Well known family therapist Dr. Barry Davidson is appealing to politicians and members of the security forces to model better family life as the country grapples with a wave of social problems that are fueling an alarmingly high crime rate.
Dr. Davidson says many families in Jamaica are “dysfunctional”, but he is confident there can be a turnaround. He feels stronger family units will contribute to creating a more loving society and has urged parliamentarians to contribute to this process.
“They (politicians) will need to understand that if we are going to be successful, then they have to come in line as well, because they are our role models; people look to them as examples, and one of the problems we have had in Jamaica over the years is that our politicians have not been good role models where family life is concerned,” he told the Freedom Come Rain Newspaper.
“They have been known to have children all over the place. Politicians, police, soldiers—these people have really not been positive role models. They have not demonstrated that they are great spouses or great parents, and so they need to realise that they also have to come inline,” he said.
Jamaica can have better families
Jamaican policemen and soldiers have often been accused of having multiple children and “baby mothers” across the island because their jobs require them to relocate often, but these claims have been anecdotal.
The leadership of both the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force) have had to come out in defence of officers in the past who were accused of having sexual relationships with women they encounter in the course of carrying out their jobs. In 2018, for example, members of the security forces were alleged to have engaged in sexual relationships with women in Zones of Special Operation (ZOSO) in St. James and West Kingston. An official in the JDF stated at the time that there was no truth to this, although members of the communities insisted that some of the soldiers had started cohabiting with the women.
Dr. Davidson, who is the founder of Family Life Ministries, acknowledged that countries across the world are struggling to maintain stable families. Even so, he feels, Jamaica can be a trend-setter in this area.
“Jamaica can, if Jamaica decides that this is what it wants. Jamaica decided some years ago that it wanted to do well in athletics, and it did,” he noted.
He recalled that many Jamaican athletes used to go overseas to train and then return to run for the country in the past. That mindset has changed, and now Jamaica has some of the best coaches and top-notch athletes.
“We have demonstrated over and over again that we are unique. We have demonstrated our uniqueness in music, sports, and a number of other things,” he said.
The country’s startling crime figures have often been blamed on the breakdown of families. The Association of Christian Communicators and Media (ACCM) believes Jamaican parliamentarians can also help by implementing a programme to address immorality and rebuild the family, which it describes as the “backbone” of society.
Transformation programme needed
“We recall that previous administrations across the political divide have attempted to implement a values-based transformation programme for the society. Although these initiatives have had limited success, we believe the time is right for the parliament and government to set up a National Commission on Family, reporting to the people, through their House of Representatives. This commission will become the vehicle, mandated to promote righteous transformational family values throughout the society,” the group stated in a media release last month.
The ACCM, which is comprised of Christian journalists and media practitioners across the region, said it is willing and available to play a role in this crucial transformational process.
Leader of the ACCM’s subcommittee for Gender, Family and Sexuality, Dr. Patience Alonge, believes Jamaica needs to get back to the place where the teaching of God’s word is paramount.
“The family values that come from the biblical perspective, we are no longer promoting it. Therefore we want to bring that back on the table, not just to talk about it, but to find a way that every member of the society is sensitised to this,” she said.
Founder of Deborah N.O.W. Ministries, Susan Gordon, believes “selfish ambition” is one of the contributing factors to the break-down of families.
Hustling Culture
“We have gotten so caught up with just hustling and trying to put bread on our table,” she noted before adding, “Back in the days, they too had time hard, but in my humble opinion, people were more caring then.”
The founder of the faith-based Christian organisation also reminded women that their primary role is to be the helpmate and the nurturer in their family. With so many things distracting women from these core roles, she admits that this is something they would need to be deliberate about achieving.
Dr. Davidson said it is possible to strengthen the family structure even if it is not nuclear. He feels a single-parent household can still be a healthy family, as this is one where there is evidence of unconditional love, support, and encouragement.
“The healthy family is not a perfect family. For instance, a member of that family can end up doing something wrong and go to prison, but you don’t abandon that family member. They visit the person, they take food for the person, and when that person comes out, they make sure the person is rehabilitated, and they give that person a fighting chance,” he explained.