRIME AND VIOLENCE

Violence and Crime is very bad,

The fires and lightening,

The troubles and frightening,

All because of violence and crime,

There’s no way to turn back time,

Spanish Town is now a war zone,

Someone has to speak in an angry tone,

It’s turning into a total disaster,

Much, more faster,

The trouble and crimes wouldn’t get away.

‘Cause everyone thinks it’s something to say,

We’re having these problems everyday,

No one can’t even stand up and say,

Violence and crime is causing the trouble,

If it goes on the trouble might double.

Article from Jahiem Griffiths:

What are the main causes of crime in Jamaica?

What are the main causes of crime in Jamaica? || Answered by Isheba Cornwall, Student Writer

Let's break this down, shall we?

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, crime is “An illegal act for which someone can
be punished by the government, especially a gross violation of law”.

But crime in Jamaica is a complex issue that has to be analyzed from the root. It stems from a
myriad of factors ranging from poverty and parenting to the lack of perceives justice and trust in
the government.

The following are the biggest factors, in my opinion, that contributes to crimes that occurs in
Jamaica.

Poverty / Unemployment
In my opinion, the primary reason for crime is the immense poverty in certain, or should I
say, abandoned, areas of the country.

The sad truth is that there are still many Jamaicans living well below the poverty line, which
means that some are not able to provide for themselves and therefore will seek other
methods of surviving.

Poverty and unemployment also allow for young boys, from what I've observed, to be
recruited into gangs in order to get money to provide for their families. Some will become
trapped in the life of violence as the only means to put food on the table.

The Justice System

There is also a perception that law enforcement has an element of corruption in it which
causes distrust between residents and the police forces. Corruption also causes many key
witnesses to be scared to testify for fear of their livelihood (and indeed lives) afterwards.

I believe that this environment causes criminals to conclude that even if they do get caught,
the chances of them getting locked away is low as the case may not be solved for years.

The 'Not Me' mentality

The overall chill and relaxed vibe in Jamaica unfortunately extends into our treatment of
crime as well. The dominant attitude is that crime is not a personal issue, unless the crime
impacted a loved one.

Donmanship

Crime also stems from the unfortunate presence of ‘dons’ or leaders in depressed
communities who are heavily affiliated with gun or scamming crimes.

These dons (gang leaders) usually take care of the community in that they may provide
money to families for buying school books, help to pay rent or even send a child to
university.

The don then becomes the centre of economic and social livelihood in the community who is
a revered leader that residents can depend on. This would be directly contrasted with the
government or “the system” which seemingly doesn’t provide in the same way from the
perspective of the community members.

Unfortunately, many of these dons facilitate crimes to maintain their 'donmanship'.

Drug Use

Outside of drug trafficking in the Caribbean (in general) and its inherent impact, it is worth
noting that a considerable number of Jamaicans, men in particular, use weed, and
excessively too, daily. One direct issue with that is that it impairs the regular functioning of
the brain and, according to medical practitioners, may cause violent, irrational outbursts.

Article from Romeka Allen:

Article 2
Crime and violence experienced by individuals living in a community is an important public

health issue. People can be exposed to violence in many ways. They may be victimized directly,
witness violence or property crimes in their community, or hear about crime and violence from

other residents.

Violence can lead to premature death or cause non-fatal injuries. People who survive violent

crime endure physical pain and suffering and may also experience mental distress and reduced

quality of life. Repeated exposure to crime and violence may be linked to an increase in negative

health outcomes. For example, people who fear crime in their communities may engage in less

physical activity. As a result, they may report poorer self-rated physical and mental health. One

study found that people who perceive their environment to be less safe from crime may also have

higher body mass index scores and higher levels of obesity due to reduced physical activity.

Exposure to violence in a community can be experienced at various levels, including

victimization, directly witnessing acts of violence, or hearing about events from other

community members. It can also include property crimes that result in damage to the built

environment. Crime rates vary by neighborhood characteristics. Low-income neighbourhoods

are more likely to be affected by crime and property crime than high-income neighborhoods.

Children and adolescents exposed to violence are at risk for poor long-term behavioural and

mental health outcomes regardless of whether they are victims, direct witnesses, or hear about

the crime.9For example, children exposed to violence may experience behavioural problems,

depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Children exposed to violence may also
show increased signs of aggression starting in upper-elementary school. Children exposed to

several types of violence over long periods of time are more likely to experience anxiety,

depression, and behavioral problems compared to children with only moderate exposure to

violence.

The effects of exposure to violence in childhood may be seen in adulthood and can result in

greater risk for substance use, risky sexual behavior, and unsafe driving behavior. Individuals

exposed to violence at any age are more likely to engage in and experience intimate partner

violence., Women exposed to intimate partner violence have an increased risk of physical health

issues such as injuries, and mental health disorders such as disordered eating, depression and

suicidal ideation.

There are serious short- and long-term health effects from exposure to crime and violence in

one’s community. Addressing exposure to crime and violence as a public health issue may help

prevent and reduce the harms to individual and community health and well-being. Additional

research is needed to increase the evidence base for what works to reduce the effects of crime

and violence on health outcomes and disparities. This additional evidence will facilitate public

health efforts to address crime and violence as a social determinant of health.