Welfare officials here have acknowledged that they are worried about an increase in juvenile offenders in Dominica.
According to Welfare officer Leroy Morvan, too many of the island’s young men and women are appearing before the magistrate’s court, particularly for the crime of theft.
“For 2011 we had a number of juveniles who appeared before the magistrate’s court and that number is 312, for 2011 alone,” he disclosed.
Morvan says the number of cases that were disposed of was 140 and the number of juveniles who were placed on probation is 34.
He added that violence related offenses totaled 11, with the lead offence – theft – at 18.
The Welfare officer further disclosed that so far for 2012, 12 Juveniles have already been placed on probation, an issue he says needs urgent attention.
He said the five violence related offenses, four cannabis cases and five theft incidents were “too much”.
He said if that trend continues that figure could go well beyond the 312 recorded in 2011.
I think the country need a rehabilitation centre for young offenders, because sending these young children into prison makes them worse. They need guidance and someone to confines in with the problems that affecting them. Because I’ve known some who she was depressed and stressed out before observing and assessing her, she was dumped with tables and soon after was send into psychiatric unit. All she need was someone to talk to about the problem that was affecting her. What a shame, to see these young children in this place, when they leave this place they have no future to look forward to, with a criminal record. They need help
Allwhat our Children knows about today Is THE RIGHTS OF CHILD which of it’s self is a good thing.But we need to balance the situation .WHEN begin to observe Courtesy month in the schools again and to teach the children that their parents have rights too by honouring their Fathers and Mothers It’s insane to be emphasing the rights of the CHILD ONLY!
The youths need hope.
In both primary and grammer school the priest and nuns and couple other religious persons were at school at least once a week, some smart ALEC thougt that GOD is a myth,at least they imparted to me sense of what is morally evil,it seemed as nonsense then,but am thankful they made me weigh my actions before committing.Now they’re are gone
we paying the price through the youth of today.
one of the major problems affecting dominican youth is that they act as adults before their time. laws must be past to govern youth directly. for example no child under the age of sixteen should be out unsupervised after 8 pm. if they are caught then parents are charged and they are fined or something so some parents would ensure that the kids are at home. also some laws need to be strengthened such as the age of alcohol consumption, smoking of tobacco and entry to entertainment facilities for adults. as long as these children can go out at all hours, purchase alchol go to all jam it have then we in for more of the same. let children know that they are children and treat them as such
They have too much idle time on their hands, no supervision and no motivation. So they are up to nothing worthwhile to occupy their time.
They see something that they want and they have no money. So their immediate gratification is to steal something from somebody else or steal something to fence for money to buy what they want.
They haven’t been taught that they have to work or earn their way through life and this is magnified by the fact that there aren’t a lot of jobs that they are being trained for in the schools, that is, those that can actually pass the tests and graduate that actually know how to read and write. And then there are the rest…….which are substantial. That is one reason agriculture has to come back in a big way because that production is going to be the main stay of the island, especially if people want to eat.
It saddens me that our youth have no sense of directiions, structure or help.
Dominica youths in my opinion are not given a positive directions and these kids are given up upon by the parents, school and the government. It’s a known fact that it takes a village to raise a kid. For example….If a child is giving trouble at school, regardless of the level of the problem, the last thing the shcool should be doing is expelling the child. To me that’s where the welfare should come to council these kids and give them the attention that they need to function in society. By expelling them we are creating a generation of youth which will result to nothing but crime. I am not saying that a child can come to school and stab a teacher and get away with it….all i am saying is we need to take a step back and deal with each situation and do what’s best for the child keeping in mind that we do not want these kids to become nothing but a statistic. Again it takes a village, we all have to do out part.
Dominica needs a juvenile detention facility.
you dont dis GOD and not pay.
what all you expect, not laugh all you laughing with them and saying is children nah, they dont know what they doing. let me tell all you alot of those young school boys have decided way in advance what kind of life they want to live and nobody is going to make them change their minds.No offence but presently Dominican homes and communities are breeding grounds for criminals. I see it in bath estate, fond cole, tarish pit, yampiece, gutter village,and so on.And in those areas have alot of poverty and hungry children.seeing is believing.
this child abuse that hve thosekids getting worst /ad plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz the try to hve ANGER mangement in schools orprograms in the different villages as a corncern parent ithink thiswell help
Monkey see, Monkey do.
WE NEED TO BREAK SOME CURSES PARENTS FAMILIES WE NEED TO. WE NEED TO FAST FOR OUR NATION AND BREK THOSE CURSES AND UP ROOT THOSE ALTERS THAT BEEN PLANED IN OUR LAND. GOD WE NEED YOUR HELP;HELP US LORD. WE ASK YOU TO FORGIVES AND TO HEAL OUR LAND AND PEOLPE IN JESUS NAME. THANK YOU JESUS.
What language is this?
Build a bigger prison send them there
build are biger prison thats wat u saying hope u dont have kids on the other hands i wii still blame welfare cuz some time u taking cases to them and the just sayiny they will look after it and nothing not happening weeks passing month passing they not checking the cases u have to be after them after them so when u tired beg u have to leave it alone and get out of the house and run ur life some social workers dont care about us youth they say come to them when we come they dont care
I believe that the family, is the first institution that we need to look at in getting this problem solved. Parents need to take their responsibility. And the right thing to do is to ensure that God has first place in our lives. Seek God first and everything else will be given to us. God will take care of everything else, we desire in our lives.
People need to be taught and to understand who they are, why they are here, what purpose they were born for, and receive help in finding and fulfilling the plans and purposes of God.
We begin, praying for the children once they are born, and parents do not stop praying ever.
We are moving towards end time, and we must be sober, vigilant, because our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 5:8.