What do students of in District Two, between the ages of 12-18 think are

the main factors that contribute towards the increasing level of Crime in
Castries?

Candidates: Quintus Angelo, Shiloh Frederick, Tristan Octave, Izak Thornhill

School: Saint Mary’s College

Center Number: 140003

Subject: Social Studies

Proficiency: General

Territory: St. Lucia

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 Table of Contents
__________________________________________________________

Acknowledgement.............................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Statement of the problem.................................................................................................................5
Rationale...........................................................................................................................................6
Method of Data Collection................................................................................................................7
INSTRUMENTS USED TO COLLECT DATA..............................................................................8
Questionnaire....................................................................................................................................9
Procedures for Data collection........................................................................................................12
Presentation of data........................................................................................................................13
Analysis and interpretation of data................................................................................................30
Statement of Findings.....................................................................................................................31
Recommendations and implementation Strategy...........................................................................32
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................33

Acknowledgement

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The successful fulfillment of this study wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance and

assistance of our friends and family members. In that way, we’d like to express our earnest

gratitude to our parents who has given us the boost we needed for us to complete this

assignment. I would like to thank God for good health and strength which was a necessity for us

to fulfill this investigation. Additionally, we’d like to convey my heartfelt appreciation to our

Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Atkinson James, who played an instrumental role in communicating

with us, the necessary information and support we required to prosperously accomplish what was

required of this assignment.

Introduction
__________________________________________________________

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The capital of St. Lucia, Castries, is in district two of the country. It entails restaurants, fire
stations, wholesalers and retailers, bars, hardware stores etc. For decades, the rate at which crime
has been committed has continued to increase and there appears to be no stunt in the level of
criminal activity engaged particularly in the city of Castries. Additionally, the causes of these
crimes are due to several factors which have gone unnoticed by the government and the public.
According to numbeo.com, “corruption and bribery” are the most committed crimes among many
performed in the last three years, in the city of Castries. However, to curb the level of criminal
activity engaged in, various measures must be considered, and the current ones must be
reviewed.

Statement of the problem

__________________________________________________________

What do students of in District Two, between the ages of 12-18 think are the main factors that
contribute towards the increasing level of Crime in Castries?

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Research Objectives
 To determine what crimes have been witnessed and the time of day most prominent for
them taking place.
 To determine the duration for which these crimes last when committed.
 To identify whether a weapon was utilized to commit the crime and if so, which was
used.
 To determine the likely causes of the crime being witnessed.
 To identify how efficient the work of the police is in handling those criminal activities.

Rationale
__________________________________________________________

The reason why we chose this topic was because crime has detrimentally affected a variety of
parts in our country particularly its city, Castries. As a result, it directed us to investigate deeper

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into the main causes of crime. I also wanted to determine why crime rapidly continues to
increase within Castries. In doing so, I would not merely like to highlight the causes, but also
identify effective solutions to resolve those issues.

Method of Data Collection

__________________________________________________________
To collect data from the survey, we have decided to utilize printed questionnaires, which
provided respondents the opportunity to complete the questionnaire at their convenience.
Ramsawak and Umraw (2012) states that “questionnaires require little time to be completed:
guarantees confidentiality since respondents are not required to attach their names”.

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 INSTRUMENTS USED TO COLLECT DATA
__________________________________________________________

Dear Respondents,

Research Question: What do students of District Two between the ages of 12 – 18 years think
are the contributing factors towards the levels of Crime in Castries.

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This study is being carried out as part of the requirement for a Social Studies School Based
Assessment we are presently pursuing. Part 1 of this questionnaire deals with the third person
view of an individual witnessing crime. Part 2 represents a question relating to victim
experience with crime. Part 3 is concerned with the solutions and recommendations.

Please answer the questions as truthfully as possible. There are no right or wrong answers, just
place a tick (✓) in the spaces provided or write on the lines where necessary. Thanks for your
assistance.

Yours Truly,

Shiloh Frederick, Quintus Angelo and Tristan Octave

Questionnaire
__________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTION: Please place a tick in the spaces provided (i.e. (✓) according to your response).

Demographic Information

1. Gender

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 Male ( ) Female ( )

2. To which age group do you belong?

12-13 ( ) 14-15 ( ) 16-17 ( ) 17-18 ( )

3. Where do you live? Answer: _________________________________________________

4. To which religious group do you belong?

Rastafarian ( ) Hinduism ( ) Christianity ( )
Other: ____________________________

Part 1

5. How many times have you witnessed or knew of criminal activities taking place in Castries?
1–5( ) 6 – 10 ( ) 11 – 15 ( ) over 15 ( )

6. What type of crimes have you witnessed or knew of occurring? Tick more answers if
necessary.
Vandalism ( ) Stealing ( ) Assault ( ) Robbery ( )
Other: ____________________________

7. At what time of the day do you usually witness these crimes occurring?
Morning ( ) Afternoon ( ) Night ( )

8. When these crimes were committed, for what duration do they last?
Under 1 minute ( ) 2 – 4 minutes ( ) over 5 minutes ( )

9a. Were the crimes committed with a weapon?

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 Yes ( ) No ( )

9b. If yes, what was the weapon used?

Scissors ( ) Knife ( ) Fire arm ( )
Other: ____________________________

10a. At the time of the incident, was there any interventions?

Yes ( ) No ( )

10b. If yes, who were the persons who intervened?

Security guard ( ) Police officer ( ) Passers – by ( )
Other: ____________________________

11. How successful was the aggressor in committing the crime?

Successful ( ) Not Successful ( )

12. What do you think were the causes of the crime you witnessed? Tick more answers if
necessary.
Poverty ( ) Parental Neglect ( ) Low self-esteem ( )
Alcohol and Drug abuse ( ) Bitter anger ( ) Homelessness ( )
Other: ____________________________
Part 2

13a. Have you been a victim of criminal activity?

Yes ( ) No ( )

13b. If yes, what crime and how did it affect you?

________________________________________________________________________

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Part 3

14. What happened to the perpetrator after the crimes were committed?
Cautioned ( ) Arrested ( ) Escaped ( )
Other: _________________________________________________________

15a. How efficient is the work of the police in handling those criminal activities?
Efficient ( ) Somewhat efficient ( ) Not efficient ( )

15b. If possible, how can the work of the police be improved?

Answer: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

16. What measures do you think can be implemented by the Government to reduce the levels
of crime committed in Castries.
Answer: __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Procedures for Data collection

__________________________________________________________

The instrument which was utilized was electronically distributed questionnaires. The
questionnaire consisted of 16 questions inclusive of the demographic data. There were thirteen
close ended questions and two open ended questions. Twenty-one instruments were distributed to
16 males and 5 females in the 11-18 age range. The researchers together with the assistance of a
colleague collected the data. The random sampling data collection method was used.

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Questionnaires were distributed at random until all the questionnaires were finished. The data
collection period was one week, from October 12 – 19, 2022. The researchers distributed and
collected the instruments upon completion and electronic submission. The procedure was
necessary as it ensured that the researchers obtained access to data which was both reliable and
accurate.

Presentation of data
__________________________________________________________

Figure 1

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 Gender

28.60%

71.40%

Male Female

Figure 1 shows that 71.40% of the respondents are male while 28.60% are female.

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Figure 2

Age of Respondants
12

10
respondents answered

6
10
4 8

2
2
1
0
11 - 12. 13 - 14 15 - 16 17 - 18
age

Figure 2 shows that 10 of the respondents are 15-16 years old, 8 are 17-18 years old, 2 are 13-14
years old and 1 is 11-12 years old.

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Figure 3

Locati on
12

10
respondents abswered

6
10
4

2 4
3
2 2
0
Gros - Islet Castries Vieux- Fort Micould Dennery
Location

Figure 3 shows that 10 of the respondents live in Castries, 4 live in Gros-Islet, 3 live in Dennery,
2 live in Vieux-Fort and 2 live in Micoud.

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Figure 4

Religion
4.50%
4.50%

9.50%

81.00%

Christianity Rastafarian Adventist Israelite

Figure 4 shows that 81% of the respondents are Christian, 9.50% are Rastafarian, whilst 4.50%
are Adventist and 4.50% are Israelite.

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Figure 5

Times witnessed or knew of criminal activities taking place

Number of Times 1–5 6 - 10 11 - 15 Over 15

Respondents Answered 7 6 1 7

Figure 5 shows that 7 of the respondents answered that they have witnessed or knew of criminal
activities taking place over 15 times, 7 of them answered 1-5 times, 6 answered 6-10 times and 1
of them answered 11-15 times.

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Figure 6

Types of Crime Witnessed

Assault
Stealing
Vandalism
type of crime

Robbery
Rape
Harrassment
Homicide
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Respondents Answered

Figure 6 shows that 13 respondents answered that they witnessed assault, 12 answered that they
witnessed stealing, 11 answered that they witnessed vandalism and 11 answered that they
witnessed robbery, and 1 answered that they witnessed rape, 1 witnessed harassment and 1
witnessed homicide.

NB: More than one answer was ticked in this question.

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Figure 7

Time of Day Crimes are Witnessed

19.00%

42.90%

38.10%

Morning Afternoon Evening

Figure 7 shows that 42.90% of the respondents answered that they witnessed the crime taking
place in the morning, whilst 38.10% witnessed them in the afternoon and 19% witnessed them in
the night.

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Figure 8

Duration of Crimes Witnessed

Duration Under 1 min 2-4 mins Over 5 mins

Respondents Answered 11 7 3

Figure 8 shows that 11 of the respondents answered that the duration for the crimes being
witnessed lasted under 1 minute, whilst 7 answered that it lasted 2-4 minutes and 3 responded
that it lasted over 5 minutes.

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Figure 9

Were the crimes committ ed with a weapon?

28.60%

71.40%

Yes No

Figure 9 shows that 71.40% of the respondents answered that the crimes witnessed were
committed with a weapon whilst 28.60% answered that there witnessed crimes were not
committed with a weapon.

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Figure 10

If Yes, the Weapon Used

Knife

Firearm
weapon used

Scissors

Wood

Cutlass

Marker
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Respondents answered

Figure 10 shows that 7 respondents answered that a knife was used as a weapon, 5 answered that
a firearm was used, 2 answered that a scissors was used, and 1 answered that a piece of wood
was used, 1 answered that a cutlass was used and 1 answered that a marker was used.

NB: More than one answer was ticked in this question.

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Figure 11

Were there any interventi ons?

47.60%
52.40%

Yes No

Figure 11 shows that 52.40% of the respondents answered that there was an intervention made
whilst 47.60% answered that there was not.

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Figure 12

If Yes, Persons who intervened

Passers - By
person who intervened

Police Officer

Security Guard

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
respondents answered

Figure 12 shows that 8 of the respondents answered that passers-by intervened amidst the
committing of the crime, whilst 5 answered that the crime was intervened by the police and 1
was intervened by a security guard.

NB: More than one answer was ticked in this question.

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Figure 13

How successful is the aggressor in commit -

ti ng the crime?

28.60%

71.40%

Successful Not Successful

Figure 13 shows that 71.40% of the respondents answered that the aggressor was successful
whilst 28.60 answered that the aggressor was unsuccessful in committing the crime.

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Figure 14

What do you think are the causes of crime?

Causes Poverty Parental Low Self Esteem

Neglect

Respondents Answered 9 8 8

Causes Alcohol and Drug Abuse Bitter Anger Homelessness

Respondents Answered 9 12 2

Causes Entitlement Revenge Looking for Trouble

Respondents Answered 1 1 1

Figure 14 shows that 12 respondents answered that they perceive that the cause of crime is due to
bitter anger, 9 answered that it is due to poverty, 9 answered that it is due to alcohol and drug
abuse, 8 answered that it is due to low self esteem, 8 answered that it is due to parental neglect, 2
answered that it is due to homelessness, and 1 answered that it is due to revenge, 1 answered that
it is due to entitlement and 1 answered that it is due to a situation where the aggressor is actively
looking for trouble.

NB: More than one answer was ticked in this question.

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Figure 15

Have you been a victim of criminal acti vity?

47.60%
52.40%

Yes No

Figure 15 shows that 52.40% of the respondents answered that they have been a victim of
criminal activity whilst 47.60% answered that they have not.

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Figure 16

What happened to the perpetrator after the

crimes were committ ed
12

10
respondents answered

0
Cautioned Arrested Escaped Other
consequence

Figure 16 shows that 10 respondents answered by saying that the perpetrator escaped after the
crime was committed, 5 answered by saying that the perpetrator was arrested, 3 answered by
saying that the perpetrator was cautioned and 3 answered by saying that the perpetrator’s fate or
was dealt with in a subsequent manner.

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Figure 17

How efficient is the work of the police?

Level of Efficiency Efficient Not efficient Somewhat efficient

Respondents Answered 2 10 9

Figure 17 shows that 10 of the respondents answered that the work of the police is not efficient,
whilst 9 answered that it is somewhat efficient and 2 answered that it is efficient.

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 Analysis and interpretation of data
__________________________________________________________

The researchers have observed there has been a significant increase in the crime rate in their
country particularly in its city, Castries. This left respondents with distinctive views as to what
the causes of the increase may be.

The research revealed 57% of the respondents agreed that bitter anger was the main cause of
crime while 42% agreed to poverty and 42% also agreed to drug abuse contributing to the
elevating crime rate. According to the data collected, 52% of the respondents have been a victim
of criminal activity. Additionally, the highest witnessed crime was assault (61%); followed by
stealing and vandalism with 57% and 52% respectively. Furthermore, 43% of respondents stated
that crime was most prominent in the morning.

From the research, it was acquired that 33% of crimes witnessed were committed with a knife,
23% using firearms and 10% with the use of scissors. Furthermore, most crimes lasted a short
period of time as 52% of respondents concurred that crimes lasted under a minute.

The researchers conclude that the work of the police is not efficient in handling those criminal
activities, and this is supported as stated in the research that 47% of individuals who have
committed crimes have escaped and only a small margin of 23% of persons have been arrested
after carrying out criminal activity. Additionally, 57% of interventions of crimes have been by
passers-by, more than the police by 22%. Suggestions given go as follows: a reinforcement of
training, a quicker response to the call of crime and an advancement in their tactical/strategic
work.

Observations
In recent times, the formations and development of gangs throughout the country, has become
prominent and a grave factor to the upsurge of crime and violence among the youth. Majority of
the gangs include young individuals, specifically school dropouts and so on.

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 Statement of Findings
__________________________________________________________

The Findings are:

1. The main reason for the increasing crime rate is bitter anger, which accounts for 57% of
the respondents, followed by stealing and vandalism both accounting for 42%.

2. 71.40% of respondents agreed that knives are the most common weapon used with which
crimes have been committed and the use of firearms and scissors.

3. According to the research, to reduce the crime rate faced by the country, the Government
should employ more skilled and genuine police as well as the installment of more
advanced security cameras in the city.

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 Recommendations and implementation Strategy
__________________________________________________________
After careful analysis of the data gathered, the researcher is now making the following
recommendations to reduce the level of crime taking place in Castries.

The Government should employ a greater number of skilled and genuine hearted police officers.
There are many ‘dirty cops’ out in our society nowadays and they grow more and more
prevalent. However, this strategy is likely to succeed as there would be greater productivity in
the city and the law would be enforced fairly and sternly, reducing the level of crime taking
place.

Furthermore, the Government should install more advanced security cameras in the city to
reduce on the level of criminal activity taking place. Technology has opened a wide range of
doors and opportunities and by implementing this strategy criminals may be caught quicker and
may be apprehended much easier if escaped, as the camera quality produced would be top of the
line.

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 Bibliography
______________________________________________________________________________

Corruption and Bribery” (2023) Numbeo.com

Ramsawak and Umraw (2012). Modules in Social Studies with S.B.A Guide and C.X.C

Questions New Edition. Trinidad. Caribbean Educational Publishers.

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