Corin Bailey, Contributor
JAMAICA HAS one of the highest levels of violent crime in the world with a homicide rate of 53.58 per 100,000 in 2004. The majority of these crimes are committed by young men between the ages of 15 and 35. This is arguably a response to a situation of marginalisation and exclusion, an adaptation in the face of structural inequities.
Social exclusion refers to the process by which individuals are unable to take part in the activities in the society. The social exclusion theory does not concentrate solely on income to measure material condition, but assesses how resources could affect an individual's participation in the lifestyle of his community.
The poor ghetto youth, are the ones who are at risk of violence. Impoverished inner-city neighbourhoods cannot exist without networks and relationships and they are often more involved in identity bearing groups than with their families for family ties are bound up with the type of responsibilities that are incompatible with their unemployed status. The groups are held together by strong psychological bonds and group allegiance has spatial expression. Poor communities become atomised by territorial claims of rival groups, by political allegiance, by involvement in illegal activities. Inter group conflicts and the periodic outbreaks of 'war' resulting in multiple homicides are the main causes of the high levels of violent crime in the island.
While there may be a hard criminal core at the heart of these gangs, the majority on the periphery are drawn unwillingly into illegal activities and the link between unemployment and involvement in gangs is evident.
As social exclusion also takes into consideration those who exclude, it is important to take into consideration the relationship that is had with one outside group that is in regular contact with inner-city communities - the police. There is evidence of very poor relations between young inner-city men and the police.
The traditional reliance on force by the Jamaica Constabulary Force goes a long way to explain the poor relations between the police and poor communities and the numerous complaints of police brutality.
WHAT'S TO BE DONE?
There is an obvious need for community development. It has been argued that for communities to develop there must be two related processes. Firstly, there must be:
The creation of social networks that have the power to attract and control capital.
Individuals in the community must be allowed access to that capital.
Only if these two criteria are satisfied, can individual gains and interests be synonymous with group gains and interests and individuals will have an interest in maintaining the viability of their communities.
POLICE
There must be the political will to transform the police force and bring an end to the abuses of the rights of citizens in poor communities. The abuses create resentment, which makes attempts at a productive engagement of police and community impossible.
EDUCATION
The class-based dual system of education must be dismantled for the children of the poor are not competing on equal terms. The country needs a system that promotes social integration, and a mixing of true abilities.
URGENCY
There is an urgent necessity to deal with these problems because of socially destructive responses that are emerging in communities - an increasing tolerance to crime, the shifting of definitional boundaries to adjust to increasing levels of crime, community self regulation and non-cooperation.
