Influencers co-opted in crime deterrent campaign in schools

The National Commission on Crime Prevention (NCCP), is hoping that a new strategy will yield positive results among teens in the country.

The LOUD! Campaign, which officially kicks off today, April 16, 2024, takes the form of a mentorship programme where over 100 influencers will visit schools to build relationships with students and “create connections”.

The influencers will include public figures, youth leaders, churches and youth organization representatives, as well as sports and cultural ambassadors.

NCCP Deputy Director, Temora Garnes, speaking on the Agency for Public Information’s morning programme said the pilot programme is being used to deter youth from getting involved in gang activity and other forms of juvenile delinquency.

She explained that the school officials would have in the past, reached out to the NCCP for assistance in educating youth on the dangers of a life of crime.

“Some principals would have reached out to us, asking us to do presentations on the rise in crime. We did some investigations on our own where we see a little bit of need where students can do with the extra help from the motivator. Things that they might not want to tell their teachers or principals, they might be willing to open up to one of our influencers.”

The influencers in the LOUD! Campaign, the deputy director explained, have been vetted and are expected to be good matches for the students.

“We have selected various persons from the society who we call our influencers who will be going into the schools. We vetted them as persons who our young people would look up to, and when they go into their class they would see them as a form of motivation. It is a programme that can deter young people away from juvenile delinquency.”

The influencers will meet with students from eight schools over the next two weeks and what details emerge from the mentor/mentee relationship are expected to be confidential.

“We have over 100 influencers because there is going to be an influencer per class and we are doing two schools per day, two days per week for two weeks. But everything that is being conversed between the influencer and the students, there is a confidential contract and agreement that must be signed by our influencers.”

After the initial phase, an evaluation is to be done so the NCCP can assess the strengths and weaknesses of the campaign.

“This is a pilot programme so this is our first phase, we need to see if it is going to work for the students. We might not see progress right away but we must pick out something that we know is a go-ahead for us,” Garnes explained.

The programme is expected to be targeted to reach all Secondary Schools across the country.