BROKEN POLITICAL promises, delinquency and violence are at the root of worsening conditions in the country, say some Jamaican children between the ages of nine and 18.
Research carried out last year in the Caribbean and Latin America on behalf of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), found one out of every five of the Jamaicans surveyed believed the country had become a worse place to live.
One out of every three Jamaican children surveyed was also adamant existing conditions would not change. Some blamed politicians and a government which reneged on its promises for their pessimistic view. Others pointed a finger at rising unemployment, economic crisis and violence as reasons why the country is becoming a worse place to live.
One-third of the Jamaican participants also told the study, titled, Voices of the Boys, Girls and Adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean, that they felt unsafe. Many said they had either experienced robbery or mugging personally or through friends and relatives.
In addition, half the children said their ideal country would be one "without bad people" and "without delinquency", and almost one out of every four said they dreamed of peace, quiet and living in a country that was uncontaminated.
The study was carried out to gauge the status, the perception, concerns, thoughts and feelings of children and adolescents in various countries.
