Cabinet Looking At Ways to Bring Youth Deviant Behaviour Under Control

Last Wednesday, the Cabinet received a report on violence among youth in several schools, related to gangs; it ordered the Ministry of Social Transformation to have its experts provide the Cabinet with guidance. Although the Director of Education, the Commissioner of Police and the Chief of Defense Staff were in consultation today, the Ministry of Social Transformation provided a short paper to the Cabinet in which six proposals were put forward:
i. To develop appropriate legislation that will make joining and functioning with a gang illegal.
ii. To monitor closely the abuse of substances—such as alcohol, marijuana and non- prescription drugs—by students. There was no evidence presented to show an increase use of marijuana, as some have speculated.
iii. To strengthen community groups through training that would include officials from schools, churches, civil society, public health services and criminal justice agencies.
iv. To provide support for children in conflict with the law which would include the Boys Training School and a similar home for troubled girls.
v. To increase the number of probation officers and truancy officers.
vi. To commence a national public relations program to encourage good behaviour among youth.
The Cabinet also agreed to consult with a former solider of the ABDF who has consistently run a boys training program that has transformed the lives and direction of boys who were going astray.