Gun crime and gang activity has soared. But why? Mirrors coordinator Kimberley Jackson has some clues

Alienated from their own communities but dangerously identified by them by enemy gangs <\!m> that is the bizarre contradiction facing many teens trapped in violence.

And youth paranoia is so bad that 64 percent of those attending Mirrors <\!m> the programme to rehabilitate wayward youth <\!m> say they regularly carry a weapon.

Despite that, counsellors says street kids are desperate for an alternative <\!m> they just don't know how to change.

Mirrors evaluation coordinator Kimberley Jackson, who has been on the programme since 2007, said: "We have had direct meetings with young people to get their feedback after [violent] episodes.

"They have indicated that although they may not belong to a gang, just by living in a neighbourhood they get connected to that territory."

But she said those same kids can often feel isolated within their own communities which offer them little other than the drug culture.

"We reach them by going to the streets and hearing the street talk.

"What is amazing to me is that when we go and have those conversations they don't want to be on the street in negative activity."

Those young people are on the wall because of life circumstances, said Ms Jackson.

"They want something wholesome in their lives. When we open up that possibility for them we actually get an opportunity to enroll them in our programme."

She said Mirrors was exploring with gang members why they got involved.

"What they said is that they inherited the territorial and gang issue. It's not about them, they have inherited it because of where they live.

"Just because they live in a neighbourhood they are affiliated with a particular crew."

The gang problem is so bad she said some potential Mirrors recruits were too scared to join because they felt their affiliations meant doing the residential element at the base at Willowbank, Sandys was too dangerous.

"There are some concerns about violence but we haven't had any to date," said Ms Jackson.

"But we have youths with significant levels of risk of violence who choose not to participate, not because they don't want something different out of life but because of their history of being involved in gangs. We are open to everyone.

"They have some beefs they don't want to risk, some feel stuck because they can't come out of that for fear of retaliation."

Mirrors was set up to help young people with problems before they got too enmeshed in crime, by pairing them up with mentors.

But Mrs. Jackson is keen to point out that not every Mirrors inductee has a violence problem <\!m> indeed some attendees are doing well at school and within their homes but simply have problems with confidence or communicating.

But at the same time Mirrors is taking a good look at the risk factors for those involved in violence.

A study was done in 2007 and now Mirrors summer students are collecting the data from community members between the ages of 15 to 23 years to compare the data with the Mirrors participants' responses.

The 2007 Mirrors survey of all its participants revealed that:

85 percent had problems with authority

80 percent had been suspended from school

67 percent have problems with following rules

73 percent had a past history of substance use <\!m> 39 percent were current users <\!m> of those 58 percent were drinking, 52 percent were using marijuana. And about a third were doing both

33 percent are involved in gangs

64 percent say they carry a weapon.

Ms Jackson said: "Even if they are not directly involved with violence they have reported a need to arm themselves for protection.

"It speaks to the culture that they are living in and what's going on in their neighbourhood that they feel, even going to school, they would [need to] have a butter knife.

"It's not sharp, but they feel they need some type of protection for retaliation, gang activity, or just because they live in a neighbourhood they are assumed to belong to a gang because they live in that neighbourhood."

A National Drug Control Agency student survey showed the average age of first-time drinkers was ten-and-a-half years old and Ms Jackson said it was clear that alcohol seems to play a major role in violence.

But alcohol, and indeed drugs, has been around in Bermuda for decades so why is the violence problem getting worse?

Ms Jackson said youngsters started drinking very early now and research had showed alcohol played a part in violence.

"The difference is young people didn't use alcohol when I was growing up.

"Drugs were around but young people were not using it at the rate they are using it today.

"You knew drugs were going on huddled in a corner, maybe at a field or a club, but it wasn't in your face.

"Today it is prominent, if you ask young people about alcohol and drug use they will tell you it's normal, everybody does it."

Widespread drug and alcohol availability made it normal for youngsters to slip into using.

"If you walk the streets young people will tell you it is normal for people to be on drugs. If those things are normal for them it increases their chances of getting involved.

"So there's an increased likelihood you are going to have an increased problem with adolescent behaviours, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop-outs etc.

"We haven't paid attention to some of the things that have crept up in our community."

And until Bermuda dealt with the root causes it would merely be throwing resources at the symptoms, said Ms Jackson.

The visibility of negative behaviour and the lack of visible healthy alternatives made it worse for young people now who didn't feel attached to their community.

"There are many activities for young people but when you walk into a community the first thing you see is negative activity."

While those who have become immersed in crime undoubtedly resent the Police, it seems those on the Mirrors programme haven't reached that stage and would actually welcome more Police in their neighbourhoods to make them feel safe in their community.

And that's not so surprising given how dangerous pockets of Bermuda have become.

"When they share with me it's worse than what we see <\!m> lots of firearms in their neighbourhoods."

The Mirrors programme works with 15- to 21-year-olds but soon the age range will be upped to 23.

The programme has unearthed other interesting figures.

It shows 76 percent of attendees reported problems handling anger. Ms Jackson is alarmed by that and hopes anger management skills could be incorporated into school curriculums and after-school programmes.

"They recognised they have anger issues but they don't know what to do."

But if the warning signs are ignored and not addressed, further problems are likely to follow.

Mirrors works at changing people's mindsets but often there's a lot to work on.

Ms Jackson doesn't have stats from Mirrors attendees on family background such as family history, sexual abuse or drug use in the home.

"But they do tell us about the domestic violence they have had to witness, the sexual abuse they have endured <\!m> family histories of problem behaviour."

She believes the three most common factors for violent kids were peer pressure, family history of abuse and difficulties with adults and authority figures.

Other factors are also making the situation worse, believes Ms Jackson <\!m> more media glamourisation of violence, violence in the family, lack of connection with the community, academic failure, peer pressure.

"Young people say they have a very difficult time with peer pressure <\!m> how do [they] stand up against others in their schools or community? They don't have appropriate assertive behaviour."

Ms Jackson said risk factors such as academic failure, low neighbourhood attachment, economic deprivation, family management problems and peer pressure all added to the likelihood of violence.

"We need to target resources to prevent problem behaviour."

It means a joint effort encompassing foster families, mentor organisations as well as health and social services. It needs greater resources to families, communities and strengthening the education system, said Ms Jackson.

Mirrors participants often want more support in their development <\!m> whether it's academic support or access to scholarship, she added.

"The difficulty is when youngsters get their world view reshaped they want to go back to work but find they often lack the high school diploma necessary for even entry-level jobs.

"They are faced with a dilemma <\!m> do I go back to my old life?

"We have to be very creative in offering them a means to a positive healthy lifestyle, it's not easy."

Mirrors drums into the at-risk youngsters where their behaviour will lead them.

"They reflect on their actions, choices and make decisions based on where their old life has taken them and where they want to go now."

Attendees meet mentors, or life coaches, on a weekly basis, and also have two scheduled phone conversations. Some are brought into the office to get extra help to keep them on track.

"We coach them on choices and how to handle their mistakes because they will probably continue to make them."

Tomorrow: Two Mirrors attendees tell how the programme saved them from a life of violence.