KINGSTON, Jamaica— The majority of Jamaicans seeking support through the Victim Services Branch (VSB) of the Ministry of Justice in 2025 were female, with a significant number in the 12-18 year age group.

Sex-related offences remained the leading reason for persons seeking assistance during the period, according to the Economic and Social Survey (ESSJ), the 2025 edition. The ESJ is an annual publication of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

The survey found that apart from sex-related offences, “other notable reasons” for approaching the VSB included intimate partner violence, murder, assault, domestic violence, threats, shooting and wounding, child abuse, and suicidal ideation.

PIOJ said victims of crime were provided with counselling, emotional support, court assistance, crisis intervention, and other therapeutic services from the VSB. The planning institute noted that VSB recorded 11,581 clients last year compared to 11,410 in the previous period.

New clients rose to 5,007 from 4,929 with females accounting for 78.0 per cent of new clients. “The proportion of young female clients aged 12–18 years increased to 39.0 per cent, up from 32.0 per cent,” said PIOJ.

Meanwhile, programme interventions expanded during the period. The Cultural Resocialisation Programme, which delivers therapeutic interventions for traumatised, at-risk, and vulnerable children from inner-city and troubled communities, benefited 53 children, up from 38 in 2004.

Participation in the Children in Court Programme, which aimed to reduce trauma experienced by minors interacting with the formal justice system, increased to 1,262 children in 2025, compared with 935 in 2024. And support to victims of human trafficking rose to 13 clients from three.

In the meantime, public engagement activities more than doubled, with 142 promotional meetings conducted, compared with 67 in the previous period. “The continued use of e-counselling and virtual platforms supported improved access to services and broader client reach,” PIOJ said.