The Democratic Labour Party’s Commission Crime is actively pursuing ways to involve young people in developing violence prevention strategies amid a troubling rise in criminal activity amongst youth, chairman Verla De Peiza said Tuesday evening.
She suggested an urgent need for innovative approaches to engage minors and young adults in the fight against crime during a youth-focused meeting of the commission.
“The gems that fall from the mouths of young people would stun those of us who have studied these issues for years,” De Peiza said during the youth edition of the commission’s meeting. “They observe and assimilate in ways we cannot imagine, and their voices need to be heard. We are committed to finding a way to tap into this resource because their information is absolutely necessary.”
De Peiza acknowledged challenges in accessing younger demographics, citing restrictions on outreach to schools and the requirement for parental consent.
“What we found in our research so far is that reaching out to minors is difficult . . . . There are barriers that are set up,” she explained.
The former DLP president said that schools were invited to participate in the public meeting, but suggested that “maybe it’s difficult for schools to have control over participation outside of school hours”.
The crime commission is considering compiling separate reports focused specifically on youth perspectives to inform future policy development. De Peiza emphasised the value of input from young adults, who are often parents themselves.
But she cautioned that without being able to get information directly from minors, much of the information gathered would be anecdotal.
The commission’s chairman urged those with ideas on overcoming these barriers to come forward, giving an assurance that all suggestions would be considered.
(SM)
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