Term Paper Example - Homicide in the Bahamas

The homicide rate is defined as an act of one human killing another. However, homicide can be divided into various forms that include, murder, manslaughter, killing in war and capital punishments depending on the nature of the death. Different community treats homicide differently, some view homicides as the crime while others are permitted, or some are ordered by legal systems.

Our problem, in this case, is Bahamas homicide rates that have increased drastically in the past decades. As the crime is raising in Bahamas children are wittiness the death of their parents and relatives. Crimes against family members have negatives impact on growth and development of a child. According to reports from international homicide rate statistics, Bahamas is placed 12th nation with the highest murder rates in the entire world. Bahamas minister of health, during 2017 budget was quoted saying the Bahamas is one of the violent country in the world; we beat, stab, shoot and rape each other at an unacceptable rate(Nowak, 493). Bahamas homicide rate is triple is considered by world health organization (WHO) as an epidemic. In the last few years bullets have been the cause of many deaths among Bahamian m males.

Also, crime study in the Bahamas states that 78 percent of murder victims lost their lives as result of gunshots wounds. Also, the studies indicate that this crime occurs in streets and homes, a good number of children are affected mental because some even witness their parent been murdered in their presence. The affected children end up growing with badness, sense of revenge and hate toward the individual who murdered his family. However, an attack wills only further the causes of homicide in the Bahamas. Furthermore, the murder cases in the Bahamas have exceeded 100 for the last five years. For example, a family from British origin was shot dead in front of their 13-year-old son.

The causes and effects of murder in the Bahamas

Domestic violence: this is one of leading reasons for murder in the Bahamas. Domestic violence involves abusive always by either of partner in an intimate relationship which may include, marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation. Domestic violence takes various ways of abusive such as, physical harm, assault, sexual abuse, and intimidation between married partners and stalking. .Although many countries around the world have high rates of domestic violence the focus area of this paper is the Bahamas (Plumridge & Susan & Fielding, 55). In 2000 Bahamian police reports stated that forty-five percent of homicides cases where reported was as a result of domestic related incidents .Even though, domestic violence can be committed by man or woman almost half of the killings in the Bahamas dealt with women being killed by the father of her children, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, or her husband. Also to add twenty-nine percent of the domestic violence homicides were committed at home which means many of those women were killed in front of their children.

Police department in Bahamas have reported emerging of drug traffic activities that has contributed to an unprecedented increase in the murder case in the Bahamas in the last decade. Central America to northeastern has been a major root to transit cocaine in Bahamas. In 2011, the murder rate in Bahamas increased to unwanted numbers 1, 136, with 8 out of 10 killings related to drug trafficking activities (Miron, 633). Drug tariffing has affected the Bahamas significantly because even children are involved in trafficking illegal drugs. In the process many of the end up being killed, also many children have witnessed their parent suffering from hands of drug lords.

All in all, murder has notable effects on cognitive performance and growth of children who are victims across Bahamas community. Incidents of murder violence have the following effects on children, physiological effects, emotional, social handling of related stress, fear and trauma. It becomes very hand for children cope with the murder of their parents because the incidents keep coming back. Also, it proved when children witness murders his chance of committing a crime is very high.

There is abundant evidence from clinical statistics that provides that following a homicide death, family members are exposed to risk uncontained stress and dysfunctional psychological reaction. And since nearly 10000 murder case reported in the Bahamas annually affects a wide range between 5000 and 8000 relatives and other survivors (Nowak, 493). However, the magnitudes of this aspect suggest that murder bereavement represents a significant public health problem.

How the Bahamas can fix homicide rates

For the Bahamas to solve murders rates, they must establish strong laws that will limit the use of firearms sale and manufacturing. These strategies include the following: introduce the legislation that will protect women against domestic violence, establish national crime forum and increasing parenting programs among others.

Establishing national crime forum

This organ should not be an adhocracy that fails to report and disbands. But it must be a government operation and part of the bureaucracy that is approved by legal means. This program will monitor implement anti-crime laws and tackle the causes of crimes. This application must be visible to the community and work hand to hand with police to achieve mutual goals. According to sir Roberts, "The police are the public and the public is the police." Sir Roberts encouraged the member of the public to support local authorities by reporting any crime or attempts. The process of reducing murder crimes demands an effective social co-junction between the government and non- government movement (Fearon, 2011). However, the primary function of this organ will be to raise public awareness of crime and possible amicable solution through discussion at town congress and medial involvement.

Another factor is increasing number of recruited police officers in the Bahamas: Bahamas police have been working tirelessly to solve murder cases. However, Bahamas police force requires the increased presence of police on the streets and in neglected areas.

Another way is to establishing resident program for extremely at-risk youths: Introduction of a residential program for those children at risk is based on group psychotherapy model as compared to the boot system approach that provides hope and habilitation for our young men.

To solve domestic violence members of the community must understand how the children of these murdered or battered women are affected. Domestic violence has contributed 38 percent of murder cases in the Bahamas and due to this, Women in the Bahamas have begun to fight for equal rights through women suffrage movement led by the late Dr. Doris Johnson. As a resultwomen were granted the right to vote in 1961, 12 years before the Bahamas independence from Great Britain (Bahamas Society and Culture, 1993). Though women gained the right to vote, the Bahamian society still viewed women as subservient to men.

Work cited

Plumridge, Susan J., and William J. Fielding. "Domestic violence in the homes of college students, New Providence, The Bahamas." The International Journal of Bahamian Studies 15 (2009): 45-55.

Fearon, James D. "Homicide data, third revision: Background paper prepared for the WDR 2011 team." World Development Report Background Papers. Washington, DC: World Bank(2011).

Miron, Jeffrey A. "Violence, guns, and drugs: A cross-country analysis." The Journal of Law and Economics 44.S2 (2001): 615-633.

Nowak, Barbara J. "Keeping it better in the Bahamas: A nation's socioeconomic response to juvenile crime." Journal of black studies 31.4 (2001): 483-493.