Delroy Chuck
THE DEVASTATING effect of crime and violence on the social order, the victims, their families and friends is simply immeasurable. Criminal behaviour is repugnant, inexcusable and intolerable. No society can allow criminals to overwhelm and, ultimately, destroy it. Appropriate measures are constantly needed to prevent and control criminality, and preferably before it becomes the nation's main concern.
While social scientists cannot easily explain crimes' multifaceted causes, certain factors tend to induce or trigger criminal behaviour. What factors are responsible for Jamaica's subculture of violence and increasing gang warfare? The social phenomenon of gang violence has only emerged in recent times and its creation is allegedly, although mistakenly, linked to politics. Actually, in virtually every country with inner city communities, gang violence is a likely feature and a real danger. Gangs, generally, are the products of social disorganisation and the fight for economic advantages within economically deprived communities.
HARSH ECONOMIC CLIMATE
Jamaica's upsurge in criminal violence results significantly from the numerous inner cities that have been forged from the harsh economic climate across virtually every town. Within these poor urban communities, huddled masses of poor, illiterate, unemployed, restless, young men are seeking their places in a society that has largely abandoned them. These 'so-called irredeemable' young men are responsible for 90% or more of the murders, robberies, rapes, shootings and other violent crimes. Yet, it is the failure of the economy and the social order to absorb the abundant energy of these young men that has opened the whole society to their criminal onslaught.
The Jamaican society has definitely failed these young men. We have failed to provide the legitimate outlets and open channels for them to seek and obtain material well-being, social legitimacy, status and respect. In truth, if enough jobs, opportunities and activities were available, these young men could find legitimate paths to satisfy their needs and aspirations. However, in a society that caters only to the rich and well-connected, the options for the poor, unemployed boys are limited and, oftentimes, blocked. Regardless of their skills and qualifications, if they reside in certain communities, they will not get the available jobs or favourable consideration from civil society.
COMFORT FROM GANGS
From the emptiness of their social surroundings, unemployed, lower class males find acceptance, status and respect within a gang. The gang provides the comfort, connection and camaraderie for these poor, forgotten young men to survive and be somebody in their deprived social and economic environment. The gang's main pre-occupation is with the protection and control of turf and uses violence or the threat of violence to do so. Sadly, these gangs fight in the many pockets of poverty for power and control over territory for the same primitive, unthinking, and physiological reasons as the beasts of the jungles. Still, until we can address these socio-economic conditions in the inner cities, gang violence will continue to torment their residents and undermine the social order.
To be sure, crime is seen as Jamaica's main problem. But, crime is the symptom. It is the symptom of failure. Increasing criminality reflects Jamaica's social and economic disintegration. Jamaica's criminal problem emerges from the cesspool of failures, the use of state resources for political patronage instead of real economic development, the drug trade, extortion racket and the government's failure and inability to create an economic environment for investment and production.
FAILURE OF SOCIETY
Amongst other failures, crime and the criminals in our midst are spawned from the failure of our society to offer better choices and alternatives, the failure of our churches and the society to strengthen the moral and social bonds, the failure to remove the social conditions that are criminal breeding grounds, the failure of the rich and wealthy to exude a social conscience, the failure of the fortunate few to even think of the less fortunate, the failure to generate and implement policies that can lift the poor and unemployed from their social alienation, and the failure to craft a shared vision for peace, hope and prosperity. When we can overcome these failures, and others, crime will no longer be our main concern and agonising fear.
Delroy Chuck is an attorney-at-law and Opposition Member of Parliament. He can be contacted by email at delchuck@hotmail.com.
