Looking for the roots of crime
Earlier in this newscast we looked at an organisation that works to build character and provide marketable skills for Belizean youths. Another institution that deals with young people in Belize lies less than thirty miles east of the Belmopan 4-H headquarters. That’s where I was this morning, at the Youth Hostel, looking for the children that 4-H missed.
“Michael John”, 12 years old
“I was four years old, I still remember that up to now when I am already twelve years old. I asked my auntie to let me go and do-do, because if I would go to my mother, my mother would rail up, this and that, and I can’t hold it in. I was naked and I want to go and stool and then I can’t hold it in, so I sit down one spot and I stool and my ma nevah had the patience and grab that and push that inna my mouth.”
Abuse is just one factor health officials believe causes children to develop emotional and personality disorders that can lead them to later gravitate toward a life of crime.
Paula Murray, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
“As these kids get older, you find that they become in constant conflict with the law. They involve themselves in vandalism and then most likely some of them commit suicide. Who do not commit suicide, they commit murder, because of the way they are left on their own, they feel, okay what I do that’s my choice and that’s the right thing.”
“Monica”, 12 years old
“Sometimes I hate when people provoke me. Once you provoke me and get me mad, I will want to beat up you.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And how far would you go if someone provokes you? How far would you go? Would you beat that person to the point where he or she is badly injured?”
“Monica”
“They would only get bust mouth.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Why you decided to go and break into somebody’s house?”
“Jamie”, 15 years old
“Cause I knew they had something good in their house and I just gone in there and get it.”
Paula Murray
“Ninety percent of cases is a personality disorder, some of them, peer pressure. Not a personality disorder but peer pressure to be in the crowd. Okay, the crowd commits a crime, to be with that crowd, I have to commit a crime, so they commit their crimes.”
The children we spoke to, whose identities have been protected, are receiving rehabilitative care at the Youth Hostel. There are twenty-eight residents between the ages of eleven and sixteen that are being counselled at the facility near mile twenty-one on the Western Highway.
Brain Hernandez, Supervisor, Youth Hostel
“The children are brought here from the courts. They are either sent here for uncontrollable behaviour or for first time offenders. Also, they are sent here through probation officers.”
It is one month since twelve-year-old “Michael John” has been at the hostel. He was sent to the institution after he committed a burglary.
“Michael John”, 12 year old
“Whenever you have money, I can do anything I want with it, right ma’am and stuff like that. But when I do it afterwards, when you done steal already, you feel bad after that.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Did you see it as an easy way to get money?”
“Michael John”
“Yes, ma’am. But now, you see where it drove me to.”
Twelve-year-old “Monica” has run away from home and childcare centre at least five times. She has been at the hostel for one month. The young girl was sent to the institution from the care centre in Belize City after she attacked a female officer.
“Monica”
“A shove ah back and I knock ah. And then afterwards I push ah back in the clothing area pan the barrel and she knocked her back. The afterwards she come slap me, then I punch up ah and I slapped and I knock up ah and kick ah.”
Emotional and behavioural disorders of children and adolescents have been the focus of World Mental Health Week.
Paula Murray
“The youths are the future of Belize. They are the men and women of tomorrow, and if we leave them to go the way they are going, there will be no Belize. Who’s going to take up the reins when the older folks move on?”
Paula Murray and Yvonne Haylock are both psychiatric nurse practitioners at the Cleopatra White Health Centre. They believe the cases they have been seeing at the clinic, around twelve each week, represent just the tip of the iceberg.
Yvonne Haylock, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
“It’s true we don’t have a lot of teenaged children coming in. I feel that it is the old time stigma on the illness and on the institution, feeling that if they come here to get some help to sort out themselves, they are getting crazy or are crazy, and people do not want to be branded like that.”
The clinic has been trying to work with schools and families to help children with problems, that if not addressed could lead to crime or even suicide. It’s a decision that thirteen-year-old “Venice” almost made last year.
“Venice”, 12 years old
“I wanted to throw myself.”
Jacqueline Woods
“You wanted to throw yourself off the veranda?”
“Venice”
“Off the steps.”
Unfortunately, not many parents are recognising that their children are having problems. It’s a situation that health officials with great difficulty.
Brain Hernandez, Supervisor, Youth Hostel
“We have about thirteen percent of our population that we send out return back to the hostel as recidivists. The reason is because we do have a problem with the families. We work with the children them and after we rehabilitate them and send them through a process, they return back home where the problem is at home and they go out and do the same crime again.”
Yvonne Haylock, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
“Children with conduct disorder and problem sleeping and not being able to concentrate on their school work or missing from school or from home, those things can be corrected once you the parents take interest in the child.”
Jacqueline Woods
“I want you to be very honest with me. Do you think you are ready to go back home?”
“Monica”
“No, ma’am.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Why?”
“Monica”
“Well, I kind of change a lee bit, but not fully.”
It is estimated that one in every five adolescents will experience an emotional problem or disorder by the time they reach adulthood. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
