Page 93 - Preventing Youth Violence

prior to the CSJP did not seem to have much hope in a future.

● Clients from volatile communities have been exposed to years of trauma, violence,
emotional scarring and perceived hopelessness as a result of the environment in

which they were socialized. The negatives in their environment often times present
a challenge for many clients in the transition that is expected in programmes that

last for weeks and months. This is the case, after numerous years of programming
to function in a way that does not support the structured arrangements in these

programmes. It would be remiss of the organizations, which serve these clients to
expect immediate positive results. Patience and consistency are important when

treating with high-risk clients from volatile communities.
● Domestic violence remains a scourge on our society and the impact can last for a

lifetime as in the case of DJ and his siblings. The killing of their mother through an act
of domestic violence seemingly contributed to myriad social issues that adversely

impacted their lives. Domestic violence, now termed gender-based violence
requires the support of society to reduce its occurrence.

RECOMMENDATIONS

With the impending closure of CSJP III services, the adaptation of similar interventions

may become part of the Ministry of National Security’s consideration. The case study,
which provides some insight from the perspective of a beneficiary, presents a critical

input for consideration: the point of view of the client. The following constitutes some
recommendations for any programme, which will adapt a case management focus. They

include:

● Case Management, inclusive of psychotherapy and family counselling, should be

included in the approach to treating with the at-risk youth population.
Social intervention programmes are an important component to the strategy to

combat the crime epidemic specified in the public health model and should remain
as part of the individual and community resilience approach as outlined in the theory

of change model, which guided the implementation of CSJP III.
● The administrative aspect of the programme implementation is crucial to ensure

timely payments to clients.
● The waiting period for high risk clients should be minimized to avoid losing clients to

death, gang affiliation and incarceration.

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