| YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME
i Witness News, January 18, 2022 (St. Vincent & the Grenadines)
In terms of presentation of stories, media ethics and human rights are being well observed as those under 18 are generally not identified in stories in all countries.
Lack of Context and Nuance Because stories are so incident driven in Grenada and more so, St. Vincent & the Grenadines there is a lack of exploration and nuance about youth crime and violence. The voices of the church, NGOs and even government are fairly silent in the media about prevention programmes and rehabilitation efforts. There is sometimes mention in stories and editorial about poverty, poor education and unemployment contributing to the rise in crime, but there is little in-depth analysis. Barbados has proportionately more stories about initiatives to address youth crime and violence and many of these are sourced from state releases. However, there is room to go into greater detail about the reasons for youth crime and preventative measures. Some of this is explored on Down To Brass Tacks a call-in radio show on 92.9FM VOB which by its nature invites discussion. Interestingly 97% of print stories in Barbados concerning drugs were about the issues surrounding the drug trade and drug abuse – legislation, mental effects of drugs, new types of drugs children using drugs and so on providing valuable information, context and nuance. An excellent example is “Drug Shift” published in Barbados Today, January 31, 2023.
40 A Media Analysis of the Coverage of Youth Involvement in Crime and Violence and Trafficking in Persons (June 2021 to June 2023) in the Eastern Caribbean
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