Youth in Belize

Youth for the future

Amongst the 300,000 people in Belize, 48.3% of them are under the age of eighteen. Belizean youth primarily define the national environment: politically, socially, economically, and culturally.

Youth Challenges

Crime & Violence
A high level of youth crime and violence exists throughout the country. The Belize Crime Commission Report of 1992 found the underlying causes of crime to be weakness in the family unit, deficiencies in the educational system, economic deprivation, and drug trafficking and abuse. Increased gang activity has also risen with the crime and violence .

Drugs
Belize is situated in the middle of the north-south drug route. To the south lies the world's primary source of cocaine; to the north, the primary consumer markets. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that 216 tons of cocaine are transported through the Caribbean annually. This has proven too great of a temptation for Belize’s youth, and the country has seen a rapid increase in youth involved with drug trafficking and drug addiction.

HIV/AIDS
Belize continues to have the highest rate of HIV/AIDS of any country in the Caribbean, with its youth being among one of the fastest growing groups. Knowledge and free contraceptives need to be readily available to help prevent the disease from transmitting and spreading amongst Belizean youth.

Pregnancy
High pregnancy rates, lack of knowledge, negative attitudes about sexual and reproductive health, low self-esteem, poor decision-making skills, and limited economic opportunities are all concerns amongst the youth and citizens of Belize. Teen pregnancy rates in Belize have been as high as 20 to 30 percent. Out-of-school youth are particularly vulnerable.

Educational System
The last comprehensive survey to be completed in Belize (circa 1996) found that the functional literacy rate was approximately 40%. Although the percentage is thought to have risen since this survey was conducted, there are still overwhelming rates of illiteracy throughout the country. The Cayo District, where Cornerstone focuses its efforts, is rated fourth among the six districts, with its literacy rate only modestly over 32%.

Often, those educated through a primary school level have not attained a functional level of literacy, despite their education. Based on the data collected by the Ministry of Education on literacy rates, the large disparity found between basic literacy and functional literacy reflects the performance of the public education system. Education is also made difficult by the fact that English is often not the native language of the students or even the teachers, which makes receiving and providing an education even more difficult.