Children must be taught to manage their emotions and conflicts - CPFSA

Head of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Laurette Adams-Thomas, says children must be taught the various ways they can manage their emotions and conflicts.

Her comments come against the background of Thursday's killing of Irwin High School student Raniel Plummer, who was allegedly stabbed by his classmate.

Adams-Thomas says the "deeply disturbing incident" highlights a major area of concern, which is the frequency of violent incidents in school.

She says, "Students need to understand that acts of violence do not only impact the immediate family who suffered the loss of their child, but that it also impacts their classmates and other children for a lifetime.” 

“Children must be taught from an early age, the various ways they can manage their emotions as well as conflicting situations; and these lessons must begin at home and be reinforced within the institutions that they interact with daily, such as schools and churches,” she adds

Adams-Thomas discloses that after learning of the incident at Irwin High, a team of first responders including CPFSA and Ministry of Education and Youth (MOEY) personnel was dispatched to the school and Raniel's community on Friday morning.

“Grief counselling was offered on the spot to students at the school by the MOEY team. The CPFSA team also visited the home of Raniel and offered grief counselling and other support to his mother and younger brother, and to other persons in the community who were grieving with the family.” She continues.

Adams-Thomas also states that the agency will be reaching out to the family of the accused in the incident as he is also a child, and may have siblings who may need psychological support.

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