Dr David Allen: ...an "ominous and pervasive culture of violence and destruction" taking over The Bahamas

Research shows 'culture of violence and destruction' taking over country
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:


THREE years worth of research into the root causes of crime in the Bahamas show an "ominous and pervasive culture of violence and destruction" taking over the country, according to Dr David Allen, psychiatrist and founder of Bahamian Forum.

Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade and Bamboo Town Member of Parliament Branville McCartney spoke at the relaunched Bahamian Forum hosted last week. Dr Allen presented findings from his study that included interviews with families of murder victims, students involved in violent disorderly behaviour, chronic drug addicts, public and private psychotherapy groups, confidential interviews with children, and other sample groups.

"We found a powerful sense of anger amongst us Bahamians. Throughout the three-year study participants talked about "outting", which was the word for killing; poisoning, women particularly, and suicide," said Dr Allen.

"A few months ago we had a young girl commit suicide. We have five of her friends right now who want to do the same thing right now. Their argument is, 'Doc, life is in the body. When there are no good things for you, you can't wear Nike, and designer clothes, you can't have the right weight, you might as well die.'" They believe life is purely in the body," he said.

Dr Allen said Bahamians act based on destructive anger patterns, instead of constructive anger patterns that are fostered from by grieving, forgiveness, gratitude, and compassion, among other factors. He said the destructive anger breeds resentment, bitterness, grudgefulness, lack of inhibition and a "hardness of heart."

Commissioner Greenslade said there were several incidents where family members showed little emotion when one of their own was murdered. They had no interest in helping police solve the crime and treated the murder as collateral damage.

"Bahamians are saying I don't feel the murders anymore; it's just what is supposed to happen. They build a wall in their heart. Most disturbing is we found a number of young girls who had no compunction about giving their bodies for money. They pay for their education, but they also pay for their parents' air conditioning, refrigeration and also their cable. The point is they had no feeling about it. They said, 'Doc, that is what you call survival in the Bahamas.' That was very, very disturbing," said Dr Allen.

"Nearly every person who was involved in a serious crime interviewed had some severe abuse, physical or sexual. We have a chronic child abuse problem in our country," he said.

The good news, according to Dr Allen, is found in a study condition by John Hopkins university that showed, if community leaders walked around their communities once per week for a period of two years, it would drastically reduce the occurrence of child abuse.

"Can you imagine if each church adopted the area around each church and walked the area around that church each week. They will see the child neglect; they will see the child abuse; they will see the incubation of crime and we can revolutionise the Bahamas in about three years," said Dr Allen.

Dr Allen said the culture of crime and violence was creating a large network of people suffering from trauma. The symptoms of this trauma, he said, were a "deep desire for revenge," insecurity, "upside down values."

"Young men and women join gangs for affirmation, safety, protection, connection and empowerment. This is a growing phenomenon and a serious one, because the herd instinct psychologically is the most violent aspect of human nature. For God's sake we have to stop this now. Property is not respected. With a gun, what is yours is mine. As they say in the hood, with a gun, even if you lose a dice game, you still win," said Dr Allen.

"In a group of 10 to 15 year olds, they don't expect to live long, as a result (they think) you do what you can, get as much money and then if you get killed or kill somebody that's it. One guy said if I kill somebody the most I'll get is six months, then I'll get on bail. That is 15 year olds talking. There is a modeling process happening. And then, of course, they think violence is cool. It's power to kick somebody, to stab somebody and see that blood ooze out," he said.

Dr Allen said there was also a lingering effect of the 1980s cocaine epidemic in the Bahamas. "Drug trafficking continues creating fear because of executions, empowering drug lords in turf wars." He said even though there did not seem to be an increase in new coke addicts, there is a "growing chronic marijuana epidemic among our children from 10 years up."

The challenge for Bahamians, according to Dr Allen, is "to increase our awareness because if we don't we'll use the same old ways to do the same old things expecting a different result, and that is the definition of insanity. We need to find a new way for looking at things, a new way of thinking, because if we don't we will repeat the same old, the same old, the same old."

July 14, 2010

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