A public health approach to reducing violence within the CARICOM region.

Widespread crime has become a worldwide problem so much so that violence is now ranked fourth globally in its contribution to disability-adjusted life years in the 10 to 24 age group. Homicides, a surrogate marker of violent crime, have shown an upward trend in almost all of the CARICOM countries, and homicide rates over the past 3 years have consistently increased, though the pattern of violence varies by country. This background has informed the need for greater emphasis on the need for a different approach to dealing with crime in the CARICOM region. The CARICOM governments recently hosted a symposium on crime and violence as a public health issue. The public health approach to crime has been used with measurable success in different parts of the world and, more recently in Trinidad, one of the CARICOM countries. The paper outlines the outcomes of the symposium and discusses its implications for the region.

Intimate Partner Violence and Suicidality: Applicability of General Strain Theory to Women in Trinidad and Tobago.

Suicide among women is a growing problem in Trinidad and Tobago. Despite efforts to reduce suicide, the etiology of suicidal behaviors in this region has rarely been examined. Using the National Women's Health Survey for Trinidad and Tobago in 2018 (n = 1,079), this study examined the causes of suicidality through concepts contained in Agnew's general strain theory, such as negative stimuli (i.e., intimate partner violence [IPV]) and negative emotion (i.e., depression). By estimating structural equation models, this study found that IPV was strongly related to depression and suicidality. Particularly, depression mediated the effect of IPV on suicidality.

Low Self-Control and Delinquent Behavior Among Caribbean Youths: The Moderating Role of Parental Supervision.

Delinquent behavior represents a serious concern in the Caribbean. In order to provide insights useful for explaining deviant behavior among youths in Caribbean countries, this study examines the importance of self-control and parental supervision as predictors of deviant behavior. The study assesses direct as well as interaction effects of both variables. For the study, data from Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia were analyzed. The sample included 1,140 juveniles aged between 10 and 19 years. The results of regression analyses showed that self-control was a significant predictor of delinquent behavior. It was also found that the provision of parental supervision was able to mitigate the impact of low self-control on delinquency. This finding applied to males as well as females in the sample.

The role of religiosity in influencing adolescent and adult alcohol use in Trinidad.

This study examined the role of religiosity among adolescents' and adults' alcohol use in Trinidad. A stratified random sample design of 369 adolescents and 210 adult parents belonging to the various religious groups in Trinidad was employed. Participants were randomly selected from various educational districts across Trinidad. Adolescent respondents completed a demographic questionnaire and the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-A2 (SASSI-A2). Adult participants completed a similar demographic questionnaire and questions taken from the SASSI-A2 that related to alcohol use. MANOVA analyses revealed significant main effects for adolescents' and adults' alcohol use as it relates to religious affiliation and frequency of religious service attendance. It is hoped that these findings will assist health educators in the formulation of intervention programs in Trinidad.