By Khrisna Russell

Tribune Staff Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

EIGHTY-SEVEN percent of teens ordered by the court to attend group therapy sessions after committing minor violent crimes tested positive for post-traumatic stress disorder at alarmingly high levels comparable with soldiers fighting in the Middle East, a new Bahamian study has found.

Hampered by PTSD, the adolescents view their surroundings as a “war zone”, unable to walk certain streets or ride a jitney of choice, according to Dr David Allen yesterday as he presented the study’s findings.

Others, 52 percent of them, suffered moderate to severe depression, while 32 percent further reported a life tormented by four or more trauma causing events.

Without proper intervention, these factors could be the perfect cocktail for the teens developing into adults who commit serious crimes or even murder. And often times those who commit murder were sexually and/or physically abused, it was also found.

Dr Allen, along with Keva Bethell, director of research of The Family, People Helping People organisation, funded by Templeton World Charity, conducted the study on a sample of 25 troubled youths. The programme counsels about 400 victims of crime several times a week.

Ms Bethell said: “(We conducted a) multi-method study of the court ordered adolescents and looked at the group reports of the themes they discussed in the group sessions. We also gave them three questionnaires: an adverse childhood experiences questionnaire, a post-traumatic stress disorder questionnaire, and a depression inventory.

“In looking at over 80 of the group therapy sessions, the themes that they discussed the most was their choice in friends, which the teens view as a means of feeling safe.”

She also said: “After the choice in friends they discussed their gang activity and came out and discussed this involvement. These adolescents who are involved in the violent crime, they speak about the things that are driving forces behind what causes people to commit murder – choice in friends, lack of education, gang activity, anger, substance abuse, the fighting (and) less spirituality. Friendship to them is safety but not loyalty. They have no loyalty they just want friends for safety.

“They also have a decreased desire to continue education because of the associated trauma.”

She added: “With the adverse childhood experiences questionnaire - 10 questions were asked about various childhood experiences before 18. If you score four or higher that’s significant. Thirty-two percent of them scored four or higher on this questionnaire indicating they have had at least four or more traumatic experiences in their life before 18. This includes sexual (or) physical abuse, etc. This trauma shapes criminal activity in adulthood. Before inmates were perpetrators, they were victims. Don’t ask what is wrong with you, ask what happened to you.

“Eighty-seven percent of them have moderate to severe PTSD. They tested positive there. Coupled with that trauma is depression. With that test half of them suffered from moderate to severe depression - 52 percent.”

Dr Allen explained that traits associated with PTSD are murderous rage, being easily provoked, on edge, and possessing poor educational results.

“This is the same score that soldiers coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq have. These kids are seeing killing of relatives and neighbours day in and day out. They have to join a gang for safety, but when they join that their life is in danger too so that’s serious.

“Young kids carrying traumatisation comparable to men and women and war. So to them they are living in a war zone. They can’t take certain jitneys. They can’t walk certain streets.”

While the results are staggering, Dr Allen believes he has the answer to solving the occurrence of serious crimes, more specifically murder. He told reporters yesterday his therapy sessions are seeing results and can be effective once intervention is started early enough.

The claim was yesterday backed by follow-up results.

Out of 38 participants released from the programme, 84 percent said since release they did not have any trouble with the law, 50 percent secured employment, 76 no longer struggled with substance abuse and 76 percent say they now make better choices when it comes to friends.

Dr Allen also recommends churches become more active in marginalised communities, the creation of cadet programmes in areas where there are none, the construction of a large residential facility on a Family Island to house abused young men, mandatory licensing for psychotherapists and increased mental health aids at Accident and Emergency at Princess Margaret Hospital.