Dear Editor,

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) joins the nation in expressing deep concern and distress about the recent spate of violent incidents that have claimed the lives of children within schools and other settings. We are heartbroken by the tragic and far too frequent loss of life.

As the country emerges from the worst of the novel coronavirus pandemic and two years of staggering learning loss, we are seeing the markers that Jamaican children are under significant stress. Disturbing events of violence between students signal that we are experiencing an outbreak of mental health problems that has been aggravated by COVID-19-related restrictions.

These problems are not new, and like the learning challenges that existed prior to the pandemic, they have multiplied.

UNICEF supports various efforts to reduce and mitigate the impact of all forms of violence against children. While we continue this work, our current appeal is for greater attention to be paid to the mental wellness of our children.

Research shows that one in every four Jamaican students has considered suicide. The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) reports that up to 60 per cent of those treated at hospitals for attempted suicides are adolescents and young people under age 24. In a 2018 poll conducted by UNICEF through the social messaging platform U-Report, 53 per cent of respondents said they had considered suicide.

Moreover, some 80 per cent of Jamaican children are believed to experience forms of violence in their homes and communities. We know that violence can significantly impact children’s health, quality of life, academic achievement, and their mental health.

It will take strong commitment, communication, and action to change this reality over the long term. UNICEF is already working with a number of partners to make adolescent mental health services more widely available and youth-friendly.

In collaboration with the MOHW and the Caribbean Child Development Centre at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, we just launched U-Matter — a free chatline to provide mental health support for Jamaican youth aged 16-24.

U-Matter can be reached by texting the word support to 876-838-4897 on WhatsApp and SMS (free for Flow customers) or to @ureportjamaica on Facebook Messenger.

We also support SafeSpot, which is a helpline for younger children under age 16 and can be reached toll free by dialling 888-723-3776; via WhatsApp at 876-439-5199; or direct message to @safespotja on Snapchat and Instagram.

We are also working with the MOHW and the Ministry of Education and Youth to expand the Teen Hub model that provides adolescents with critical services, including mental health counselling and tele-mental health services that provide students with counselling via phone and videoconferencing platforms.

We are also building out the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support Framework that reinforces positive values among students and non-violent ways of managing conflict.

UNICEF is dedicated to continuing these efforts and others that are aligned with our goal to prioritise, expand, and fund mental health services for children.

Partnerships are vital to this work, and we stand ready to support the Government of Jamaica and other stakeholders as we seek to mitigate the very hard blow that COVID-19-related restrictions have dealt our children.

Mariko Kagoshima

UNICEF Jamaica representative

albrown@unicef.org