The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A TOP defence force officer has raised alarms over primary school students being recruited into gangs, carrying weapons, and selling drugs on school campuses, warning that early intervention is critical to curbing the trend.

Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commander Delvonne Duncombe, known for his role in the government’s controversial Shock Treatment programme, said the issue requires a disciplined approach to youth development, as traditional parenting methods such as corporal punishment are no longer as effective.

“In the primary schools, we have vaping, we have hypersexual students,” he said during a Rotary Club of East Nassau meeting on Friday. “Students are selling drugs. Primary school students are carrying weapons. Gangs are now recruiting primary school students grades five and six. What that means now is we must take a hard-nosed approach when it comes to our youth programmes.”

Cmdr Duncombe stressed that many young people resort to violence because it is all they know. His Shock Treatment programme follows a military-style approach, beginning with a “breaking” phase meant to strip away negative influences, followed by a rebuilding phase that offers mentorship, counselling, and structured training. Officers are also undergoing additional mental health and conflict resolution training to better assist struggling youth.

He pointed to the RBDF’s HYPE programme, which promotes discipline and character development in young children before they reach their teenage years.

“If we want to see successful youth programmes, we must embed discipline into the core fundamental foundations of those programmes,” he said. “If we want to create lasting change, we must be willing to break and rebuild. Because where there’s discipline there’s success, and where there’s no discipline, failure is inevitable.”

The issue of gang recruitment among schoolchildren has drawn national attention. In February 2024, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis directly warned gang leaders to stop targeting young people.

“To the gang leaders, let me make one thing perfectly clear: keep your hands off our school children,” Mr Davis said during a community meeting in Fox Hill. “Our young people are off-limits. If you dare to recruit or harm them, we will use the full force of the law to come after you. You will find no safe haven, no quarter, and no mercy from my administration.”

During the question period at Friday’s Rotary meeting, a guest asked Cmdr Duncombe how young people today can learn conflict prevention and resolution, given that corporal punishment — once widely accepted — is now considered by some to be borderline abuse.

Cmdr Duncombe acknowledged that while corporal punishment may have kept past generations in line, today’s youth require a different approach — one rooted in communication and authenticity.

“Culturally, that was accepted in our country, and it was not seen as abusive because it got the results it needed for that dispensation or that time,” he said. “That’s why I said in this time, for this time, you now need to lead with information.”

Recalling his own experience as a father, he admitted that his views on corporal punishment had shifted over time.

“I can remember spanking my son and he wouldn’t cry,” he said. “I said you going to cry today, and I just keep going harder and harder. But then I have to now change. I had to change that approach. I had to understand that this is borderline abuse.”

A November 2024 study by the University of The Bahamas reinforced concerns about the long-term effects of corporal punishment. Researchers Theresa E Moxey-Adderley and William J Fielding found a troubling link between childhood corporal punishment and adult aggression.

Their internet-based survey of 5,351 Bahamians revealed that those who experienced more frequent corporal punishment as children were more likely to display aggression as adults. The study also found that adults who intended to use corporal punishment on their own children had higher aggression scores and had typically experienced more corporal punishment themselves. Researchers suggested that ending the practice could lead to less aggression in society.

While Cmdr Duncombe did not outright condemn spanking, he said parents must be mindful of how discipline is delivered.

“We have to sensitise parents to that,” he said, adding that past generations disciplined children with “authenticity” to teach them right from wrong. However, he acknowledged uncertainty about corporal punishment’s place in today’s society.