Dear Editor,

I have come to acknowledge that the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is indeed true, but to what extent?

The external environment plays a significant psychological role in shaping the minds of children. Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky posits that culture and societal norms shape thinking and behaviour, and that through everyday practices children acknowledge what is or is not acceptable and how to navigate society. The external social environment provides the necessary growth; for example, the language and traditions that moulds their psychological development.

While we can attest that the upbringing of a child is based on practices at home, we cannot deny that the external environment is a conditioning factor. For example, if a child is perceived to be too nerdy, they are often ridiculed or bullied. If you are articulate as a male, they say either you are not Jamaican or you are gay; such societal notions discourage and erode intellectual confidence.

We cannot be going backwards if we, as a society, desire change. We have now seen that the Jamaican society has changed the formality of words: No longer can we say “come” or “succeed”. If we do, we will be emasculated or jeered. Students are now more influenced by what they see and hear, and as young as they are, they are singing lewd lyrics and participating in illicit activities, often without understanding the implications.

According to an article published in 2017 by The Gleaner, “Boys often choose to join gangs from as early as age six. It is the earliest age of development (school age) where a boy is not ultra-dependent on his mother for nurture. This means that these boys actually decide to join a gang within the very first year of seeking independence of direct motherly nurture — the period that boys begin to find self.”

Violence becomes cyclical, passed on from one individual to another, from one generation to the next. If one cannot complete the job, then another is recruited. The article went on to say that “some boys are indeed forced into gangs, most are lured, even pushed by family and society. Some boys even beg to get into gangs — and few are even denied entry”. And it is not only the males, but the females are also in gangs.

On the other hand, peer pressure is of great concern among girls today. While in Half-Way-Tree I overheard high school girls questioning their peers about whether they had lost their virginity, and when some responded no, they were derided. Is this the generation of vipers of which the Bible speaks?

According to the World Health Organization, Jamaica has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the Caribbean, with most of the pregnancies occurring among young women between the ages of 15 and 19. Because of this, a range of factors can occur, including poverty and poor access to education and reproductive health services.

I appeal to our young women not to make their vessels the instruments of sexual exploitation or prostitution. Do what is right and resist the negativity that seeks to derail your goals.

Paul Gardener

gardenerp3@gmail.com