While
crime increases, the debate also continues about what is the
reason for its serge in recent years. Many argue that the
increase in crime is due to the failure in our education
system. Still others disagree that it is the failure of the
family. There are still others who assert that the failure of a
society is really the failure of the church, the judicial
system, and the police. Sometimes I wonder why there is so
much time wasted debating who is at fault and not channeling
that energy into honest self-discovery, effective change and
implementation.
Over the past decades, many consultants or
professionals on crime prevention and reduction have given
suggestions to solve the problem. Many national committees and
councils have been formed where passionate speeches and debates
have been made, but still very little has changed. Why is
this? It is because we are afraid to change? It is because
those in the position to change do not really feel the pain that
often drives the need to change?
Perhaps
the reason we are not changing might be more philosophical. It
might be that we are holding on to traditions and beliefs of the
past that have become maladaptive. Anthropologist and
psychologist, Dr. Robert Edgerton, in his book “Sick Societies”
sates: ‘There are many reasons traditional beliefs and practices
may become maladaptive. Some traditional practices that evolved
early in human history must have been relatively inefficient
solutions to environmental demands, but with rigorous
competitions from other populations or other belief systems,
such practices tend to persist.”
He goes on to state: “Besides,
because humans do not always make rational adaptive decisions,
some of their beliefs and practices may have been maladaptive
from the beginning.” Dr. Edgerton has studied many cultures of
the world and the role of maladaptive behavior. He is
suggesting that when there is no national review of systems of
beliefs or traditions and their relevancy in the contemporary
society, that society fades away or continues with maladaptive
behavior that becomes self-destructive.
Have we
reached the point of national self-destruction? No we haven’t.
But without the necessary national changes, it is my view that
we will disappear from the map of civilized societies. After
examining how societies around the world fail or succeed, Dr.
Edgerton came to this conclusion: “From time to time over the
course of human history, rigorous selective forces have
compelled societies to change, and those that could not were
absorbed by other populations or, sometimes, became extinct.
But more often there has not been enough competition among
societies to bring about major social cultural change. In the
absence of strong competition, there is little motivation for
change.”
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"It is not necessarily the curriculum, the
teachers and their style of teaching, the
lack of textbooks, or the ill-equipped
schools. In my view, it is more the
failure to inculcate in each citizen that
education is a natural, highly valued, and
vital process of moral, intellectual and
social development. It is also a failure to
enforce that high school education is the
bare minimum necessary to enter the
workforce."
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Our
problem in The Bahamas is really unique. We have the
competition that should stimulate us to effect change, but
Bahamian nationalists have an insular view of culture and
society. We look at competition as the
enemy rather than a gift of opportunity. Instead of cherishing
international integration, we despise new thought and people
who, we perceive, threaten our cultural identity and economic
security. We are like a stubborn child who would not listen to
the warning cries to stop even when running across the street
into the path of a car.
THE FAILURE
While
many purport their views for the escalating crime, it is my
thought that the fault fundamentally lies with our dysfunctional
families and secondarily with the failure of our educational
system. Let me first share a little about what I mean about the
failure of our educational system. It is not necessarily the
curriculum, the teachers and their style of teaching, the lack
of textbooks, or the ill-equipped schools.
In my view, it is
more the failure to inculcate in each citizen that education is
a natural, highly valued, and vital process of moral,
intellectual and social development. It is also a failure to
enforce that high school education is the bare minimum necessary
to enter the workforce. In our tourist-driven society, it has
become too easy for persons to get a job with very little
comprehension skills and still make a fairly decent income.
Language formation, inductive and deductive reasoning, and
critical thinking are sadly lacking. When education fails,
crime abounds.
It is my
view that the government should not allow anyone to work without
having at least a high school certificate. No store license,
driver’s license, vendor’s license should be given without a
high school certificate. There should be a requirement for
post-high school certification in a special field within five
years of leaving high school. In other words, to renew the
license there must be proof of personal upgrade. To get this
started, the government can give five years grace for all who
lack to upgrade themselves by studying for an adult after-school
certificate.
We have a
challenge because many parents do not truly value the need for
education. There are far too many who cannot fill out an
application form, hold a reasonable conversation with proper
sentence formation. Very few people with whom they come in
contact demand that they speak well, act responsibly, or perform
with a higher level of efficiency. Far too often mediocrity is
the by-word for our Bahamian way of living. It is just doing
enough to get by. If they can fake it long enough with apparent
success, then many reason they will never need to upgrade.
If we can
change the mindset of parents today, we will save our nation and
become a less violent society. Yes, we do need to revise our
judicial system so career criminals can no longer roam our
streets. But the real answer is a family revolution. Family
revolution will only occur when parents parent so their children
can also parent effectively. That is parents are to teach
respect, obedience, and other moral values in such away that
children will joyfully and intelligently transfer the same moral
values and standards to their children. Family revolution is
all about personal integrity. It occurs when parents’ lifestyle
and practices behind closed doors are the same in public. Our
nation will be better when more families value education,
personal cultural development, and moral sobriety.
Barrington H. Brennen is a marriage and family therapist and
board certified clinical psychotherapist, USA. Send your
questions or comments to question@soencouragement.org or
write to P.O. Box CB-11045, Nassau, The Bahamas, or visit www.soencouragement.org or
call 242-327-1980 or 242-477-4002
