In light of the recent murder of the stewardess from Spain and the stabbing of a gentleman at/near a local bar, much attention is being given to crimes on our Island. It’s not that it is out of hand, but we in San Pedro do not like to hear of “any” criminal activity in San Pedro whatsoever.
Some crimes are the result of unwanted elements in our community. Others are the result of uncontrolled tempers. Still there are a few that occur under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and then there are those associated to the mafia, I guess. There are many other causes of crime but this is not the point of this issue. I would like to ask teenagers what is it they can do to prevent being involved in any type of crime. In other words, what is it that they can do to be safe?
Miss Teen Talk: I would say that we have to be more than careful. Nowadays things are getting way out of hand and first of all we have to be more careful in choosing who we hang out with, or basically keep an eye on people around you. Sadly, sometimes it’s your own family that wants to hurt us.
Irving: I would say it’s all in decision making as the consequences are based on the choices we make. Teens need to make the right choice and know the meaning between right and wrong. Teens sometimes do stupid and wrong things just to be accepted into social cliques. Sometimes we need to avoid unnecessary problems by staying away from alcohol or just staying at home on occasions and being around people who we know.
Natasha: There are many things teens can do to keep themselves and others safe. First of all we can simply stay home or indoors, keep in the company of others, keep a watchful eye on what is happening, avoid staying on the street alone or even too late. If you think things will never happen to you, think again. Best thing to do is be smart.
Sophia: I would say that it’s important to obey things like curfews and stuff. Nowadays walking alone very late in the night is not safe at all. My mom always told me if anyone approached me in an uncomfortable way, meaning he/she wouldn’t leave me alone or try to attack me, to scream as loud as you can.
Julie: We should take care of ourselves and not be going into secluded areas. We should always be with people we know and simply ignore and move far away from any strange or weird people that we feel might harm us.
Ginelle: For us teens to be safer we need to be more confident and be really honest with our parents because they are the only ones that will always help us no matter what. Also, we shouldn’t be scared; we should feel comfortable enough to ask permission to go out. But we should tell our parents the truth – where we are heading and let them know if we’re out and plans change. Just take a phone and call your parents; I mean, if something goes wrong they will know where exactly you are and with whom. I’ve seen that many teens are too friendly with strangers; they should stop giving personal information like their address and phone numbers.
Haydee: In order for us teens to not get involved in negative situations we need to me more involved in positive extracurricular activities and make responsible decisions because the actions we do impact society. We must lead a good example.
Tiffany: Well, when teens go out at night we should go out with a lot of friends by groups and never be alone. But the best way would be to stay home and simply don’t go out.
Rox: Well in my opinion the best thing teens can do is to be on our best behavior and to walk away from trouble and not get involved in anything negative. It is better for us to stay home when we have nothing to do instead of walking on the streets because most of the time that is asking for trouble.
