Gareth Manning, Sunday Gleaner Writer

WITH WELL over 2,000 children and young adults murdered in Jamaica over the past five years, at an average of more than 400 per year, Jamaica is undoubtedly on a path to self-destruction, experts agree.

"What we are doing to ourselves is self-destructive," comments anthropologist Dr Herbert Gayle. "This is what we call social suicide!"

The twisted roots of violence that has choked Jamaica's young people, 90 per cent of whom are young men, have also robbed the country of some brilliant young minds.

"By killing these youngsters, the country is being deprived of potential strength and development," says social worker and community volunteer, Horace Levy.

Social programmes needed

He states that what is needed in these communities is more social programmes that educate and train people to be self-sufficient. By helping people lift themselves out of their circumstances, Levy says, the country would be able to save the lives of some of its bright, young minds.

Gayle, who is one of Jamaica's leading researchers on gang dynamics and inner-city violence, agrees.

"In the inner city and working communities, when they do have these bright kids who are going to replace some of us, what happens? We kill them! So we are literally replacing ourselves with weaker people.

"Jamaica has not been replenishing its society with the minds it needs to drive its future development, as those who can afford to have many children have few or none, while those who cannot - the poor - have more than they can afford to care for," Gayle says.

The lack of structural support in poor communities, Gayle adds, in turn, creates a myriad of social problems that make it nearly impossible for young, bright people from the inner city or similar communities to emerge.

He underscores the urgent need for social policies to effectively address the squalid conditions of the nation's poor and inner-city communities.

Gang recruitment

Gayle identifies gang recruitment as another phenomenon robbing the island of bright youngsters.

Once gifted youngsters are identified, he says, they are either recruited by criminal gangs or killed by jealous community members.

"It's paradoxical that some gangs will target bright youths. In other settings, persons will protect these kids. I have seen situations where people try to recruit them and other members say, 'We are going to have a war over this youth, he is not going to become no gang-banger'," Gayle discloses.

He says there have also been situations where jealous community members try to impede the progress of bright youngsters.

"What some parents also do is flaunt the progress of their children. So it cuts both ways. And that causes them (jealous community members) to target these kids and they get hurt as a result," he adds.

"So, rather than a village raising the child, it's a village killing the child," Gayle states.

Follow the 'Generation Lost' series each week in the Sunday Gleaner.

Youth killed - by gender