Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • From the Courts
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Prof. J Robinson – Eye of the Needle
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • From the Courts
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Prof. J Robinson – Eye of the Needle
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Our Readers' Opinions
July 30, 2004

The root causes of crime in society

Please permit me a space in your paper to deal with crime.
I remember as a boy growing up that what our parents gave us, we had to be satisfied with. Now over the last 50 years almost every country in Western Europe and North America has experienced an enormous increase in crime rates. {{more}}Neighbourhoods that once were safe at night have become dangerous during the day; random acts of violence, once almost unknown have become common. The good news is that rates seem to have stabilized in the 1990s; the bad news is that it appears to be largely a demographic issue.
Most perpetrators of crime are young men. In fact you can pick a social ill at random and you will find that the correlation with having no father is clear and direct: depression, suicide, dropping out of school, teenage pregnancy, drug use… To summarize, fatherless children are five times more likely to commit suicide, 32 times more likely to run away, 14 times more likely to commit rape and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Fatherless children are also, according to one British study, about 33 times more likely to be abused. In 1983, the United States Department of Health and Human Services found that 60 per cent of children are abused by mothers with sole custody of their children. Almost all of the rest come from other members of her entourage, especially boyfriends and second husbands. Under these circumstances you would think that there would be an enormous amount of research under way by the police to understand what is happening. The media should be demanding answers.

Wilbert Scipio

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Chatham Bay sale a betrayal, says Union Island resident
    Front Page
    Chatham Bay sale a betrayal, says Union Island resident
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    The government’s decision to sell approximately 100 acres of land at Chatham Bay for preservation purposes at a cost of EC$52.7 million dollars is not...
    CED unveils US$ 4.6m. five-year strategic plan
    Front Page
    CED unveils US$ 4.6m. five-year strategic plan
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    The Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. (CED), has unveiled a US$4.64 million five-year strategic plan aimed at strengthening the organisation’s su...
    Taiwan-SVG mark diplomatic milestone with Youth Cultural showcase
    Front Page
    Taiwan-SVG mark diplomatic milestone with Youth Cultural showcase
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    A vibrant cross-cultural showcase by a 30-member delegation of Taiwan International Youth Ambassadors has brought fresh energy to the 45-year diplomat...
    Ralph Gonsalves speaks unity to PNM in Trinidad
    Front Page
    Ralph Gonsalves speaks unity to PNM in Trinidad
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    There will be dissonances because my brother… [Colm] Imbert, [former Finance Minister], there are dissonances in every symphony. And how do we deal wi...
    Young Vincentian advocates for youth Empowerment
    Front Page
    Young Vincentian advocates for youth Empowerment
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    Young Vincentians possess the undeniable capacity to steer their nation’s future, but they urgently require dedicated structural platforms to effectiv...
    Two receive Bunpan Scholarships
    News
    Two receive Bunpan Scholarships
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    The parents of Havanna James and Miccoy Mc Nicholls will see their children start their secondary education come September 7,2026, with much ease and ...
    News
    Two receive Bunpan Scholarships
    News
    Two receive Bunpan Scholarships
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    The parents of Havanna James and Miccoy Mc Nicholls will see their children start their secondary education come September 7,2026, with much ease and ...
    Digicel expands Full-Fibre Network
    News
    Digicel expands Full-Fibre Network
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    Telecommunications company Digicel, has announced a major expansion of its end-to-end fiber network across St. Vincent that will put its services with...
    Rodney Small wants to see SHESO pan yard transformed
    News
    Rodney Small wants to see SHESO pan yard transformed
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    President of the Youlou Pan Movement (YPM), Rodney Small, has proposed that the Sion Hill Euphonium Steel Orchestra’s (SHESO) pan yard located at Sion...
    Founder of Straker’s Records dies at 86
    News
    Founder of Straker’s Records dies at 86
    Webmaster 
    September 1, 2026
    The renowned Vincentian, music producer and pioneering founder of Straker’s Records has died in his adopted home, the USA. His family announced that S...
    African snails ‘terrorising’ Clare Valley residents
    News
    African snails ‘terrorising’ Clare Valley residents
    Webmaster 
    August 28, 2026
    Some residents of Clare Valley in the South Leeward constituency are calling on the relevant authorities to address an infestation of African snails i...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok