Of a total of 1,215 young people interviewed about the risks that they deal with, 50% said that their worries about being a crime victim prevents them from carrying out their daily activities. And 86% said that crime is on the increase. The study was conducted by Research Triangle International (RTI) and Gallup Dominicana with sponsorship from the Youth Alert Project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). According to the results, 73.9% believe that juvenile delinquency has increased, while 42% feel that the same is happening with adult crime. The study is part of the “Proyecto Alerta Joven” (Youth Alert Project), which seeks to promote opportunities for young Dominicans in at-risk situations.
The director of the Unit for Attention to Adolescents in Conflict with the Law, part of the Justice Department, Carlos Manuel Guerrero said that young people in conflict with the law must be reintegrated into society. Businesswoman and president of the Action for Education (Educa) campaign, Elena Villeya de Paliza said that the priority was to guarantee jobs for young people, so that they can join the formal sector with dignity, as a way of reducing violence. She went on to say that the government should include tax incentives for the private sector so that they can cover the cost of training and health insurance when they hire this segment of young people.