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  • 19 hours ago
Director of the Victim and Witness Support Unit and Counselling Psychologist, Kirk Pierre, says Trinidad and Tobago is facing a troubling social reality, with widespread anger and frustration contributing to crime and other forms of violence.

In an interview with TV6's Elizabeth Williams, Mr. Pierre said while crime continues to dominate national discussions, there are also growing concerns surrounding domestic violence, alcoholism and pornography.
Transcript
00:00The entire country seems angry. For some reason, the entire country seems frustrated.
00:09Persons seem to have lost the ability to regulate how they behave.
00:17Director of the victim and witness support unit, Kurt Pair, as he spoke with TV6 News.
00:23Mr. Pair said many men have been acting out, and without the necessary support systems and healthy coping mechanisms,
00:32the country is moving towards what he described as a dangerous paradigm shift.
00:37So a lot of persons are behaving how they feel.
00:41So, for example, I feel frustrated, I feel angry, and I behave in a manner that is aligned to those
00:49feelings.
00:49That's a very dangerous place for persons to function from.
00:54The counseling psychologist said underlying mental health challenges, coupled with an inability to effectively manage stress,
01:04have resulted in violence becoming an outlet for many individuals.
01:08Violence has seemed to be the way that persons have chosen to navigate relationships.
01:16Power and control is also something that I have found to be a tool used by persons to influence other
01:28persons.
01:29Mr. Pair said the desire to exert power and control over individuals often manifests through manipulation and emotional abuse behaviors
01:42that can have damaging consequences for victims.
01:45That control takes multiple forms, and that control has elements that says that, look at what you have made me
01:56do.
01:57So, because you have acted in this way, this is why I'm operating in this way.
02:02But those are very abusive forms of language that has been used by others to control persons as well.
02:09In part two of our interview, Mr. Pair outlines practical recommendations aimed at addressing these growing social challenges
02:18and fostering healthier ways of managing conflict, emotions, and relationships.
02:24Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
02:26Over the interview, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair.
02:27Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair.
02:27Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair, Mr. Pair.
02:27You