Tag Archives: child abuse

In a recent address to our nation, Prime Minister Keith Rowley encouraged us as a people to do our part in curbing criminal activities in our country. As a result of that clarion call, I have decided to shine a light on a dark issue that has been affecting our …

For many years I have described the low self-esteem plaguing many of our youngsters and its relationship to violent crime and anti-social behaviour.  The now widespread fighting in schools is a related phenomenon. Much of my personal knowledge of the self-esteem crisis comes directly from dialogue with some youngsters to …

“School violence in Trinidad and Tobago did not start with Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s term of office as Education Minister. That is a false premise, and when you start with a false premise, your argument is dead in the water.” In the following Letter to the Editor, novelist and social activist Merle …

Will the recently announced Board of Management of the Children’s Authority be able to rise to the challenge of resolving the many problems that have plagued the organisation over its two years of operation? SHEILA RAMPERSAD concludes her investigation into whether the Authority is fulfilling its promise. Among the Authority’s …

At the end of two turbulent years of existence, the Children’s Authority was shaken by the launch of an investigation into the questionable decision taken by Director Safiya Noel to “adopt” without observing the normal protocols a teenage boy who had been assigned to the Authority’s care. SHEILA RAMPERSAD continues …

Operationalised in May 2015, the Children’s Authority marks its second anniversary this month. SHEILA RAMPERSAD has been looking at what impact it had in confronting the bogey of child abuse and whether returns match expenditure. This is the first installment of a three-part series. Parts Two and Three will be …

“Our big problem is that we abolished corporal punishment but did not put anything else in its place. Our children are, therefore, operating in an environment where there is, in effect, no consequence for bad behaviour. That has resulted in a general breakdown of discipline, nationwide. “Discipline is much more …

Corporal punishment was removed from schools over 15 years ago and there seemed to be a strong moral argument to abolish “violence” against children. But should that not mean young people—at least below the ages of 23—ought to be significantly less violent? Whether or not you believe that abolishing corporal punishment was the just …

“It’s heartbreaking [and] you still cannot understand how the mother or family feels right now. What could a young girl like Abiela [Adams] do to deserve what happened to her? “We really need to deal with what is happening in our society today. All my players right now are in …

The national bird of Trinidad and Tobago should not be the Scarlet Ibis or Cocrico. It should be the corbeau! In the season of peace and goodwill, “Raisa” might have had something else in mind entirely when “she” created a Facebook post to hawk #iamshannon caps at TT$250 each. “All …

“Hold she down dey!” her mother said to her two brothers. “Yuh is too much of a bad little girl, always lying and making up story. And now look what you gone and do!” “Leh mih go! Leh mih go!” Emma Thomas screamed, twisting her little body this way and …

It. Just. Got. Flipping. Real! The Hindu community were supposed to be celebrating Arrival Day—no doubt at public expense too—but Maha Sabha general secretary Sat Maharaj used the occasion to tell Roman Catholic archbishop Joe Harris to get lost instead. “Archbishop, mind your own damn business,” said Maharaj. “(…) If …