Men suffer more from violence than women. Violence results in high costs for hospital care. Men account for the majority of injuries in all circumstances except in cases of sexual assault, where women are the main victims. Jamaica has one of the highest rates of violent deaths in the world at 45 per 100,000 people. Deaths due to homicide have exceeded 1,000 people for the past five years.
Violent-related injuries
Men account for 60 per cent of violent-related injuries. Perpetrators and victims of crime and violent acts are mostly young men between 15 and 26 years old. They come from the poor, inner-city communities in Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. James. Violent-related injuries are predominantly gun shots (41 per cent) and intentional lacerations (27 per cent). Males use sharp objects such as knives or ice picks while females frequently use blunt objects. About 15 per cent of students carry weapons to school and 10 per cent of them report belonging to a gang at some time.
Injuries to men are often committed by an acquaintance while intimate partners are responsible for 30 per cent of injuries against women. The majority of violence involving men occur in the streets or public areas (55 per cent) while most violence involving women occur in the home (57 per cent). About a quarter of injured men are admitted to hospital compared to eight per cent of women, suggesting that men suffer more serious injuries.
Violence is a way of life
Domestic violence is a common feature in Jamaican homes. Some children in unstable families witness violence and domestic abuse as well as violence in television programming or at the movies. These children may underachieve at school and are more likely to use drugs or alcohol and have aggressive and delinquent behaviours. Corporal punishment, which is associated with increased aggression, is common in homes and schools. Thus, violence is a way of life for many Jamaicans.
Changing the cycle
There is no doubt that violence begets violence. Our youth, especially young boys, are impacted by verbal, physical and sexual violence at home, on the television, in the music, at schools, on the streets and just about everywhere. To change the cycle, men and women must act at the individual, educational and community level.
Sports can be used to promote healthy lifestyles. Church attendance and training parents and teachers to be caring and affirmative can also serve to build self-esteem among Jamaican youth. Parent and community support, conflict resolution, mentoring, peer counselling, homework supervision and skills training are all features of any intervention to eradicate violence among our young men.
The role of the health team
The physician and other members of the health team can readily identify violence when in the accident and emergency area or in the primary-care setting. The health provider will ask about the causes and circumstances of injuries and, in this way, seek to identify the risks faced by individuals for repeat injuries.
Health practitioners serve as respected and confidential sources of information about interventions for violence prevention. They are also important mediators and counsellors in conflicts between family members and among members of the community at large. They can refer high-risk young people to agencies that offer the necessary remedial actions. Reducing violence among men requires the composite effort of social, political, economic and healthy lifestyle interventions.
Dr Pauline Williams-Green is a family physician and president of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
