Confronting youth and family violence & early intervention  

The persistent challenge of youth and family violence in Guyana continues to demand urgent, coordinated, and innovative responses. The Youth and Family Violence Training Conference hosted by the Family Enhancement Services Section (FESS) of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security represents an important step in advancing this effort. Bringing together 35 professionals from key agencies, including the Childcare and Protection Agency, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, and officers from the Ministries of Home Affairs and Education, the initiative underscores a growing national recognition that violence, whether in the home or among youth, must be tackled not in isolation but through unified, multi-sectoral engagement.
Violence among young people is a social and developmental issue. It undermines community safety, disrupts education, erodes family structures, and perpetuates cycles of trauma that impede national progress. Addressing this crisis requires proactive measures, as it calls for early intervention, prevention, and the creation of positive spaces where young people can thrive emotionally, socially, and intellectually. As Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud aptly emphasised, understanding and tackling the root causes of youth violence from an early stage is crucial. This approach aligns with the ministry’s broader vision of building resilient families and communities that are capable of nurturing the nation’s youth toward productive and peaceful futures.
The conference’s objectives – to strengthen partnerships, deepen understanding, and foster dialogue – are precisely what is needed to confront the complex interplay between family dysfunction, socio-economic stress, and behavioural outcomes in youth. Too often, violence is treated as a symptom rather than a signal of deeper issues such as neglect, poverty, exposure to abuse, or lack of supportive networks. The involvement of professionals from various agencies ensures that the conversation is not limited to the confines of one ministry or discipline but extends across education, justice, and community welfare sectors. Such cross-sectoral collaboration is indispensable if the goal is to build sustainable systems of prevention and rehabilitation.
Central to this national response must be empowerment of both families and youth. Empowerment begins with inclusion, encouragement, and access to opportunities that cultivate self-worth and hope. The Ministry’s efforts to establish youth-friendly spaces across the country are a commendable investment in this direction. These spaces provide safe environments for young people to access mentorship, counselling, and skill-development resources that can redirect potential negative behaviours toward positive, transformative paths. The planned expansion from six to ten youth-friendly spaces by year-end demonstrates commitment to ensuring that interventions reach more communities, especially those most vulnerable to violence and social dislocation.
Additionally, the Ministry’s partnership with USAID through the YSET test under the Y-RIE programme signals a shift toward data-driven approaches in addressing youth vulnerability. By assessing risk factors and building resilience among at-risk youth, the programme is positioning itself as a proactive instrument in preventing violence before it manifests. This focus on resilience-building is critical; it allows young people not only to avoid harmful environments but also to develop coping mechanisms that enable long-term personal growth and stability.
Equally significant is the ministry’s national anti-bullying and body-shaming campaign, which targets one of the most formative spaces in a young person’s life: the school environment. By promoting positive behaviour, self-esteem, and empathy among students, the campaign helps to cultivate cultures of respect and non-violence from an early age. In doing so, it challenges the normalisation of aggression and exclusion that often fuels broader patterns of violence within families and communities.
The presence of academic expertise, such as that of facilitator Lauristan Choy from the University of Guyana, adds further depth to the initiative. Choy’s emphasis on understanding family dynamics and closing systemic gaps between the justice and child protection systems points to the importance of comprehensive frameworks rather than fragmented interventions.
Youth and family violence cannot be viewed through a single institutional lens; it spans multiple domains – legal, psychological, educational, and social. Strengthening coordination among these systems is therefore essential to ensure that victims receive timely support, perpetrators are rehabilitated, and prevention strategies are rooted in evidence and empathy.
Ultimately, the fight against youth and family violence is not one to be won in conference halls alone. It requires sustained political will, community participation, and societal transformation. Every household, school, faith-based organisation, and neighbourhood has a role to play in shaping environments that reject violence and foster respect, communication, and care. While Government-led initiatives are crucial in setting the policy direction, their success depends largely on grassroots implementation and civic engagement.
The ongoing work of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security reflects a growing awareness that addressing violence is integral to national development. A country cannot truly advance if its youth are unsafe, unheard, or unsupported. Building a culture of peace begins with investing in families, strengthening institutions, and believing in the potential of every young person to rise above adversity. The recent conference is therefore a training exercise of reaffirmation of Guyana’s collective commitment to ensuring that every child and family can live free from violence and empowered to contribute to a stronger, more compassionate nation.