Community Characteristics and Mental Health †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Community Characteristics and Mental Health. Answer: Introduction The Sierra Leone civil war that took place for more than eight years have been found as an outcome of the discontentment of the youth with the government. According to Christophe (2018), the term youth in the context of Sierra Leone refers to individuals in the age group of 15 to 35 who comprises of one-third of the population. However, presently the country has experience a series of outbreak of violence from the youth. Some of the factors that have recognized for this eruption in violence are repeated domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and unemployment. It is found that there is lack of vigorous approach from the government in providing employment to the youth (Betancourt, McBain, Newnham and Brennan 2015). Education is not given impetus in the country as a result of which the youth population feel frustrated and resort to violence to articulate their grievances. The aim of this paper is to delve into the causes and possibilities of violence. The paper also looks into the i nterventions of the government and suggests recommendations that the Sierra Leone Youth Empowerment would like to propose to the President of Republic of Sierra Leone H.E Dr Julius Madda Bio. Sierra Leone has become the bastion of violence. According to Betancourt, McBain, Newnham and Brennan (2014), the unemployment rate among the youth in Sierra Leone around 60 per cent. They portend the risk of violence from the violence and organized crime from the gangs in Sierra Leone. According to a study conducted by Bo et al, there is a growing trend of brewing violence. According to Enria (2014) all possible violent crimes like murder, sexual assault, assassination have become normalized in the Sierra Leone society. The country has become violent since the inception of the rebellion. There has been a rise in the number of shootings, robberies, violent incidents of rape and stabbings. This alarming rate in the increase in violence has found the youth as both perpetrators and victims of violence. This is a critical issue considering that the youth sown the seed of rebellion against the government are the victims as well as the perpetrators of violence. Possibilities of violence The magnitude of violence in Sierra Leone can be attributed to the lost spring or the destroyed childhood of this youth. During the time of the war, children were pulled into the whirlpool of violence and they became the kingpins of atrocious acts that became manifest in Sierra Leone (Enria 2014). These children were the actual victims of war and rebellion that has plagued the soil of Sierra Leone for a long time. The atrocities experienced in childhood have left profound effect in the minds of the youth. It has destroyed their childhood and led to severe psychological damage. Unfortunately, the country lacks the pertinent resources that would facilitate the rehabilitation of children. It was identified that domestic violence at home leads to other kinds of violence. It was recognized that parents have important role to play in the prevention of domestic violence and provide a safe home environment to the children. According to Levey et al. (2013) domestic violence include harsh beatings of children or punishments that psychologically damages the child. This exploitation of children is later manifested in the form of violence committed by these children on other individuals (Africanchildinfo.net. 2018). Children imbibe and replicate violence experienced in the private sphere, therefore the urgency would be to look into the ways that can curb domestic violence. The government can create awareness but cannot substitute the parents, as they have to play the bigger role in the mitigation of violence that has become a common expression among the youth. Children should not be labeled as criminals and curtailed from realizing their full potential. Rather, it is the parent s who need to introspect their behavior and realize its impact on the children. This labeling of children and youth as inherently violent closes the possibilities of further discussions. The negative attitude of the society towards the children and their lack of vigorous approach has made the youth in Sierra Leone resort to violence (Citizensrw.org. 2018). The sporadic wars that took place in the city became an opportunity for the youth to participate in violence and articulate their angst. The labeling of the youth as useless pushed towards greater violence as part of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Therefore, it is the larger responsibility of the society to create opportunities for the youth in addressing their grievances and preventing the malaise of violence. Similarly, the youth ghettos and commercial sex work are illustrations of the societys failure to extend a helping hand to the youth. Education and Unemployment among the youth Education and unemployment have been recognized as other key factors in the perpetuation of violence among the youth in Sierra Leone. Very few young people attend schools and the university space is dominated by the older generation of students. Not all the universities provide same opportunity to the people who are part of the university. In case of students who are interested o pursue natural sciences the expenditure is quite high that demotivates to pursue further education. Apart from secondary school dropout, problems persist in the tertiary sector of education that limits the opportunities of students. Poverty plays a pivotal role in curtailing the opportunities of students, as parents are unable to bear the obnoxious cost of education. Then there is the issue of lack of scholarships that could have been a motivating factor for the interested youth to pursue their higher education in abroad. The Grant Aids offered by the government is confined to few meritorious students and it s benefits do not reach to the teeming youth in the city who have the zeal for education. Another cause of exasperation is the nepotism and informal networks that exist during the recruitment of jobs. The youth have reported that university qualifications do not make much difference, considering that the employers would prefer to recruit people known to them. In Sierra Leone, the issues of early marriage and teen pregnancy restrains women from pursing higher education and are not part of quality tertiary education. In case of women, there are certain subjects and courses that they find inaccessible (Collier and Duponchel 2013). This includes law as parents prefer to spend n their sons rather spending on the daughters to become lawyers. This is also one of the reasons among the youth in Sierra Leone to resort to violence to articulate their grievances against the government inaction. The provision of sustainable jobs and youth empowerment was recognized as key steps in the direction of prevention of violence. However, the youth has been proactive in creating employment in the employment sector in the domain of commercial motorcycle transportation known as the Okada. Drug and alcohol abuse among the youth in Sierra Leone have been recognized another important cause. The culture of substance abuse among the youth in Sierra Leone pushes them to resort violence and participate in atrocious crime (Politico SL. 2018). It was reported that young people succumb to drinking as an alternative to the pangs of frustration due to their unemployment and lack of resources to pursue education. Consumption of marijuana is also high among the youth as they find it relaxing to relive their stress. The youth perceive substance abuse as a serious problem, however they are pessimistic about resolving the issue. Recent initiatives and further recommendation The government in association with UN recently organized a campaign. A campaign that focuses on the communities or the hot spots of violent activities (Betancourt, McBain, Newnham and Brennan 2013). The first objective of the project would be to train local community leaders. The objective of the project would be to collaborate with the youth leaders and seek solution that would have sustainable value. On June, 2016 the National Youth summit was hosted at the Kona Lodge in the Free Town area. The highlight of this convention was children and youth met for from all segments of life met to address the growing violence in Sierra Leone. This national summit was preceded by a regional summit that was held in Makeni and Bo Kenema (Allouche, 2014). In this convention, youth were selected from the local community and were asked discuss on the issue of violence along with their peers. The broader objective of the event was involving the youth in the prevention of violence through discussion a nd spreading awareness. The project that was exclusively designed to address the issues in Sierra Leone and Guinea through the patronage from European Union has been a successful event. The project was able to mobilize 25 children and young people (Sierra Leone Concord Times 2018). It trained the participants to become young researchers and involve their peers to recognize violence and its severe impact on the community especially on the youth and the children. The project was found to be effective as it inspired young people to act as researchers, instill in them confidence and empowered them to generate and that would lead to sustainable solutions. Another highlight of the project was that a group of policy makers and practitioners associated with child protection was engaged in reviewing and collecting the feedbacks during the drafting stage. The project received widespread appreciation from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Childrens Affair. The Ministry noted that yout h and children are victims as well as perpetrators of violence and there has been an increase in this in the past few years. Youth violence has been identified as a huge challenge for the guardians, parents, state and the law enforcement agencies in Sierra Leone (Awoko.org. 2018). Therefore, this convention was befitting as it brought the youth together on a single platform and emboldened to participate in the prevention of violence. Susan Kargbo associated with the Childrens Commission was of the opinion that it was the first time that children and youth were made partners in the decision-making process (Acemoglu et al., 2014). It harped on the issues of development, encouraged the policy makers to delve deeper into the issue regarding the issues of violence pertaining to the children and youth. This convention was in consonance with the ethos and principles of the African Charter and the UN Convention that was concerned with the rights of the child. Josephus Ellie who is part of the European Union noted that the summit was an endeavour to examine and prevent violence and inspire he youth in Sierra Leone to not participate in acts of violence (Okada ban 2018). Sierra Leone being a democratic state needs to seek was to end violence. It was further identified there is an imperative to establish networks among youth that would sensitize them about the veracity of violence. Awareness therefore, is the preclude violence among the youth in Sierra Leone. The summit recognized that violence as an expression among the youth is rooted in other factors, the outburst of which is manifested in the form of violence. There should not be any discrimination made on manifest or symbolic forms of violence. The need of the hour is to ponder about the root cause of violence and act in that direction. Another issue that came to the forefront was the incidence of domestic violence that is much less discussed issue in the country. This invisibilization of domestic violence has long-term implications. The executive director of the summit noted that before coming up with any recommendations there is an imper ative to critically examine the issue to derive a deeper insight into the state of problems. The President of Ernest Bai Koroma has recognized that youth are vehicle for the development of the nation (Borisova, Betancourt and Willett 2013). This culminated to the Youth Report that encapsulated the plight of youth education, employment, their welfare and participation in the developmental process of the country. The President expressed his commitment to transform the conditions of the youth through substantial youth empowerment programs. According to Richards et al. ( 2015) 80 per cent of the youth in the country did not earn sufficiently. There is a need to establish and implement child protection mechanism at different community levels. There should also be the operation of the Family Support Unit and enforcement of Child Welfare through proper training of the trainer. This will equip the members to identify and respond to different kinds of violence with alacrity. It is important to recognize that the youth is the catalyst for a just and progressive society. To mitigate violence, the government and the NGOs can provide financial assistance to the interested young entrepreneurs and tap their business management skills. As has been found from the previous findings, women should be given impetus to pursue higher education. Empowerment of women should be the crux of the planning. There can be the provision of extensive networks that look after the employment of the youth. Workshops and seminars should be organized for the young people to sensitize them about the atrocity of substance abuse that ultimately perpetrates vi olence. Street plays and door-to-door campaign should be the agenda. Youth conventions should be held every year to communicate with the youth and understand their views. Vocational training can be organized for the young population who are not academically inclined. There can be government-sponsored advertisements that aim to create awareness about the long-term effects of domestic abuse, substance abuse and everyday forms of violence. Children are not just perpetrators of violence but they are also victims of violence. This factor always need to be kept in mind while dealing with the children in Sierra Leone and thereby provide them with sustainable rehabilitation. Budget PARTICIPANT/TRAINEE SUPPORT COSTS Amount ($) Total costs 2500 OTHER DIRECT COSTS Questionnaire 150 Travel 250 Misc Costs 100 Data collection 250 TOTAL 3250 Conclusion Based on the root cause of violence experienced and perpetrated by the youth, it can be understood that the government needs to adopt a focused approach and utilize the endowments of the youth. Provision of employment and financial assistance to encourage them to begin their business is a step that would go on to contribute in the development of the country. Since, violence is an outcome of domestic abuse at home, it is important for the parents and guardians to understand the repercussions of harsh behavior and beating on the children. Violence experience by children during their childhood is replicate in their adulthood that was further manifested in the civil unrest and rebellion that have grappled the country. Thirdly, substance abuse in the form of drug and alcohol abuse instigates the youth to resort to violence and the outburst is atrocious. The government has taken initiative to organize a youth summit in association with UN. The summit was crucial to understand the problems faced by youth and children of Sierra Leone. The summit also inculcated a sense of leadership among the youth and encouraged them to participate in mitigating violence widely prevalent in the community. Youth forums, seminars, workshops, discussions, street plays and a sensitive approach to the entire issue will definitely mitigate and alleviate the impact of violence. Reference Acemoglu, D., Chaves, I.N., Osafo-Kwaako, P. and Robinson, J.A., 2014.Indirect rule and state weakness in Africa: Sierra Leone in comparative perspective(No. w20092). National Bureau of Economic Research. Africanchildinfo.net. 2018.Shared from Infohub. [online] Available at: https://www.africanchildinfo.net/index.php?option=com_k2view=itemid=5065:sierra-leone-unprecedented-state-of-youth-violenceItemid=67lang=fr [Accessed 9 Apr. 2018]. Allouche, J., 2014. Undercurrents of violence: Why Sierra Leones political settlement is not working. Awoko.org. 2018.Sierra Leone News: As youth violence intensifiesOver 10 youths sentence to prison Awoko Newspaper. [online] Available at: https://awoko.org/2016/10/05/sierra-leone-news-as-youth-violence-intensifiesover-10-youths-sentence-to-prison/ [Accessed 8 Apr. 2018]. Betancourt, T.S., McBain, R., Newnham, E.A. and Brennan, R.T., 2013. Trajectories of Internalizing Problems in War?Affected Sierra Leonean Youth: Examining Conflict and Postconflict Factors.Child development,84(2), pp.455-470 Betancourt, T.S., McBain, R., Newnham, E.A. and Brennan, R.T., 2014. Context matters: Community characteristics and mental health among war?affected youth in Sierra Leone.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,55(3), pp.217-226. Betancourt, T.S., McBain, R.K., Newnham, E.A. and Brennan, R.T., 2015. The intergenerational impact of war: longitudinal relationships between caregiver and child mental health in postconflict Sierra Leone.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry,56(10), pp.1101-1107. Borisova, I.I., Betancourt, T.S. and Willett, J.B., 2013. Reintegration of former child soldiers in Sierra Leone: The role of caregivers and their awareness of the violence adolescents experienced during the war.Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment Trauma,22(8), pp.803-828. Citizensrw.org. 2018.Youth and Violence in Sierra Leone: The Future of a Nation Coming from Dust. [online] Available at: https://www.citizensrw.org/index.php/guest/newsStoryDetails/47 [Accessed 9 Apr. 2018]. Christophe, D. 2018.Understanding youth violence : cases from Liberia and Sierra Leone. [online] Documents.worldbank.org. Available at: https://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/199821468151145997/Understanding-youth-violence-cases-from-Liberia-and-Sierra-Leone [Accessed 9 Apr. 2018]. Collier, P. and Duponchel, M., 2013. The economic legacy of civil war: firm-level evidence from Sierra Leone.Journal of Conflict Resolution,57(1), pp.65-88. Enria, L., 2014. Real Jobs in Fragile Contexts: reframing youth employment programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Enria, L., 2015. Love and betrayal: the political economy of youth violence in post-war Sierra Leone.The Journal of modern African studies,53(4), pp.637-660. Glennerster, R., Miguel, E. and Rothenberg, A.D., 2013. Collective action in diverse Sierra Leone communities.The Economic Journal,123(568), pp.285-316. GlobalGiving. (2018).Youth, Violence and Crime in Sierra Leone. [online] Available at: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-to-reduce-crime-and-violence-in-fragile-cities/ [Accessed 9 Apr. 2018]. Levey, E.J., Carney, J.R., Dominguez, S., Wang, E.K.S., Boxill, R., Henderson, D.C. and Harris, B.L., 2013. Assessment of the needs of vulnerable youth populations in post-conflict Liberia: original.African journal of psychiatry,16(5), pp.349-355. Okada ban, y. (2018).Okada ban, youth violence: The only way out Sierra Express Media. [online] Sierraexpressmedia.com. Available at: https://sierraexpressmedia.com/?p=79270 [Accessed 9 Apr. 2018]. Politico SL. (2018).Project to curb youth violence in Sierra Leone. [online] Available at: https://politicosl.com/articles/project-curb-youth-violence-sierra-leone [Accessed 9 Apr. 2018]. Richards, P., Amara, J., Ferme, M.C., Kamara, P., Mokuwa, E., Sheriff, A.I., Suluku, R. and Voors, M., 2015. Social pathways for Ebola virus disease in rural Sierra Leone, and some implications for containment.PLoS neglected tropical diseases,9(4), p.e0003567. Sierra Leone Concord Times. (2018).Youth violence poses security risk. [online] Available at: https://slconcordtimes.com/youth-violence-poses-security-risk/ [Accessed 9 Apr. 2018].