A review of major violent incidents in Jamaican schools from media reports

The high level of crime and violence incidents occurring in Jamaican high schools is a major concern for educators and the wider society. The qualitative study using document analysis reviewed violent incidents in Jamaica high schools using media reports, specifically newspaper reports. Twenty-six violent incidents that occurred between 2010 and 2024 were reviewed using the READ procedure for document analysis. The study examines the causes, outcomes, and responses to the violent incidents. The causes of the incident include feud, dispute and altercation, unprovoked attacks, lovers triangle, gang feud, and disobedience. The incidents mainly result from disputes and altercations. The outcomes of the incidents are some kind of injury (bruises, swelling, stab wounds, and gunshot wound) and several fatal stabbings. Seven (7) of the 26 incident outcomes were fatal stabbings. In fact, stabbing was the cause of all the fatal incidents. Therefore, the campaign was proposed to address the problem of students access to sharp edges or pointed items in school. The police were overtly involved in 21 of the 26 incidents because those incidents were major violent incidents. The responses to the incidents include counseling, police involvement, arrest, pressing of charge, suspension, teacher sit-in, court proceedings, and even imprisonment. The researcher postulates an approach to address deviant behavior and called approach background cancellation and engagement for behavior management. This approach seeks to develop good habits in adolescents and to create a dislike for deviant behavior.