The Youth Crime Prevention Day (YCPD) at Clifton Hunter High School, facilitated by Youth Anti-Crime Trust (Youth ACT), brought the realities of life home to 170 children in a 6-part social education program that highlighted the challenges and impact of social issues on youth and provided tools to combat those issues, which was sponsored by Sol Petroleum.

Experts in criminal justice and rehabilitation, including: ex-prisoners, prison officers, police officers, and counsellors shared their experiences and knowledge concerning the causes, consequences and penalties of crime. Sessions addressed topics such as gangs, guns, life in prison, bullying, the role of the police, in addition to “Let’s Talk”, a session that presents the real life dilemmas affecting teenagers in the Cayman Islands. The YCPD was delivered with thought provoking presentations and open discussions; the consensus by the students was that they were now less likely to make poor choices that will eventually lead to a life of imprisonment and despair.

“For me, the youth crime prevention day brought awareness of youth crime and ways to prevent it in my life and my friend’s lives. I learnt a lot. There were different law enforcers there, such as police and prison officers and they all treated me and my school mates with respect. It widened my thoughts about the causes and effects of crime, even in school; on the other hand the program provided us with knowledge about drugs, weapons and peer pressure and how to avoid gangs as well as the effects of bullying and other violence. They shared experiences from their own lives; real incidents that really happened. They made me understand a lot of things, as well as other students understand too and they [the students] said they will never make those same mistakes [as some of the presenters made]”, says Fabian, one of the students who attended the program.

The Youth Anti-Crime Trust (Youth ACT), a non-profit association was formed at the request of the

Government, to implement a recommended strategy of the National Security Council of delivering effective prevention and intervention programmes to address the increase in anti-social behaviour and to address and reduce juvenile crime, in turn leading to a safer society for everyone in Cayman, now and in the future. Every year Youth ACT holds Youth Crime Prevention Days in the Clifton Hunter and John Gray High Schools where Year 8 and Year 10 students learn about the importance of personal responsibility in ensuring positive outcomes for their lives. Youth ACT will deliver its final YCPD for 2016/2017 in June, just prior to the end of the school year.

“I saw a lot of greatness in that Year 10”, said Katina Anglin. “They’re great kids; they’re full of potential, but like myself at that age, are struggling with many issues. Sometimes, adults are very much unaware of the challenges, the storm that teenagers are caught into – and it’s not an easy one to manipulate through. I am hopeful that what I have shared will impact them to the extent that for some they seek help for their issues, and for the others to make choices that avoids a to a life of crime, drugs and violence; that they can all lead productive lives. I myself have lead a horror story from childhood to adulthood. Maybe sharing that through the YCPD will help other children with the knowledge and awareness needed to make positive decisions.”

Explaining the programme’s focus on education as a means of prevention, Youth ACT Chairperson Bonnie Anglin comments: “Too often we adults expect children to have the knowledge and experience to make good decisions, without providing them with the information that they need to make those decisions. We need to invest in programmes that build up and empower our kids and not on prisons”.

She also noted that there appears to a level of apathy from the country in addressing the growing increase in youth crime as seen by the lack of consistent funding for this program and feels that it is important that we recognize that crime is not a “your child” problem. It is a national problem and it needs national involvement and funding. Anyone who thinks that Cayman’s youth and society is worth saving, can contact Youth ACT at 916-5169, or on Facebook for more information.