Poverty and teen violence

Jun 03, 2012 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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On June 1 we observed International Children’s Day. This is a fitting time to take a critical look at the state of our nation’s children and the systems and conditions provided for their growth and development.
UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2012 Report focuses on children in an urban world. According to the Report, many children in urban areas are at high risk of exploitation and trafficking, as well as becoming victims of violence.
The Report notes that “the hardships endured by children in poor urban communities are often concealed – and thus perpetuated – by the statistical averages on which decisions about resource allocation are based. Because averages lump everyone together, the poverty of some is obscured by the wealth of others. One consequence of this is that children already deprived remain excluded from essential services.”
The Report goes on to state that “children living in urban poverty experience levels of depression and distress that are higher than the urban average.  One factor often cited by children and observers as a cause of mental distress is the stigma that comes with being seen as a child of the underprivileged”.
While we may be tempted to dismiss such causes as due to children not being brought up to appreciate what they have and of being too preoccupied with the fashion and glamour presented through television, it highlights the impact poverty is having on society, especially on young people.
Recently, we read of an incident where an argument over ‘brand name’ clothing resulted in one teen stabbing another to death. In an earlier incident in February, a teen was stabbed to death allegedly by another teen, and this week yet another teen was assaulted by his peer.
Taking these three incidents into consideration, what is abundantly clear is that those involved do not live in what would be considered the more ‘well-to-do’ neighbourhoods.
Studies show that underprivileged children with depressed parents, especially mothers, are most likely to suffer from aggression, problems forging relationships with other children, trust issues, and future vulnerability to substance abuse.
We know that children living in deprived areas have worse housing conditions and they worry more about crime and unsafe neighbourhoods. Some children experience the stress of a more violent local culture within their community or at school and for them, the stigma associated with poverty is the cause for their isolation.
When parent(s) are low-income earners, their children often face bullying, domestic violence, mal-treatment and dysfunctional relationships.  Poverty makes all the other challenges of daily living all the more difficult and, it has been found that children of poor families, especially the boys, show a high level of behaviour problems, and this is exacerbated by overcrowded or poor housing.
It is clear that we must ‘up our game’ and do more to save our children. How often have we heard, “our children are our future.” For these words to have any real meaning, we must do more than shout the platitudes. The responsibility for ensuring every child is protected and allowed to enjoy the freedom of childhood falls on the shoulders of all adults. But, in many instances, instead of protecting our children, adults are the ones who abuse, discriminate and victimise our children. In most instances when we hear of a child being abused, we find out that the abuser is an adult and more than that, it is an adult who was in a position of trust.
Legislation alone cannot protect our children. Despite all the legislation we have passed and there have been quite a few, too many of our children still suffer from violent verbal and physical abuses both in and out of their homes. Many of them are forced into child labour due to poverty and worse still many are forced, coerced or tricked into the child sex trade. This is a disgusting state of affairs and must be arrested.
Collective approaches must be found to tackle the problems affecting our children. This is not a problem for only the government, the opposition or any single political party or group. The problems affecting our children are national problems and demand a comprehensive national approach where all of society, our politicians, religious leaders, the business community, women and youth groups, educators and all of civil society will be engaged.
Given what we have seen as a developing trend of teen violence in our city, we must adopt the action points set out in the UNICEF State of the World’s Children Report 2012. These include:
• Better understand the scale and nature of poverty and exclusion affecting children in urban areas.
• Identify and remove the barriers to inclusion.
• Ensure that urban planning, infrastructure development, service delivery and broader efforts to reduce poverty and inequality meet the particular needs and priorities of children.
• Promote partnership between all levels of government and the urban poor – especially children and young people.
• Pool the resources and energies of international, national, municipal and community actors in support of efforts to ensure that marginalized and impoverished children enjoy their full rights.
As the Report states, “These actions are not goals but means to an end: fairer, more nurturing cities and societies for all people – starting with children.”

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