The Saint Lucia National Youth Council (SLNYC) has expressed concern over the activities of violent youth gangs, reportedly influenced by the Trinidad and Tobago Sixx and Seven gang culture.
However, SLNYC President Yaniqueca Jean-Bart William explained that the organisation is still researching the origin and impact on young people because it needs more information.
Recently, violent clashes between rival groups of young men have occurred in Castries, and police have seized several 'offensive instruments' from students.
The situation has prompted calls for a holistic approach to dealing with the problem of youth indiscipline.
The SLNYC President agrees that all stakeholders must get involved.
However, Jean-Bart William emphasised that parents must play their role.
"I honestly believe that parental involvement is key in terms of the upbringing of a child," she told St. Lucia Times.
The SLNYC President asserted that parents are among the main stakeholders in reinforcing moral values, monitoring, and getting involved in their children's lives.
Jean-Bart William said it would include knowing their children's whereabouts and friends.
She explained that children learn from what they see and their parents are an essential influence.
Nevertheless, the SLNYC President acknowledged that some children come from good homes but lack discipline.
"The peer pressure out there is weighty," she told St. Lucia Times.
In this regard, Jean-Bart William declared that it was not merely a matter of what parents do but also of exposure to peer pressure.
"It's not only one factor but several, so we just can't pinpoint one," she said about what influences youth indiscipline and violence.
PHOTO: Rival groups of young men engage in skirmishes on Chaussee Road, Castries.
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