Youth Development in the Caribbean

1. Youth Development in the Caribbean Small States |Forum IBRD/IMF Annual Meetings Dubai 2003

2. Study Objectives • Identify the causes (risk and protective factors) behind various youth behaviors and development. • Measure the cost of negative youth behaviors to the individual and to society • Explore key intervention points for youth development.

3. Scope and Data • Data • Quantitative • Household surveys • CARICOM country survey of adolescent students. • Qualitative: • St. Lucia and Dominican Republic focus groups • Consultations: Jamaica, Barbados, Dominican Republic

4. MAIN FINDINGS Although the majority of young people make the transition to adulthood smoothly..... A growing minority do not.

5. Growing numbers of young people are “at risk” Regional trends: • Youth unemployment: 33% Jamaica, 30% DR • Highest incidence of AIDS/HIV outside of Africa • 17% physically abused • 10-17% of children begin sexual activity before age 10 • Incidence of rage is high: 40% • 20% of boys carry firearms to school and involved in gangs • Widespread social acceptance of alcohol and marijuana use

6. Youth Development is National Development Some Examples of “lost” GDP due to youth behaviors: • Teen Pregnancy: each cohort of adolescent mothers cost the Dominican Republic US$7 million in foregone use of resources • School dropout: a female school leaver in St. Lucia earns (and contributes to GDP) US$ 525,000 less over her lifetime than if she finished secondary school • Crime: in Jamaica, tourist receipts increase 4% with 1% reduction in youth crime • AIDS: annual GDP would be up to 0.37% higher if no youth contracted HIV • Unemployment: If youth unemployment rates were equal to those in the US, GDP would be 3.72% higher in Jamaica (regional high) and 0.72% higher in Barbados (regional low)

7. Youth Respond to Their Environment • Primary level factors • Family • Schools • Poverty and Inequality • Gender and the Family • Secondary level factors • Microenvironment: Peers, role models and social networks, communities and neighbourhoods • Macroenvironment: Health care system, law enforcement, judiciary, media

8. MOVING FORWARD

9. The challenges • Scarce information: Youth programs are plentiful but little is known about their effectiveness. How to make policy & investments when information about effective policy is scarce? • Institutional challenges: • Youth is a crosscutting issue • At-risk youth are unattached to formal institutions • Youth lack an organized and vocal constituency

10. Entry Points for Action –some ideas • Use the Education System to address youth issues as well as academic needs • Public Health Care System that works with the realities of youth behavior and prioritizes confidentiality • Parental and Mentoring programs/activities and incentives to participate • Reform and Strengthen Legal, Judicial and Policing Systems to Create a Safe and Positive Environment • Use the Media and Social Marketing to change norms and values of youth and of adults with respect to youth • Create economic incentives for productive youth • Youth-policymaker partnerships in decision-making fora

11. Youth are not the problem....they are the product of their environments • “The drug dons ( traffickers) promote themselves to the youth. We have to promote ourselves, our programs, our community and our caring if we are to get the youth’s attention.”