Sociology Internal Assessment

Problem statement: What long-term effects does child abuse have on urban-dwelling Jamaican

boys?

Group Members:

Omari Chambers- 1000520444

Elisha Ramsay-1000521882

Shafiemy Burton-1000520347

School: Jamaica College 100052

Commencement Date: October 9, 2022

Topic: Social Institutions: The Family

Teacher: Mrs. Kethjoy Watson

 Table Of Contents
Acknowledgment………………………………………………………..pg3
Introduction………………………………………………………….....pg4
Aims and Objectives……………………………………………….pg5
Literature Review………………………………………………….pg6-7
Research Design/Plan………………………………………………pg8
The Sociological Perspective…………………………………………..pg9
Presentation of Data……………………………………….…….pg10-19
Interpretation of Data…………………………………………..……pg20-21
Recommendation………………………………….…………………….pg22
Conclusion…………………………………………….…………………..pg23
Bibliography………………………………………………………………….pg24
Appendix………………………………………………………………………..pg25-39
 Acknowledgement

Without the complete collaboration of every group member, this study would not have been able

to be completed successfully. The researchers also want to express their sincere gratitude to their

sociology professor, Mrs. Watson, who has provided us with reassurance in terms of knowledge

and encouragement. Finally, we want to express our gratitude to God for giving us the health to

finish this research.

 Introduction
This Internal Assessment entails the long-term effects of child abuse on urban dwelling Jamaican
boys. Child abuse is defined as any act, or failure to act, on the part of a parent or caretaker,
which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation of a
child. Any act, or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm to a child also
counts as child abuse.

The problem statement aims to investigate long term effects of child abuse on urban dwelling
Jamaican Boys. As such, through use of questionnaires this will be achieved. The Researchers
prior to this IA were not well informed of abuse in Jamaican boys but have now learned a
modicum of information suited to properly tackle this subject.
 Aims and Objectives

The aim of this Internal Assessment is to research the long-term effects of child abuse on boys
residing in urban Jamaica.

The aims are:

● To ascertain the historical background of child abuse in boys located in urban Jamaica
● Has COVID exacerbated cases of child abuse in Jamaica
● To state the general indicators of child abuse in urban Jamaica
● To investigate the long and short effects of child abuse

The objectives are:

● To observe how child abuse affects a child’s behavior, growth, and development.
● To identify any potential indicators of abuse in boys in an urban residential area of
Kingston 11
● To ascertain whether cases of child abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in
an urban residential area of Kingston 11
● To determine whether there is a history of child abuse in the urban area known as
kingston 11
 Literature Review
The neighborhoods located in Kingston 11 were first used as a refuge for the Port Royal
earthquake survivors in 1692. Back then, the neighborhoods were in good shape, the streets had
names, and the population was primarily made up of people from the working class.
Kingston had grown to be Jamaica's largest town and commercial hub by 1716. Many locals
from all across the island were drawn to this. As the population increased, individuals began to
construct homes as closely as possible to one another, jobs became scarce and the communities
quickly became crowded. Therefore, most of the laborers traveled upward along Spanish Town
Road in search of employment. Due to the huge population, the neighborhoods eventually
became run-down and deteriorated, which led to an all-time peak in crime.
Child abuse, especially of boys, is a serious issue in today's society but there is a dearth of data.
Child abuse, as defined by Child Welfare Information Gateway (2022), is any recent act or
failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or
emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation. These elements may cause the youngster great,
irreparable psychological harm.

According to The Honourable Olivia Grange (2019) who is a Member of the House of
Representatives and The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport changing the
way we raise our children—especially boys, who are now subject to severe beatings as part of
their upbringing—will be a practical and long-lasting solution to minimize violence against
women. “We tell them that they must be masculine; and that masculinity is the opposite of
femininity. So, they grow up to reject feminine traits in favor of masculine ones. They must be
tough. And we spend a lot of time training them to be tough. We punish them in certain ways to
toughen them up. We drop lick pon dem — much more than we do girls.” the Minister declared.
In her view, men who grew up in toxic and abusive households are more likely to commit
violence against women and more likely to become criminals.

According to Elise Thomas, the western regional director of Woman Incorporated, whose office
serves St. James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and Trelawny, many people have blatantly refused to
report cases of sexual abuse against boys because they think the boys will feel too ashamed in a
culture that values masculinity in its male members. "Our boys are under serious attack,
physically and sexually. However, because of the Jamaican culture, it is not reported, as it ought
to be," said Thomas. "We keep silent a lot of times, because, to hear of a boy being molested and
you are in the community and people know, it's worse to talk about it than when it happens to a
girl, so it is kept quiet and that is a shame." "What we find is that some boys and men say they
are already dead, so they will hurt and maim and kill without a care in the world," stated
Thomas. "They have become callous ...; they think it is the norm to do this, and in many
instances, they get away with it."
Thomas claims that because they believe this to be the norm, males who experienced sexual and
physical abuse as children are more inclined to kill and abuse others. This supports Grange's
view that hurt men, hurt men.

In a similar vein, Eulalee Thompson (2012) in a Gleaner article supported Minister Grange's
theory that men who experienced abuse as children are more likely to abuse others. In her piece,
she described the facts of a therapy session with a man in his fifties who had just revealed that
while growing up in Jamaica, he had been compelled to engage in recurrent sexual activities with
his older female relative. He claimed that sharing this difficult aspect of his life with another
person was a first for him. As a child, he was engulfed in rage, remorse, shame, and emotions of
helplessness since he was unable to process this suffering. As a result of his misbehavior and
acting up, he was expelled from school shortly after. His childhood and adult years were marked
by several run-ins with the legal and judicial systems over wrongdoings like using illegal drugs.
He was able to "migrate" to the United States but lived there on the wrong side of the law for a
long time before being deported to Jamaica, unskilled and unable to fully function as a good
citizen.
 Research Design/Plan
The purpose of the research was exploratory, and the intended use was basic/fundamental. The
collection of data was done through the preparation of a quantitative questionnaire that contained
20 close ended items. The quantitative questionnaire was selected because it is often concise,
laser-focused, scientific, and reliable. These questionnaires were made and distributed online.
They were sent electronically via different social media platforms including WhatsApp,
Instagram, Twitter. 30 Questionnaires were created and handed out to 30 different people. The

distribution of these questionnaires and their return took place over the course of a week.
Random Sampling was used to conduct the research because of the probability of selection as
well as the participants being anonymous. The random sample technique was employed because
it aims to provide a true portrayal of the entire population. To choose a sample from a broader
population, it is regarded as an unbiased method (since every member of the population has an
equal chance of getting selected).
 The Sociological Perspectives
Weber's Social Action perspective, more specifically his affective social action perspective, is
clearly visible within this IA. Affective Social Action refers to emotional action in which a
person acts impulsively without necessarily considering the consequences. The sociological
perspective is consistent with the case study because abused boys exhibit conflicting emotions
that lead them to make life-threatening decisions. These choices range from eating disorders to
suicide and are consistent with Weber's writings.
Marxists have generally maintained that welfare interventions primarily aim to regulate the poor
and place the blame on the victim rather than addressing structural injustices and empowering
the underprivileged. The interventions for child protection have also been subject to this
criticism. Marxists do not downplay the seriousness or prevalence of child abuse, especially
when it takes a physical or sexual form. However, they contend that rather than being caused by
the personal illness of parents, a large amount of child abuse (especially those relating to
apparently milder types of neglect or emotional abuse) can be linked to poverty and structural
disadvantage.
Feminists view child abuse as closely related to the impact of patriarchal power relations. They
argue that child protection systems are gender-blind in that they ignore the different levels of
power and responsibility held by male and female parents.
 Presentation of Data and Analysis
Figure 1: Potential signs of abuse in boys

Figure 1: According to the majority of respondents, the primary warning indicators of abuse in

boys include poor physical and mental health, poor parent-child communication, bruises on the

body, and behavioral changes. The minor indicators of child abuse in boys were a change in

appetite, absences, and low grade

Figure 2: Long term effects of child abuse

Figure 2: The pie chart depicts the perspectives of respondents regarding the potential long-term

effects of child abuse. Depression and suicidal thoughts were cited as the primary consequences

of child abuse by 19% of respondents, followed by becoming abusers, poor social interactions,

mental disorders, and low self-esteem, which were all cited by 17% of respondents.
Figure 3: Whether child abuse affects a Jamaican boy's behavior, growth and

development?

Figure 3: The line graph shows whether respondents think that child abuse has an impact on the

behaviour, development, and growth of Jamaican boys. 96.7 percent of respondents said it did,

while 3.3% said they weren't sure.

Figure 4: Whether cases of child abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Figure 4: The pie chart shows whether respondents believe that child abuse cases increased

during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than half (60%) claiming that it did, 13.3% saying

that it did not, and 26.7% indicating that they were unsure.
Figure 5: Whether physical punishment still has a place in child rearing

Figure 5: The pie chart shows whether the respondents believe that physical punishment still has

a place in child rearing, with the majority of the respondents (46.7%) saying sometimes, 30%

saying yes and 23.3% saying no.

Figure 6: Whether boys who were abused later on become criminals and abusers

Figure 6: The pie chart displays respondents' perspectives on whether or not they think that

abused boys go on to commit crimes and abuse others. 53.3% of respondents indicated they

occasionally agreed with the statement, and 46.7% said they did.
Figure 7: Kind of abuse that occurs most frequently in Jamaica?

Figure 7: The bar graph depicts respondents' perspective on what kind of abuse they think occurs
most frequently in Jamaica, with the majority of respondents (93.3%) choosing physical abuse
and the least number of respondents (20%) choosing financial and economic abuse.
Figure 8: Are boys expected to be strong and show no emotions?

Figure 8: The pie chart illustrates whether respondents feel that boys should be strong and show
no emotion. Half of respondents chose that they do not believe so, 40% said they do, and 10%
said maybe.
Figure 9: Can abused boys function as good citizens in Jamaica?

Figure 9: The pie chart illustrates whether the respondents believe that abused boys can function
as good citizens of Jamaica, with a majority of the respondents (40%) disagreeing and saying
that they cannot, 23.3% of respondents agreeing that they can and 36.7% are not sure.
Figure 10: Services to help victims of abuse

Figure 10: The bar graph shows the respondents' awareness of services available to victims of

abuse, with CISOCA and the CDA receiving the most attention (70.4%) and the OCR receiving

the least attention (22.2%).

 Interpretation of Data
Child abuse, as defined by Child Welfare Information Gateway (2022), is any recent act
or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or
emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation. These elements may cause the youngster great,
irreparable psychological harm.

The goal of Objective One is to determine how a boy’s behavior, growth, and
development are affected by child abuse. It was found from the data gathered that abuse has an
impact on boys’ self-esteem, contributes to their inability to interact socially, and causes them to
have suicidal thoughts. Is it because most individuals, according to the data gathered, thought
that males should be tough and exhibit no emotion that the suicide rate for men is so much
greater than that for women? Boys are trained to stifle their feelings, and frequently they are left
alone to talk about sensitive subjects like abuse. Despite increased awareness of mental illness,
many people still view males as only being capable of being strong on the physical, emotional,
and mental levels. Boys who are young tend to view crying as a sign of weakness and are less
likely to admit it when they feel vulnerable. These factors affect men’s mental health and make
them more likely to adopt a toxic perspective on life. This supports The Honourable Olivia
Grange’s theory that, “Hurt men, hurt men.” In other words, boys who grew up in abusive and
toxic homes are more likely to abuse others and turn to crime.

The second objective sought to shed light on potential indicators of abuse in boys
residing in Jamaica. The data gathered indicates that the most common types of abuse in Jamaica
are physical, sexual, mental, and emotional abuse. Many parents in Jamaica believe that corporal
punishment is vital in child rearing. In a nation where Christianity is the predominant religion,
Many parents use the popular Bible verse "Spare the rod, spoil the child" (Proverbs 13:24) as
justification for abusing their kids. It’s perplexing that while the majority of respondents thought
that males who have been abused can not be good citizens, 77% still thought physical
punishment had a place in raising children. Despite the belief that males who have been abused
cannot be productive members of society, abuse is routinely employed in child rearing.
Jamaicans, including parents, teachers and other caretakers of children, seem to understand that
child abuse has detrimental effects on the growth and development of children, however,
simultaneously, they refuse to let this knowledge alter deeply engrained beliefs on child rearing
and punishment, with disastrous consequences for children involved. Poor physical and mental
health, changes in behavior, bruising on the body, ineffective parent-child communication, and
poor grades are some potential indicators of abuse in boys.

The final objective was to determine whether there was an upsurge in child abuse cases
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the data gathered, 60% of respondents thought that
child abuse did, in fact, increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to anecdotal
reports, children have been more susceptible to sexual assault as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic. Many students who experience abuse at home consider school as a safe haven,
therefore during the pandemic lockdown incidences of abuse increased as kids spent more time
at home with their abusers.
 Recommendations
The following are some recommendations to reduce the amount of boys being abused in urban
Jamaica:

● Raising awareness of child abuse, its long-term repercussions on children, and

educating the public about it.
● The majority of abuse prevention programs and services are geared toward
women; creating male-specific programs and services would ideally enable males
to report and discuss their experiences in a secure setting.
● Providing concrete support for parents which involves ensuring parents have all
they require to meet the basic needs such as food, shelter, transportation, and
clothing for their family.
● Report suspected child abuse or child neglect.
 Conclusion
To conclude, child abuse in boys is a widespread issue in Jamaica. However, the extent to which

males and young boys are affected by this phenomenon is heavily underestimated in the

Jamaican consciousness, arguably due to the entrenched influence of hypermasculinity present in

Jamaican society. The researchers can conclude that sexual, emotional, mental, and physical

abuse are the most prevalent types of abuse in Jamaica based on the data they have gathered.

Child abuse has long lasting effects on a boy’s mental and physical health, it contributes to poor

social interactions and low self esteem. It is thought that abused boys are unable to contribute to

Jamaica as good citizens and are more likely to turn to crime and abuse others in the future.

Many people still think that boys should always be cognitively, emotionally, and physically

strong and that physical punishment is a valid form of reprimand.

 Bibliography
● https://www.ocr.gov.jm/index.php/information-center/what-is-child-abuse#:~:text=Child
%20abuse%20is%20any%20act,also%20counts%20as%20child%20abuse.
●
● http://radiojamaicanewsonline.com/local/child-sexual-abuse-cases-increase-by-70-since-c
ovid-19
● https://evaw-global-database.unwomen.org/en/countries/americas/jamaica/1989/centre-fo
r-the-investigation-of-sexual-offences-and-child-abuse
● https://childprotection.gov.jm/
● https://jis.gov.jm/government/agencies/child-development-agency-cda/
● https://www.academia.edu/3555098/Marxist_and_Feminist_critiques_of_Child_Protectio
n_To_Protect_Children_or_to_Change_Society_By_Philip_Mendes_published_in_Childr
en_Australia_24_2_1999_27_31#:~:text=Marxists%20believe%20that%20child%20prot
ection,the%20protection%20of%20abused%20children.
● https://www.britannica.com/place/Kingston-Jamaica
 Appendix
Disclaimer
The purpose of the study is in partial fulfillment of an Internal Assessment (IA) for the 6th form
students of Jamaica College. This questionnaire asks about your personal and/or professional opinions
on "What long term effects does child abuse have on urban-dwelling Jamaican boys?"
DO NOT write your name on this questionnaire.
Your responses will be anonymous and will never be linked to you personally. Your participation is
entirely voluntary. If there are items you are uncomfortable
answering, please skip them.
Thank you for your cooperation.

1. How old are you?

● 12-15
● 16-19
● 20-25
● 26-30
● 31-35
● 36-40
● 41 and over

2. What is your Gender?

● Male
● Female
● Other

3. Where do you live?

● Hanover
● Westmoreland
● St. James
● St. Elizabeth
● Trelawny
● Manchester
● St. Ann
● Clarendon
● St. Mary
● St. Andrew
● Kingston
● Portland
● St. Thomas
● Portmore

4. What is your Marital Status?

● Single
● Married
● Divorced
● Widowed
● Common Law
● Separated
● Other

5. What is your religion?

● Christian
● Muslim
● Jewish
● Hindu
● Rastafarian
● Other

6. What is your Profession?

● Professional
● Semi-professional
● Self-employed
● Employed
● Unemployed
● Student
● Retired
● Other

7. Pick your yearly income group below.

● Under $1m
● J$1m - J$3m
● $3m - $5m
● Over $5m

8. What is your race?

● Black
● White
● Chinese
● Indian
● Mixed race

9. Do you have any children?

● Yes
● No

10. If yes, how many children do you have?

● 1-3
● 4-6
● 6 and over

11. What do you think are some potential signs of abuse in boys?
● Poor grades
● Change in behavior
● Absenteeism
● Bruises on the body
● Lack of communication with parents
● Change in appetite
● Poor physical and mental health

12. What do you think are some long-term effects of child abuse?
● Sexual disorders
● Poor social interactions (work/family life)
● Low self-esteem
● Depression/Suicidal thoughts
● Mental disorders
● Becoming abusers

13. Do you believe that child abuse affects a Jamaican boy's behaviour, growth and
development?
● Yes
● No
● Not sure
14. Do you think that cases of child abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic?
● Yes
● No
● Not sure

15. Do you think that physical punishment still has a place in child rearing?
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes

16. Do you believe that boys who were abused later on become criminals and abusers
themselves?
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes

17. Which kind of abuse do you think occurs most frequently in Jamaica?
● Physical Abuse
● Sexual Abuse
● Verbal/Emotional Abuse
● Mental/Psychological Abuse
● Financial/Economic Abuse

18. Do you believe that boys are expected to be strong and show no emotions?
● Yes
● No
● Maybe

19. Do you think that abused boys can function as good citizens in Jamaica?
● Yes
● No
● Not sure

20. Are you aware of the following services to help victims of abuse?
● Centre of Gender Affairs
● Domestic Violence Intervention Centre (DVIC)
● Centre of Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA)
● Child Development Agency (CDA)
● Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPSFA)
● Office of Children's Registry (OCR)
Question 1

Question 2
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Question 4
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Question 6
Question 7

Question 8
Question 9

Question 10
Question 11

Question 12
Question 13

Question 14
Question 15

Question 16
Question 17

Question 18
Question 19

Question 20
Waterhouse, Kingston 11

Moreton Park Terrace, Kingston 10