Crime, Violence, and Development : Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean

World Bank ; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Washington, DC

关键词: ACCOUNTABILITY;    ADOLESCENT;    ADOLESCENT GIRLS;    ALCOHOL;    ALCOHOL USE;   

RP-ID  :  37820

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The report on Crime, violence, anddevelopment: trends, costs, and policy options in theCaribbean, is organized as follows. It begins with anoverview of crime in the region, separately consideringconventional and organized crime. Two subsequent chaptersexamine risk factors and the costs of crime for the regionas a whole. Next, a series of chapters presents case studiesdesigned to highlight particular issues in specificcountries. These case studies were chosen in order toprovide a detailed analysis of the most pressing issues thatare amenable to policy making at the regional and nationallevels. The specific issues were chosen in consultation withstakeholders in the region to ensure that the report wasresponding to their demands and needs. The report ends witha chapter on public policy responses to crime in the region.The report states that through multiple channels, crime andviolence threaten the welfare of Caribbean citizens. Beyondthe direct effect on victims, crime and violence inflictwidespread costs, generating a climate of fear for allcitizens and diminishing economic growth. Crime and violencepresent one of the paramount challenges to development inthe Caribbean. Moreover, the study believes that severalfactors which cut across the diverse countries of the regionheighten their vulnerability to crime and violence. Primaryamong these is the region's vulnerability to drugtrafficking. Wedged between the world's source ofcocaine to the south and its primary consumer markets to thenorth, the Caribbean is the transit point for a torrent ofnarcotics, with a street value that exceeds the value of theentire legal economy. Compounding their difficulties,Caribbean countries have large coastlines and territorialwaters and many have weak criminal justice systems that areeasily overwhelmed. The study stress that the Governments ofthe Caribbean countries recognize the seriousness of theproblem and are exploring innovative policy responses atboth the national and regional levels. Civil societyorganizations are doing their part as well by designing andimplementing violence prevention programs targeting youthviolence, violence against women, and other important formsof violence. The report concludes that much, however,remains to be done.