Boy in 'cursing' video needs help - Betty-Ann Blaine

Children's activist and founder of Hear The Children's Cry, Betty-Ann Blaine, said the foul-mouthed youngster speaking in a video circulating on social media needs intervention from the local child agencies.

It is unclear when and where the 13-second video was made, but the boy boasts about illegal activities he is allegedly involved in.

"Nuh b**ty bwoy never buy me nutten. Yow, the fuss ... mi scam, me buy gun so tell the crowd dat and me want yuh put it up pon Facebook," he said, while an elderly man laughs in the background.

Blaine stated that cases like these should be investigated by the relevant authorities.

"They need to find that child and do a proper investigation. Find out what activities he is involved in and who he lives with and if he is going to school. If this child is left unattended or not rescued, chances are he is going to become a criminal. This type of behaviour should not be left alone," she said.

Blaine told The STAR that the nation is losing its values and the level of respect between adults and children has decreased drastically.

"There was a time in Jamaica when children never spoke like this. In addition to speaking in an adult manner, he is speaking about something illegal but this only shows the length of what is going on in our households and country. There was a time when adults would scold a child, but now they are cheering them on. Our Jamaican children are now living more like adults," she said.

She stated that because there are hardly any differences between the behaviour of some adults and children, everyone is treated as adults.

"There are children committing vicious crimes against each other. We are trying to fight serious crimes but we are not looking into the lives of the children. It starts right there," she said.