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NEW RISK ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT FOR CHILDREN

The Ministry of National Security (MNS) has enabled the development of a new risk
assessment instrument for children 7-12 years old as part of its crime and violence
prevention thrust. Through the support of the Technical Advisory Team of the Citizen Security
Plan, the instrument was developed by Dr. Nancy Guerra, Professor Emeritus, Department of
Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine and drew upon the Ministry’s Jamaica
Risk Assessment Tool – Youth Version (JRAT-YV) which was developed in 2014 under the
Citizen Security and Justice Programme. Dr Guerra extensively consulted with case managers
and other employees of the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Branch (CPCSB) of the
MNS and school personnel and visited St Anne's Primary School in Denham Town.

Arising from a policy directive by the Minister of National Security, Dr. Horace Chang, in 2018,
the CPCSB has accorded high priority to the engagement of children displaying antisocial
behaviour. This strategic shift became fully operational in 2020 through the Inter-Ministerial
School Support Strategy (ISSS), a partnership between the MNS and the Ministry of Education
and Youth, which saw referred students from 34 Primary and Secondary schools located in or
served by the Zones of Special Operations being case managed. Risk assessment is a central Dr Nancy Guerra and Case Manager
part of the case management process, and the JRAT-YV was initially used for assessments. Kadian Johnson share a light moment.
However, the limitations of that tool for children were noted, and efforts to develop a suitable
instrument for children were undertaken, resulting in the instrument created by Dr. Guerra. It
is expected that the instrument will be accessible to stakeholders in government and civil
society.

Dr Guerra has a long history of working in violence prevention in Jamaica and commended the
Ministry on the progress made in violence prevention policies and strategies, mainly using
case management and evidence-based risk assessment.
TABLETS FOR CASE-MANAGED STUDENTS

Minister of State in the Ministry of
National Security, Hon. Juliet
Cuthbert-Flynn, shared a moment
with
students from the Denham Town High
School in Kingston after presenting
them with tablets donated by
e-Learning Jamaica. Chief Executive
Officer of e-Learning Jamaica, Andrew
Lee (behind the Minister of State),
Councillor for West Kingston,
Jermaine Hyatt (right) and Chief
Technical Director in the Ministry of
National Security, Shauna Trowers
(left), also participated in the handing
over ceremony.

Over eighty students being case-managed under the Inter-Ministerial School Support Strategy (ISSS) have benefitted from
tablets provided by e-Learning Jamaica Ltd. The students are enrolled in various schools located in or served by Zones of
Special Operations in the Corporate Area and St James. They were referred for case management services due to behavioural
issues; weak academic achievements, including low literacy levels, are a common risk factor among the students. The ISSS is
a partnership between the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Education and Youth.

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, the Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, who handed over the tablets, stated that
"The Ministry of National Security and e-Learning Jamaica's collaborative efforts have opened the doors for providing further
resources (tablets) for the betterment of 90 students.” Minister Cuthbert-Flynn noted that many students lack the necessary
technological resources for their educational needs. “We are aware that there are more case-managed students in need of
tablets, and we hope this partnership will assist them. The success of the Inter-Ministerial School Support Strategy is a
testament to what we can achieve through collaboration and dedication,” she noted.

The event occurred at the Denham Town High School in Kingston on Friday, November 3, 2023.

Shanea Johnson and Jody-Ann Thompson
Public Affairs and Communication Branch, MNS