More needs to be done “in the home” if the society is to reduce the
present high incidence of crime, says Martin Cave, executive director
of the Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce.
Cave says he is able to make this determination based on recent
activities in which the Chamber has been involved.
These included round-table discussions; town hall meetings as part
of a USAID collaboration; and a meeting, on January 18, with
Ministry of Education officials and other stakeholders on youth.
Based on research the Chamber has undertaken, Cave says that most
of the youth delinquency being seen stems from single-parent
households.
He notes that many men have abandoned their parental
responsibilities, and this has now created a huge problem of crime
among the youth.Having a father-figure in the home is vital, the Chamber official says,
as some young men and women turn to gangs for the level of
guidance and leadership that a father-figure would bring to the
family.
Cave also points to the use of marijuana among young people, which,
evidence suggests, could be a contributing factor to their unruly and
criminal behaviour.
And he underscores the findings that marijuana is a mind-altering
drug.
According to Cave, proper facilities and human resources need to be
put in place to deal with young people who run afoul of the law.
But just as important, he says, households need to turn back to the
principles, values, and commandments of God to raise their children.
For, without God, Cave warns, a nation can be lost.
In the meantime, robberies, larcenies, house and business break-ins
are at an all-time high in Antigua and Barbuda, with gun-toting
criminals now committing these acts in broad daylight.
