Tendai Franklyn-Brown, Staff Reporter

With the continuing wave of gang feuds in sections of Kingston and St Andrew, several schools are worried about the safety of their students.

Cecile Palmer, principal of Holy Family Primary School, Kingston, yesterday described the events of the last few days as "traumatic", but noted that counsellors were doing all they could for the school population.

Since the start of the week, six people have been killed in nearby communities in the Central Kingston constituency.

"It has been very traumatic for the children, teachers, parents and the community," said Palmer. "Today (Thursday) is the first day we are able to breathe a little sigh of relief as the air is not as thick."

Palmer said the attendance of students was at an all-time low.

Children traumatised

"The children are traumatised and there are many children who are not so attentive. On Tuesday, a child was here and told us that their grandfather had been killed and there are other children here who have lost a family member through the violence," she said.

At the Balcombe Drive Primary School in West Central, St Andrew, there was little activity yesterday. Residents said the students were sent home from 11:00 a.m., after the news of the shooting of Bonito Taylor, 45 and her daughter Sashana Hall, 20.

The principal of the Calabar Primary and Junior High School on Sutton Street, downtown Kingston, refused to comment on the violence issue, but a group of students and their parents related concerns for their safety.

"I used to live 'roun here and three times we nearly got killed, but my mum moved us out. Sometimes they close the gate, like on Tuesday and Thursday, for us to be safe, sometimes the gunmen are coming through the churchyard," said one student.

Dr Grace Kelly, chairman of the Behavioural Sciences Department at the Northern Caribbean University in Manchester, suggested that many children who have been exposed to violence might suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, which could result in negative antisocial behaviours.

tendai.franklyn-brown@gleanerjm.com