Business Research Proposal: Youth Violence - Sierra Leone Analysis

This research proposal examines the issue of youth violence in Sierra Leone, attributing it to factors such as substance abuse, domestic violence, and high unemployment rates. It highlights the government's slow response in harnessing the potential of the youth and emphasizes the need for more effective and sustainable initiatives. The proposal delves into the causes and possibilities of violence, including the impact of the civil war on the youth, the normalization of violent crimes, and the role of domestic violence in perpetrating further violence. It also addresses the challenges of education and unemployment among the youth, as well as the problem of drug and alcohol abuse. Furthermore, the report discusses recent government initiatives and provides recommendations for youth empowerment and violence prevention, advocating for youth forums, awareness campaigns, and the inclusion of youth in identifying solutions. The document concludes by stressing the urgency of addressing the root causes of violence and empowering the youth to become resources for positive change.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROPOSAL
BUSINESS RESEARCH PROPOSAL
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Proposal summary
In Sierra Leone civil unrest perpetrated by the discontented and anxious youth has become a
common phenomenon. The manifest violence perpetrated by the youth have been recognized
as the consequence of substance abuse in the form of drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse,
and the high rate of unemployment in Sierra Leone. The government has been slow in
recognizing the power of the youth and channelizing their potential. However, more
initiatives need to be taken that would sustain the effectiveness of the program. Youth forums
and the inclusion of the youth in identifying the sources and solutions of violence is the most
promising initiative. The youth should be turned into resources and awareness should be
created about the different sources that propel violence.

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Table of Contents
Introduction (Position)...............................................................................................................3
Possibilities of violence..............................................................................................................4
Domestic violence perpetrates violence.....................................................................................5
Education and Unemployment among the youth.......................................................................6
Drug and alcohol abuse in Sierra Leone....................................................................................7
Recent initiatives and further recommendation.........................................................................7
Budget......................................................................................................................................10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................10
Reference..................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction (Position)
The Sierra Leone civil war that took place for more than eight years have been found
as an outcome of the discontentment of the youth with the government. According to
Christophe (2018), the term youth in the context of Sierra Leone refers to individuals in the
age group of 15 to 35 who comprises of one-third of the population. However, presently the
country has experience a series of outbreak of violence from the youth. Some of the factors
that have recognized for this eruption in violence are repeated domestic violence, drug and
alcohol abuse, and unemployment. It is found that there is lack of vigorous approach from the
government in providing employment to the youth (Betancourt, McBain, Newnham and
Brennan 2015). Education is not given impetus in the country as a result of which the youth
population feel frustrated and resort to violence to articulate their grievances. The aim of this
paper is to delve into the causes and possibilities of violence. The paper also looks into the

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interventions of the government and suggests recommendations that the Sierra Leone Youth
Empowerment would like to propose to the President of Republic of Sierra Leone H.E Dr
Julius Madda Bio.
The issue and the possibilities
Sierra Leone has become the bastion of violence. According to Betancourt, McBain,
Newnham and Brennan (2014), the unemployment rate among the youth in Sierra Leone
around 60 per cent. They portend the risk of violence from the violence and organized crime
from the gangs in Sierra Leone. According to a study conducted by Bo et al, there is a
growing trend of brewing violence. According to Enria (2014) all possible violent crimes like
murder, sexual assault, assassination have become normalized in the Sierra Leone society.
The country has become violent since the inception of the rebellion. There has been a rise in
the number of shootings, robberies, violent incidents of rape and stabbings. This alarming
rate in the increase in violence has found the youth as both perpetrators and victims of
violence. This is a critical issue considering that the youth sown the seed of rebellion against
the government are the victims as well as the perpetrators of violence.
Possibilities of violence
The magnitude of violence in Sierra Leone can be attributed to the lost spring or the
destroyed childhood of this youth. During the time of the war, children were pulled into the
whirlpool of violence and they became the kingpins of atrocious acts that became manifest in
Sierra Leone (Enria 2014). These children were the actual victims of war and rebellion that
has plagued the soil of Sierra Leone for a long time. The atrocities experienced in childhood
have left profound effect in the minds of the youth. It has destroyed their childhood and led to
severe psychological damage. Unfortunately, the country lacks the pertinent resources that
would facilitate the rehabilitation of children.

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Domestic violence perpetrates violence
It was identified that domestic violence at home leads to other kinds of violence. It
was recognized that parents have important role to play in the prevention of domestic
violence and provide a safe home environment to the children. According to Levey et al.
(2013) domestic violence include harsh beatings of children or punishments that
psychologically damages the child. This exploitation of children is later manifested in the
form of violence committed by these children on other individuals (Africanchildinfo.net.
2018). Children imbibe and replicate violence experienced in the private sphere, therefore the
urgency would be to look into the ways that can curb domestic violence. The government can
create awareness but cannot substitute the parents, as they have to play the bigger role in the
mitigation of violence that has become a common expression among the youth. Children
should not be labeled as criminals and curtailed from realizing their full potential. Rather, it is
the parents who need to introspect their behavior and realize its impact on the children. This
labeling of children and youth as inherently violent closes the possibilities of further
discussions. The negative attitude of the society towards the children and their lack of
vigorous approach has made the youth in Sierra Leone resort to violence (Citizensrw.org.
2018). The sporadic wars that took place in the city became an opportunity for the youth to
participate in violence and articulate their angst. The labeling of the youth as useless pushed
towards greater violence as part of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Therefore, it is the larger
responsibility of the society to create opportunities for the youth in addressing their
grievances and preventing the malaise of violence. Similarly, the youth ghettos and
commercial sex work are illustrations of the society’s failure to extend a helping hand to the
youth.

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Education and Unemployment among the youth
Education and unemployment have been recognized as other key factors in the
perpetuation of violence among the youth in Sierra Leone. Very few young people attend
schools and the university space is dominated by the older generation of students. Not all the
universities provide same opportunity to the people who are part of the university. In case of
students who are interested o pursue natural sciences the expenditure is quite high that
demotivates to pursue further education. Apart from secondary school dropout, problems
persist in the tertiary sector of education that limits the opportunities of students. Poverty
plays a pivotal role in curtailing the opportunities of students, as parents are unable to bear
the obnoxious cost of education. Then there is the issue of lack of scholarships that could
have been a motivating factor for the interested youth to pursue their higher education in
abroad. The Grant Aids offered by the government is confined to few meritorious students
and its benefits do not reach to the teeming youth in the city who have the zeal for education.
Another cause of exasperation is the nepotism and informal networks that exist during the
recruitment of jobs. The youth have reported that university qualifications do not make much
difference, considering that the employers would prefer to recruit people known to them. In
Sierra Leone, the issues of early marriage and teen pregnancy restrains women from pursing
higher education and are not part of quality tertiary education. In case of women, there are
certain subjects and courses that they find inaccessible (Collier and Duponchel 2013). This
includes law as parents prefer to spend n their sons rather spending on the daughters to
become lawyers. This is also one of the reasons among the youth in Sierra Leone to resort to
violence to articulate their grievances against the government inaction. The provision of
sustainable jobs and youth empowerment was recognized as key steps in the direction of
prevention of violence. However, the youth has been proactive in creating employment in the

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employment sector in the domain of commercial motorcycle transportation known as the
Okada.
Drug and alcohol abuse in Sierra Leone
Drug and alcohol abuse among the youth in Sierra Leone have been recognized
another important cause. The culture of substance abuse among the youth in Sierra Leone
pushes them to resort violence and participate in atrocious crime (Politico SL. 2018). It was
reported that young people succumb to drinking as an alternative to the pangs of frustration
due to their unemployment and lack of resources to pursue education. Consumption of
marijuana is also high among the youth as they find it relaxing to relive their stress. The
youth perceive substance abuse as a serious problem, however they are pessimistic about
resolving the issue.
Recent initiatives and further recommendation
The government in association with UN recently organized a campaign. A campaign
that focuses on the communities or the hot spots of violent activities (Betancourt, McBain,
Newnham and Brennan 2013). The first objective of the project would be to train local
community leaders. The objective of the project would be to collaborate with the youth
leaders and seek solution that would have sustainable value. On June, 2016 the National
Youth summit was hosted at the Kona Lodge in the Free Town area. The highlight of this
convention was children and youth met for from all segments of life met to address the
growing violence in Sierra Leone. This national summit was preceded by a regional summit
that was held in Makeni and Bo Kenema (Allouche, 2014). In this convention, youth were
selected from the local community and were asked discuss on the issue of violence along

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with their peers. The broader objective of the event was involving the youth in the prevention
of violence through discussion and spreading awareness. The project that was exclusively
designed to address the issues in Sierra Leone and Guinea through the patronage from
European Union has been a successful event. The project was able to mobilize 25 children
and young people (Sierra Leone Concord Times 2018). It trained the participants to become
young researchers and involve their peers to recognize violence and its severe impact on the
community especially on the youth and the children. The project was found to be effective as
it inspired young people to act as researchers, instill in them confidence and empowered them
to generate and that would lead to sustainable solutions. Another highlight of the project was
that a group of policy makers and practitioners associated with child protection was engaged
in reviewing and collecting the feedbacks during the drafting stage. The project received
widespread appreciation from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affair.
The Ministry noted that youth and children are victims as well as perpetrators of violence and
there has been an increase in this in the past few years.
Youth violence has been identified as a huge challenge for the guardians, parents,
state and the law enforcement agencies in Sierra Leone (Awoko.org. 2018). Therefore, this
convention was befitting as it brought the youth together on a single platform and
emboldened to participate in the prevention of violence. Susan Kargbo associated with the
Children’s Commission was of the opinion that it was the first time that children and youth
were made partners in the decision-making process (Acemoglu et al., 2014). It harped on the
issues of development, encouraged the policy makers to delve deeper into the issue regarding
the issues of violence pertaining to the children and youth. This convention was in
consonance with the ethos and principles of the African Charter and the UN Convention that
was concerned with the rights of the child. Josephus Ellie who is part of the European Union
noted that the summit was an endeavour to examine and prevent violence and inspire he

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youth in Sierra Leone to not participate in acts of violence (Okada ban 2018). Sierra Leone
being a democratic state needs to seek was to end violence. It was further identified there is
an imperative to establish networks among youth that would sensitize them about the veracity
of violence. Awareness therefore, is the preclude violence among the youth in Sierra Leone.
The summit recognized that violence as an expression among the youth is rooted in other
factors, the outburst of which is manifested in the form of violence. There should not be any
discrimination made on manifest or symbolic forms of violence. The need of the hour is to
ponder about the root cause of violence and act in that direction. Another issue that came to
the forefront was the incidence of domestic violence that is much less discussed issue in the
country. This invisibilization of domestic violence has long-term implications. The executive
director of the summit noted that before coming up with any recommendations there is an
imperative to critically examine the issue to derive a deeper insight into the state of problems.
The President of Ernest Bai Koroma has recognized that youth are vehicle for the
development of the nation (Borisova, Betancourt and Willett 2013). This culminated to the
Youth Report that encapsulated the plight of youth education, employment, their welfare and
participation in the developmental process of the country. The President expressed his
commitment to transform the conditions of the youth through substantial youth empowerment
programs. According to Richards et al. ( 2015) 80 per cent of the youth in the country did not
earn sufficiently.
There is a need to establish and implement child protection mechanism at different
community levels. There should also be the operation of the Family Support Unit and
enforcement of Child Welfare through proper training of the trainer. This will equip the
members to identify and respond to different kinds of violence with alacrity. It is important to
recognize that the youth is the catalyst for a just and progressive society. To mitigate
violence, the government and the NGOs can provide financial assistance to the interested

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young entrepreneurs and tap their business management skills. As has been found from the
previous findings, women should be given impetus to pursue higher education.
Empowerment of women should be the crux of the planning. There can be the provision of
extensive networks that look after the employment of the youth. Workshops and seminars
should be organized for the young people to sensitize them about the atrocity of substance
abuse that ultimately perpetrates violence. Street plays and door-to-door campaign should be
the agenda. Youth conventions should be held every year to communicate with the youth and
understand their views. Vocational training can be organized for the young population who
are not academically inclined. There can be government-sponsored advertisements that aim to
create awareness about the long-term effects of domestic abuse, substance abuse and
everyday forms of violence. Children are not just perpetrators of violence but they are also
victims of violence. This factor always need to be kept in mind while dealing with the
children in Sierra Leone and thereby provide them with sustainable rehabilitation.
Budget
PARTICIPANT/TRAINEE SUPPORT COSTS Amount ($)
Total costs 2500
OTHER DIRECT COSTS
Questionnaire 150
Travel 250
Misc Costs 100
Data collection 250
TOTAL 3250
Conclusion
Based on the root cause of violence experienced and perpetrated by the youth, it can
be understood that the government needs to adopt a focused approach and utilize the
endowments of the youth. Provision of employment and financial assistance to encourage

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them to begin their business is a step that would go on to contribute in the development of the
country. Since, violence is an outcome of domestic abuse at home, it is important for the
parents and guardians to understand the repercussions of harsh behavior and beating on the
children. Violence experience by children during their childhood is replicate in their
adulthood that was further manifested in the civil unrest and rebellion that have grappled the
country. Thirdly, substance abuse in the form of drug and alcohol abuse instigates the youth
to resort to violence and the outburst is atrocious. The government has taken initiative to
organize a youth summit in association with UN. The summit was crucial to understand the
problems faced by youth and children of Sierra Leone. The summit also inculcated a sense of
leadership among the youth and encouraged them to participate in mitigating violence widely
prevalent in the community. Youth forums, seminars, workshops, discussions, street plays
and a sensitive approach to the entire issue will definitely mitigate and alleviate the impact of
violence.