Do you have a son or are you the carer of a boy child? If so, when last did you hug that child? Boys need affection just as much as girls. They need undivided attention, praise and encouragement: They also need nurturing, protection and most of all – they need your unconditional love.
Unconditional love means, that the love, attention and security that you give to your child remains the same even if your child disappoints you: upsets you or lets you down. These simple but effective attributes go a long way in building a child’s confidence and sense of well-being: his moral compass and tenacity: His idea of fair play and compassion and his ability to discern right from wrong.
The main reason why young boys, (adolescents) are getting into trouble and they end up committing crimes is due to the lack of morals and guiding principles in their lives. Families are responsible for shaping behaviour and nurturing a child’s personality but if the household is dysfunctional or void of structure, discipline and boundaries, young men will become wayward and end up spending time on the streets and fending for themselves in any way they can.
It is unlikely that children who feel loved, protected and appreciated would take the wrong route and deliberately get involved in crime. Thankfully, most children have parents who understand the importance of providing these key elements (and other components such as encouragement, praise and nurturing) during their formative years and beyond.
But for others, there is no warmth, affection, protection or direction in their households and the obvious notion to choose right over wrong along with other beneficial training and values are never passed down or demonstrated by elders or family members. It is a fact that some children are at a higher risk of becoming offenders, due to the circumstances into which they are born.
Lack of parental supervision, difficult family relationships and having friends and family who commit crime are no doubt precursors to an inevitable future of juvenile delinquency. That is unless an intervention of some sort is brought about promptly.
Through their misguided actions, each year hundreds of young teens find themselves on the wrong side of the law: many are below the age of criminal responsibility (14 years old). If measures are not put in place to prevent them from re-offending, they no doubt will be destined for a life of crime, resulting in incarceration or maybe even worse.
The new Juvenile Justice Act, which has been effective in Guyana since 2018 has tasked the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) with the increased responsibility of assisting these young offenders who require care, attention and a sense of direction. Rising to the challenge, the CPA launched a 13-week pilot project earlier this year with 7 young male offenders who were taken through various paces by a seasoned, male CPA worker in collaboration with a Faith-Based Organisation.
The child development programme falls under a ’Behaviour Modification Programme to Prevent Re-offending’, which follows a series of modules. The aim is to prevent re-offending by exposing the young men to situations that build their life and survival skills and by making them more aware of their place in society.
It became apparent while gathering information from the juveniles that many of their lives so far, have lacked affection, love and stability. In the majority of cases, a positive male role model was nowhere to be found. Activities and provisions that most children take for granted such as family outings, regular meals, and a sense of security and protection: were also missing from their lives.
Boys need to learn valuable attributes (for life) from men they can bond with and whom they respect. A boy will follow or emulate an older ‘no do-gooder’ sibling or family member simply because that person is the symbol of manhood that he has latched on to: boys need male examples to follow, this is a scientific fact.
The two male CPA workers carried out several interactive sessions with the young men who were very forthcoming and responsive to the one-to-one attention. The findings of the programme are yet to be evaluated but any programme devised with the sole purpose of giving young people an insight into their capabilities and potential should be commended.
The CPA has devised and currently runs several programmes for families, adults and children in different regions of Guyana. The programmes aim to educate and empower adults and young people while building their knowledge and self-awareness about the prevention of child abuse.
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY,
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION
