FROM LEFT: Guardian General’s Business Development and Relation Officer Dominic Persaud hands over a sponsorship cheque to Registrar of the Supreme Court of Barbados, Barbara Cooke-Alleyne; and Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit’s Director, Cheryl Willoughby.
Too much freedom and a lack of discipline are two major issues creating deviant behaviour in children.
Registrar of the Supreme Court of Barbados, Barbara Cooke-Alleyne, highlighted that parents are not giving the necessary supervision and guidance, opting to allow their children to have their own way at times where discipline is warranted.
“One of the problems with the parents is how to put boundaries, how to discipline, how to put structures in place for their children, and that is indeed lacking. Children have too much freedom to roam, they have keys at an early age and that is all a part of the problem,” she said.
The registrar noted that research has shown how these factors create at-risk children at a later stage.
“We looked at psychiatric and psychological concerns and realised that 50 per cent of the children from the Juvenile Court had these issues,” she pointed out, adding that teachers often recognise at-risk children at an early stage, and as such any response would need to be multi-pronged – involving parents, teachers and various agencies.
She made the comments yesterday in the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs during the press launch of the ‘Winner’s Circle: Making the Right Choice’ programme, which will see hundreds of Class Four primary school students receiving a helping hand transitioning into their new secondary school come September.
In its ninth cycle, the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit’s programme begins next Wednesday and will target primary schools in Christ Church and St. Philip.
Cooke-Alleyne highlighted that issues of drug awareness, self-esteem building, puberty, abstinence, cyber-bullying and peer pressure would be addressed at the various workshops.