Unless there is a recalibration of society’s moral compass, clearly identifying the polar opposites of right and wrong, there would be a continued escalation of school violence.
This is the diagnosis of local psychiatrist Dr Ermine Belle, following the stabbing death of a student at Frederick Smith Secondary School last Friday at the hands of a fellow student.
This morning Belle told Barbados TODAY that any attempt to treat school violence in a vacuum would only yield short-term results. She contended that the problem was a systemic one, noting that with 2019 being Barbados’ bloodiest year recording 42 murders so far, it was not surprising that this was spilling over into the school system
“Talking about school violence alone would be just narrowing down the issues to one out of many. School violence comes from violence in society and unless we do something about curbing violence on a whole, then school violence will persist. These children were not born with violent thoughts or ordained to be violent, these children had exposure from their environment and their home. What we need to do is consciously realize that this society is violent,” said Belle.
The respected psychiatrist argued that Barbados’ violent society did not emerge overnight, but rather the slide took place gradually over the years, as Barbadians were in denial about the impact of the morality-numbing influences in society.
“People are going to be annoyed to hear me say this, but for years people have been in denial about the things that have been causing people to become distressed, causing people to go into a state of despair to the point where they stop feeling… People need to have standards and objectives for their children or that child will simply float where it is attractive and this might lead to wanting to be like the bad man in the neighborhood because it looks exciting and enriching,” she said, pointing out that age-appropriate television viewing and video gaming, have now become out of fashion concepts.
Belle told Barbados TODAY that based on her professional practice, it is becoming increasingly apparent that long-valued precepts such as actions attracting consequences, no longer have any sway in today’s society.
“These issues start from the time that you start ignoring values, you start ignoring the fact that there are things that are right and there are things that are wrong. I am not saying that there are no grey areas because there are grey areas, but those have to be identified and they have to be discussed.
“If a child takes a pencil and hides it in their bag and walks to school with it every day and there is no consequence because his parents never checked their bag, then that child starts to believe that he or she has not done anything wrong,” said Dr Belle.
She added, “This is something that I recognize very often in people that I see, they just don’t think down the road, they think for the moment. So, the action is done and everything as far as they are concerned is finished but is only afterwards that they realize that it is not finished. They wake up to the reality that there are many steps to follow after their action.
“This is one of the major problems that we have. Parents do not allow their children to realize that there is a consequence to their action. So, there are a number of things that we have neglected to keep as principles and to defend as moral behavior and until we do, we are going to continue to face the consequences of our actions.”
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The older bajahns are some of the most despicable, the children are a deep reflection of their parents, family, and society. I see parents in Barbados appearing as con men and women. They are always hustling people cheapening the moral values of life and the environment they are living in it is disgusting. Social values are reduced to a con in Barbados and that is from the top on down other direction.
So very true Dr. Belle and the sooner we realize it the better we would be. Good manners and values are no longer seem as relevant to some parents so these are not instilled in their children. We therefore have some young people who think they are a law unto themselves. The school can only do so much.
I totally agree violence breeds violence children need to be taught not beaten because they were wrong , there is not enough love or communication within families to help support and guide these young people
As a woman plan your life have goals not children , children will come later when you are in a loving relationship and you have a secure environment to nurture
The child
Why do Barbadians keep hiding the real problems of our society to portray something that doesn’t exist .
Dr.Bell has hit the nail on the head, this slide in our morals was started a long time ago.
Everybody wants to do their own thing, while people in charge give excuses and use all types of cliches to justify all types of wrong doings.
I’ve told people the same for years. We turn a blind eye to discipline and morals and use excuses for the children’s actions- Oh every body does it. That is the norm. He/she is the only body you see? And when they find themselves in problems with the law the same neglectful parents find the best lawyer they can’t afford to attempt to justify the child’s actions. Then other educated excuses are made to prevent the child from enduring the consequences of his/her actions, hence there is NO deterrent from doing wrong because the child knows how the system has his/her back as we persist in doing away with what made us the Nation we are, and copy all the negatives of foreign territories. God help us!
Follow China’s example and commence a blockade of the airwaves, digital and otherwise of imported abusive and derogatory images of Black people in the name of “Entertainment” from the United States of America in particular.
Love, Respect and Appreciation. I have been brought up to have these principles. Today I hear some parents say as far as their child is concern, “Oh I can’t be bothered with him or her”. If you can’t be bothered with them then who else should be. It is our responsibility as parents and adults to be bothered, it is us that children turn too for Love, Respect, Appreciation and advise, If we let them down then who are they to turn too but the person in the street that may lead them down the wrong path. We need to keep talking and instilling these values in them even if it seems hopeless, some day it will hit home to them and you will realize it was not in vain. My school bag was searched by my parents when I was growing up and if there was a pencil in there that did not belong to me it had to be given back the next day. We have lost a lot of values over the years and it is costing us our young people. We adults need to play our part.
THIS ARTICLE NEEDS TO GO ON A BILBOARD!!
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH SYMPTONS AND NOT THE ROOT CAUSE!
While we continue to treat this cancerous, gangrene situation with 2 panadols and plaster, the horse has long bolted from the stable, there is no need to find a solution to shut the door…DEAL WITH THE MORAL DECAY, the disrespect from leadership and to leadership. Politicians on both sides of the spectrum has to take responsibility for this decay, the home OH MY WORD , has to take responsibility for the immoral beats they breeding and push into the system… THE CHURCH HAS TO BE THE CHURCH AND STOP LOOKING FOR POLITICAL POINTS AND ACCOLADES
THE CHURCH CAN NO LONGER CO EXIST WITH BADNESS AND CALL IT GOOD. The police CANNOT be accused of coexisting with gangsters, Politicians politicians, politicians…… REMOVE THE CHILDREN that sitting over ministerial position and get experience personnel to deal with the nation’s children…THE HORSE HAS BOLTED THE STABLE – WE HAVE EATEN SOUR GRAPES AND NOW THE NATIONS CHILDREN’S TEETH ARE ON EDGE!!!!
I have no doubt that I am wrong but I will say this still. From what I have read in other media, the last time this type of thing happened in a school setting was 30 years ago. From 30 years ago till now there were no metal detectors, and frequent bag searches. During my time at school, sometime during this 30 year period, we were bombarded with messages to not become teenage mothers, don’t do drugs, don’t get involved in violence. I would like to say that the majority of us complied but there was still the public outcry that the violent music causing children to do this or that, or it was because parents go divorced or for some other reason that the society was ill. I don’t believe that any baby is born with violent thoughts or actions and I do believe that any and all environments play a role but my strongest belief is that it is up to the individual to choose his or her path. I don’t know why that young man felt it necessary to take to school a weapon but he did. We have to stop finding excuses for all types of societal ills and call a spade a spade. They were both children but he clearly was disturbed to be carrying around such a thinking and carry out that action and its quite likely that someone else would have felt his wrath if not now, then when he became an adult. Barbados is indeed a sick, sick place and I hope it gets better very very soon.
DR. BELLE, PLEASE JOIN THE OTHER FEW WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO TAKE AN OBJECTIVE VIEW OF THE REALITIES OF LIFE HERE IN OUR COUNTRY.
THANK YOU FOR AIRING THIS SITUATION OUT.
YOU know, we keep ignoring the impact of those things around us and those things we allow in via media etc. these, couple with the relaxed parenting habits have landed us here.
Even now, we have anonymous (thanks for that) already trying to protect children with that tired emotive nonsense.
AND YES, THE TIME HAS COME TO LOOK AT THIS THING SQUARELY AND CALL IT WHAT IT IS AND BEGIN THE PROCESS FOR TURNAROUND.
THANK YOU DR. BELLE.
Dr. Belle is absolutely correct. Unattended declining morals and values over many years is today’s results. Children are born like empty vessels, to be filled by those responsible for their socialization..the family, the wider society. They are simply pouring out what was fed them. That’s why there is no quick fix to this problem or why no government or agency can correct it. It’s a societal problem. We have to go back to the drawing board and get back to basics…the good old morals and values that we have abandoned must be reintroduce in the schools and through public education programmes on radio and TV and social media because everyone, the young, the not so young and the elderly will have to be on board and on the same page in this national reorientation drive. This is the reality, for there to be a change of behaviour there must first be a change in thinking. As Dr. Belle said, there is a big disconnect between what is right and what is wrong in this modern Barbados
I am reading this from way up North.
I was shocked by the stabbing …. but not by Dr Belle’s conclusions and shared opinions.
There was a moment in time when politicians and parents did everything they possibly could to have their children ‘schooled’ in one way or another!
In the hands of teachers in a formal setting or working at a jobs under the supervision of a community member. All very valuable and worthwhile and contributing to their sense of self worth and contributing to their own family and their own future.
This is not unique to Barbados ….. attitudes have changed significantly all over the world.
Families (children and parents included) are subjected to and influenced by rhetoric of dubious moral value but emanating from people who profess to be informed.
It is one of the dilemmas our youth face …. who to believe …. What to believe …. where to turn for guidance.
Children learn as much from their time in ‘play’ school or kindergarten or playing ‘kick – the – tot – pan’ with neighbourhood friends about right and wrong … good and bad …. fair and unfair ….. compassion and understanding as they ever will and it is character building.
Give them the opportunity to grow and develop without fear and too many rules.
Society is depressed to say the least …. overwhelmed !
Teachers need to be trained in communication
skills,Teachers are not aware of students situations. They are children who are living life twice an adult and never a child. There are children taking care of children and their siblings as well, while the parents are not taking responsibility for their role as a parent. Young school girls are force into
prostitution by their parents and school boys are selling drugs and doing contract killings in Barbados. Parents and teachers need to take responsibility and become more involved in their lives.
Have we stopped questioning the stereotyping and the stigmatizing of individual communities… and what have we done to create this toxic social climate that we find ourselves in…we must asked ourselves.
We need to talk about the relationship between Islam and western democracy-Christianity and Rastafari and LGBTQ migration.
All western societies are questioning how you achieve integration. The appeal is to say let’s not define each other through the lens of conflict. What is it good for??? absolutely nothing. I would like to recommend you to go see more comedy, it is positive and practical in the light of progressive liberal values. We must listen to the debates more which we consider are too sensitive.
The penultimate point in this article is that we are dealing with a microcosm of a bigger problem in wider society. What doctor Belle should have gone into more detail about, is the various triggers that are pushing society and its children towards violent tendencies. We need not ignore the causes when we are already feeling the effects of those causes in a big way.
Spare the rod and spoil the child. Politics has changed that. Many fathers and mother’s today was never thought to be responsible parents for the children. My times at school was controlled by the teachers. These days, The teachers times at school are being controlled by the students. Hello politics. There are only two Spirits in the world, the Lord’s and the demonic. Satanic. So please see it as it is, No Christ, No peace, love, Godly character. Take Christ out of the educational system and you will have an uneducated (un -discipline) country even in the Courts and other govt institutions. Bring up the child in the way they should go. Bend the tree when it’s young.