Recently, someone I hold in high regards stated, “how we in Grenada treat our elders is an indication of the type of people we are.”
In my opinion, the same goes for our minors, as Bob Marley says in the song, Real Situation, “Once a man and twice a child. And everything is just for a while.” So why are we, yes, ah say we, is all ah we, and yes, YOU leave dem children alone, allowing our vulnerable children to be subjected to continuous sexual and child abuse?
A primary causal factor of child sexual abuse in Grenada tends to be centered around poverty, especially for children from the ages of 12 to 18. The Child (Protection and Adoption) Act defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 years of age. That cycle of poverty begins in the family unit. Far too often when we are made aware of heinous sexual crimes we show community outrage, but that fades with time (2 weeks). We get back to normal and remain quiet until the next sensational crime occurs when the alleged perpetrator’s details become viral on social media.
The Strategic Plan for Educational Enhancement and Development 2006-2015 was created to develop Grenada’s educational sector. With that document in hand, the Government of Grenada with funding from various non-governmental agencies and other stakeholders created programmes to protect our children. Underprivileged parents can now access the School Uniform Assistance Programme, School Feeding Programme, National Textbook Programme, SEED, and so much more assistance. So, ‘who minin dem chilren, d government or dey parents’? What is the role of a parent, are parents abdicating their roles? The least we ask of you as parents is to ensure your children are safe. Because yuh doh have to save money to buy school books, uniform, bus fee, and food in September, doh mean yuh gamble and party all deh time. Stay home and protect your children. Ah say watch dem.
In a 2008 study (today, I am sure the level is much higher due to Covid-19) youth unemployment was at 36% of the total number of unemployment. We have programmes such as MPower and the New Imani programme to develop our youths and young parents. These programmes were created to stem the tide of poverty and should be fully embraced as a means of protecting our children from abuse.
The Government of Grenada oversees a housing programme to assist underprivileged and vulnerable individuals to ensure the right to safe and secure housing. By providing housing assistance, this means that money meant for house repairs can now be used for another purpose. My fellow Grenadians, use the money wisely, invest in your education, children’s education so their lives can be much better than yours. My grandmother taught me that if she has a one-bedroom house, then I had to study and work hard to build a two-bedroom house; each generation should do better than the one before. Intergenerational wealth should be instilled in each generation, if yuh doh teaching yuh children dat, den doh watch wen odder people have. The bible says, “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.”
The SEED (Support for Education, Empowerment and Development) programme was created to decrease poverty within the tri-island state as poverty is a causal factor for child sexual abuse. Parents, send the children to school because the Government of Grenada and other stakeholders are now providing vehicles to protect our vulnerable children. Education lifts one out of poverty. Take up your responsibility as parents and watch dem children. Are we to now charge parents and caregivers of such children who experience such heinous crimes with child abandonment, child endangerment, neglect, as a co-conspirator, aiding and abetting, child abuse? As the saying goes, “the upholder is worse than de tief”. Maybe we need to take a different approach and focus on prevention using a holistic approach to educate the child, parent, abuser (at times the same abusers were abused as children).
As our institutions of higher education such as TAMCC and St George’s University (SGU) are about to open their doors in September, one asks the question, where is their social responsibility towards victims of abuse? There was a recent incident where a woman facing domestic violence and her children facing sexual abuse were able to leave after she furthered her education. Can these institutions (their students) offer victims volunteer tutoring so victims of abuse can further their education to be able to leave the abusive situation? Volunteerism and giving back to society should be a core tenant of our esteemed institutions of higher learning.
The school holidays are upon us and our children are at home. The sad reality is that prior to Covid-19 a perpetrator may be working, so out of the house from 7 am to 5 pm, and when he or she arrives at home there are other individuals to protect the child. But a significant number of individuals are working from home, this means increased exposure to potential abuse. What protections are there to protect our children?
From a very young age, our children need to be taught safe behaviour. In 2019 the Ontario government revised the sex-ed programme for grades 1 to 8, each child was taught sexual safety. There was tremendous push back primarily from religious groups and the addition of LGBTQ+ issues. The reality is that the same bible says, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.”, the same bible teaches us to love one another, the same bible teaches us to protect our children. We all know that the majority of parents in Grenada do not discuss the issue of sex with their children, I commend the ones who do. Children now are internet savvy and knowledgeable regarding sexuality, so let us teach them safety. We all need to come together and protect our children.
Growing up as a child, the war on drugs was on the front burner. I was bombarded with the slogan, “stay away from drugs” from different mediums. It has shaped my personal views and morality around the issue, I was taught that it was wrong. Today, we need such campaigns to protect our children where they are continually reminded to say “doh touch meh”. They are to be taught that interference by an adult is wrong, to report the interference to a trusted individual.
We live in a global village and so adopting practices which work is always best practice. Zimbabwe has devised a programme called the Friendship Bench Project. Simply put, they have put structure to a practice we already practice here. The project is centred around community healing; grandmothers are taught to provide basic assistance for mental health and safety for community members. In River Road, I pass the lady sitting by the community bathroom. Typically, she is speaking to someone residing in the neighbourhood. At times, a friendly face can make or break one’s day. Can our children be taught to go to such an individual in the community to discuss challenges with confidentiality, safety, and assistance at its core?
We know that education lifts one out of poverty. A well-educated woman experiencing domestic violence or her children experiencing sexual abuse is able to pack her 2 suitcases and walk away, and start over much easier. A well-educated woman experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace is able to accept being fired or leave the job voluntarily leaving with her dignity, self-respect and integrity as opposed to giving in to unwanted advances from her superior, “no wuk fuh wuk”.
There is an old adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” So, as we would say, “get up and get.” As our children further their education in September let us remember our national anthem, “Aspire, build, advance, as one people, one family. God bless our nation.”
Tricia Simon is an Attorney-at-Law called to the bar in the State of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique and the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Re: NOH TOUCH ME (joke title) Many references are made to poverty and child sexual abuse. We should mentally get away from these attitudes that poor people commit crimes and accept that children from socially privileged backgrounds are not exempt from these types of abuse. The heads of these households are better skilled at disguising their perversive behavior. Your article seem to suggest that mainly financial deprived parents who are likely to be prone to such heinous practices and should be more closely observed. Nothing could be further from the truth. A paedophile is a paedophile regardless of his social standing in society. Often poor people feel they have nothing to offer their children than the church to help guide them through this immoral maze.
Educate starts in the home. Help parents to help children.
One of the most disgusting and evil things I have ever seen in my life was a cat….she had her kittens and turned around and ate them all hours later. All that was left was the little heads.
The horror and revulsion… what absolute evil…even for a cat.
There are some evil psychopathic men who turn around and through a process of grooming sexually feed off the body of child they fathered. All that remains, is a psychologically damaged child.
These evil men rightly deserve nothing less than shame, scorn and rejection.
Incest is a disgusting evil crime based on our Christian/Religious Moral and Ethical values. Sadly in the pursuit of sexual gratification, people today, are corrupted by Mass Media due to lack of family and spiritual ethics and morals.
Immoral Lawyers and Politicians for the sake of pure power and ego, increasingly inject themselves into the role of a parent. The State assume the role of parent ir grand parent which it have no right.
Yes, educate a child that no one is allowed to sexually touch them and abuse them but dont start using this as an excuse to now indoctrinate LGBTQ and other Gender disorders into the minds of young children..
Over and over, there are too many hidden political agendas, endless wolves in sheep clothing.
When you look at the messed up societies of many Western countries, Grenada would be wise not to emulate them.
When it comes to Morals and Ethics the last place to look for it is with Politicians, Lawyers and Government.
Some of the most corrupt and evil people today belong exclusively to this group.
Morals and Ethics belong soley to parents, grandparents and the extended family. Not a village and not teachers or government.
Sex crimes are already illegal so why do Grenada need young children to be indoctrinated like US/UK/Canada with Sex and Gender Sexuality at a very young age under the guise of redressing Incest?
All they end with is a bunch of confused kids who ignore their biological gender and become easy prey for sexual predators.
There are too many twisted Educators in the West, brainwashing kids to accept sexual perversion as the norm.
I am not convinced that the way to deal with the rare case of incest is to start mass brainwashing kids about their sexuality.
Well said …. most people won’t understand your depth… today morals n ethics is lost even the elders are brainwashed today…. there’s no mo leaders to stand firm to righteousness.
totally on board…. but from where does this disordered incestual (AT THE WORST) proclivity arise? how do we stop these horrific acts on our children? WHY is this even a conversation we actually have to have?? how is it we, and the young souls we are tasked with in teaching about the world and life… subject to these atrocities?
Who can explain the origin of evil when one in three people are Psychopaths and Sociopaths. Some say its related to brain development and others say its moral and ethical culture. So its probably degrees of both.
Who do you trust in society when even a smiling Preist is a serpent who sexually abuse their role as a Moral beacons and guides.
Some basic guidance and education on acceptable moral and ethical values are absolutely necessary for young children, however….
I dont want to see hidden agendas such as what is going on in the UK where from kindergarten age children and up, are being brainwashed about gender and sexuality, with books about Gay Penguins and Transvestites.
One book is called Princess Boy or something like that, and its about a little black boy who likes to dress up in girls clothing.
All of this is going on in the UK right now under a supposed Conservative Government.