Researcher dedicates book to Jamaica’s Youth

Forbes said her inspiration for the new book came upon completion of the research and work involved in her PhD thesis. She says it would have been sacrilege to have simply left all the information, good information, which could benefit so many others, locked up in the library.

She alluded to the highly sexualized and violent characteristics of the Jamaican society and argued that Jamaican youths experience the results of this reality in many different ways—through high crime rates, rape, incest, domestic violence, community dances replete with sex, porn, via media such as cell phones and cable TV. 

Forbes noted that when this reality is coupled with the life stages of the child and the adolescent we then begin to understand the pull of lewd lyrics. She explained that children and teenagers strive to establish their independence from parents to establish their own identities so they strive to be different.  A part of being different, she expounded, means choosing those things that parents may want to deny the child or teenager—whether it’s lewd lyrics, sexting or participating in unauthorized activities.

When asked about the possible link between music video consumption, dancehall genre, and the sexuality of Jamaican youth Forbes said, “You will have to wait for the book.”

Music, Media & Adolescent Sexuality in Jamaica should be out on bookshelves in October.