#BTEditorial – Who will save our minors from the clutches of crime?

When drug use and gang activity infiltrate our primary schools, when underage children — some as young as nine — are recruited into violent gangs, and when illicit substances are possibly being exchanged just outside school gates, we must ask ourselves: Who will save our next generation?

The statistics are grim. The country has already recorded seven homicides in the first month of 2025, following a startling 50 last year. These are not just numbers — they are lives lost, families shattered, communities destabilised. And now, as we battle an unrelenting crime wave, our youngest and most vulnerable are being drawn into this abyss.

This issue is not new. In 2020, we published a story where youth activist and chairman of the Drug Education and Counselling Services (DECS) Roger Husbands sounded the alarm, warning that more children were being lured into gangs.

He revealed that even primary school children, some as young as nine, were being initiated into criminal organisations.
“I am seeing a totally different kind of age group that I have never seen before. Right now, one of the gangs in one of the parishes in Barbados have people as young as nine years old, primary school children, involved in it,” he told Barbados TODAY.

Husbands also highlighted the role of peer recruitment, where older children with gang ties introduce their friends to a dangerous world masked as camaraderie and protection.

His warnings went largely unheeded. Now, five years later, we are facing the chilling reality of suspected drug transactions outside school compounds.

In an exclusive Barbados TODAY story, Deputy Manager of the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), Troy Wickham, confirmed an ongoing investigation into the suspected sale of psychoactive substances to a primary school child.

If forensic tests confirm the presence of illicit drugs, authorities must act decisively and immediately to bring those responsible to justice.

But is this reported incident isolated or have others gone without any official report being made? The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has lamented time and time again that teachers encounter rogue students in the primary school system acting out with some even threatening to do bodily harm to teachers.

The Barbados Drug Information Network 2023 report further revealed the growing scale of the problem. Of the 93 students admitted to the Edna Nicholls Centre, a facility for students with behavioural issues, a third tested positive for marijuana.

The majority were boys between the ages of 13 and 15. This aligns with other findings that young males under 20 make up the majority of those seeking treatment for drug addiction.

What has changed since 2020? What policies have been implemented to directly tackle this crisis? Where are the preventative measures that should have been put in place years ago? If we are now hearing of primary school children being exposed to drugs, we must conclude that the response from authorities has been wholly inadequate.

The NCSA’s substance abuse programmes in schools are commendable, but they are not enough. We need a comprehensive, multi-agency strategy that involves law enforcement, social services, education officials, and parents working together to stem the tide of youth involvement in crime.

Husbands made a critical point in 2020 — parents must be held accountable. Schools should implement strict policies that ensure parents are actively involved in their children’s education and well-being. Penalties should be introduced for those who neglect their parental duties, just as Husbands suggested. If financial penalties make parents more engaged, then so be it. The cost of inaction is far greater.

How do we ensure the safety of our children? How do we protect the innocent from being drawn into a life of crime and drug abuse? These are not rhetorical questions — they demand immediate answers and concrete action.

First, we need stronger police presence around schools, particularly those in high-risk areas. Authorities must aggressively investigate and prosecute those who exploit children for criminal gain. We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy before we take action.

Second, schools must implement early intervention programmes that identify at-risk students and provide them with mentorship and guidance. Peer influence is a powerful force — why not use it for positive reinforcement rather than destruction? Third, we need urgent legislative action to address juvenile crime and substance abuse.

Any adult caught supplying drugs to a minor should face the harshest penalties under the law. Additionally, anti-gang laws must be enforced with greater rigour to prevent children from being recruited into criminal organisations.

With a National Peace Programme and a National Advisory Council on Citizen Security in place to tackle crime where full-blown criminals of adult age are the offenders, where are the governmental programmes and policies geared at intervention at the level of minors? What is being done to help those in our society who are not equipped to help themselves; a group of people we categorise as vulnerable.

We are standing at the edge of a disaster that will define the future of our nation. If we allow this crisis to continue unchecked, we are dooming an entire generation to violence, addiction, and incarceration.

The time for empty words and delayed action is over. The government, law enforcement, educators, and parents must act decisively and immediately. The safety and future of our children depend on it.

Who will save our next generation? The answer must be all of us — before it is too late.