My neighborhood is East Flatbush and I have been residing here for the past 16 years. It is a quite diverse neighborhood with people of African American, Carribean, and European origin just to mention a few. This neighborhood used to be very quiet with working people going to and coming from work with very little hanging out on the streets.
I started to slowly notice changes in the neighborhood with the presence of young males that started to hangout in the park, an abandon home, and streets. The first incident was the burning of the abandon house by smoking, followed by a random shooting, and the most recently one a double shooting that left one seriously hurt and another one dead in P.S. 119 schoolyard. Sadly, this was the place he used to attend as a child and that also bared a huge “STOP THE VIOLENCE” sign.
My greatest concern is this random act of unnecessary violence that seems to be escalating and has to be stopped. We as part of the community, have to take the time to speak and listen to these young individuals and explain to them the devastation that their actions cause and how it affects everyone.We have to encourage and help them to find something to do with their time whether is to look for a job or to get an education so they can acquire tools that will be beneficial to them in the future and this will also decrease the time that they will spend on the streets getting in trouble or looking for trouble.
Ultimately, nurses can also have an impact on these young individuals whether it is in this community or another one. They can use their first hand experience through their jobs to educate and explain how devastating the outcome of violence can be for the families, friends, and especially how in the end it affect everyone whether is directly or indirectly.
I agree with your assessment of the nurse’s role: looks like we are not only going to heal the individuals, but inasmuch their habitats.
Former gang members have said they joined a gang to find a sense of belonging because they did not have close friends or a close family to go to for companionship.
I can not understand why someone will want to join a gang to get a sense of belonging because you not only putting your life in danger, but also that of your families.
When discussing violence with your clients, giving them a first hand account of the medical and social results of violence, may have an affect. The gorier the better.
Children in that community need to be taught that violence is not the way. Violence will only result in more innocent people getting hurt unnecessarily.
I agree wholeheartly, teaching have to start in the home where we as parents have to educate and listen to our children and to explain to them that they do not have to follow their friends just to be “cool” .
I agree with teaching of violence prevention, but it should not be only just the child or young ones that needs to be taught. The parents also need to be taught about values of life, violence not being the answer, and consequences of actions. Nowadays even the parents are violent and act like children whenever they feel like they have been “disrespected”, this being an accidental bump, or stepping in someone’s shoe. And their behaviors generate a bad influence on their kids, and the kids perception will tell them that, that is how one acts on public.
They need to learn that violence is not the answer to everything. There are different ways to resolve a feud peacefully. This will be hard for nurses to go up against because nurses can be targeted also by the violence that the children poses.
You lived in flatbush for a long period of time, I just moved out here around a year ago and I see a lot of violence and its mostly caused by the heavy smoking and drinking, I love the shops and the restaurants but I cannot get over the smell around my area. I live by Church Ave so it constantly have a bad order, there is no fresh air.
My area is more towards Kings Highway and as I mentioned, it was a very quiet neighborhood until I noticed a difference starting a couple of years ago. I have not experience heavy drinking on the street or in the park so far nor a bad odor, thank GOD. Maybe the odor is coming from the garbage that the restaurants are putting out at night and are not being picked up promptly.