Frustration, erosion of values, and a hand-out mentality are putting our youth in peril, deFreitas says

With the recent spate of violent incidents, shootings and stabbings,
there appears to be a crisis enveloping the Nation’s youth, says
Franz deFreitas, the United Progressive Party (UPP) caretaker for St.
John’s City South.
 
Virtually every other day, he notes, the reports of violence involve a
young person – either as the victim or the perpetrator.
 
DeFreitas believes that some young people are unable to cope with
the challenges of life, and so they often vent their frustration in a
violent manner on others.
 
The UPP caretaker notes, too, that there has been a serious erosion
of values among the Nation’s youth; and, in some aspects, this can be

blamed on those seeking election to public office by way of
inducements.
 
According to him, many young people are being reared with a hand-
out mentality; so some do not want to work and they turn to
criminal activities to make a living.
 
If programs and policies are not put in place to deal with the many
issues affecting the youth, the country will be setting itself up for
serious problems, deFreitas predicts, since these young people are
our future leaders.
 
He says that all the relevant stakeholders should come together on
this issue, which is not partisan and will benefit a vulnerable group
of citizens.