Barrel children
Encyclopedia
Barrel children is a term which refers to children who are abandoned or "left behind" by their parents who are seeking a better life abroad.
Dr. Claudette Crawford-Brown, the University of the West Indies
academic who first described the phenomenon of barrel children, defines the concept "barrel children" as those children who, while waiting in the Caribbean
to migrate to their parents in the metropole
s of North America
and the United Kingdom
, receive material resources in the form of food
and clothing
in lieu of direct care. Dr. Crawford-Brown, in her seminal publication Who will save our children: The plight of the Jamaica
n child in the nineties, showed that these children have surrogate parents who are often unable to give them the emotional support and nurturance that they need, most of these children may be instead raised by grandparents or close relatives.
The impact on these children of this type of neglect includes a range of emotional and behavioural problems including run-away behaviour, withdrawal
, depression
, and, in some cases, acting-out behaviour.
The term has been used by a number of publications discussing the phenomenon, including the Trinidad and Tobago News which argued that for "barrel children the psychological scars have been great and have been troubling factors unto the second, third and fourth generations."
The Wellcome Trust
discussed barrel children in an article focusing on violence in the Caribbean
while it was the title and subject of a short film by Cara Elmslie Weir about a Trinidadian family split by migration
, the parents "sending barrels full of material goods" from the U.S.A. to their children in Trinidad
.
UNICEF in Jamaica agreed that "Migration of parents who seek more lucrative employment
abroad has had a negative impact on Jamaican children. Some children are left in the care of strangers, neighbours or even older siblings who are still children. These so-called “barrel children” are left without parental guidance or adult supervision
and with access to significant material resources in the form of cash remittances and barrel
s of clothing and toy
s sent by absentee parents."
It has also been discussed in Caribbean Studies Journals , conferences on the Caribbean , the Trinidad Guardian and Trinidad Newsday . Discussing absent parents The Trinidad Guardian noted that "At holiday time, they ship their barrels of love, disguised as brand-name sneakers and clothing, believing that these would make their children happy and make up for them being not around. But the fact remains that children are deprived of the real love of their parents."
An article published in Newsweek
by Brook Larmar entitled the "Barrel Children" dramatised the problem in its effects on one particular family. "The cardboard barrel has been sitting empty in Marsha Flowers's backyard for more than a month now, but the Jamaican teenager hangs onto it as though it were a sacred totem
. And in a way, it is. Five years after her mother immigrated to the United States
, leaving Marsha and two sisters to fend for themselves in a Kingston
slum
, the barrel is one of the few tangible signs of her mother's love - and of her own frustrated desires."
Blogs also exist highlighting the experiences of barrel children. Memories of a Caribbean Barrel Child was created by Dr. Anthony Salandy (a native of Trinidad and Tobago) to shed light of the experiences and outcomes associated with being a barrel child.
Dr. Claudette Crawford-Brown, the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
academic who first described the phenomenon of barrel children, defines the concept "barrel children" as those children who, while waiting in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
to migrate to their parents in the metropole
Metropole
The metropole, from the Greek Metropolis 'mother city' was the name given to the British metropolitan centre of the British Empire, i.e. the United Kingdom itself...
s of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, receive material resources in the form of food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
in lieu of direct care. Dr. Crawford-Brown, in her seminal publication Who will save our children: The plight of the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n child in the nineties, showed that these children have surrogate parents who are often unable to give them the emotional support and nurturance that they need, most of these children may be instead raised by grandparents or close relatives.
The impact on these children of this type of neglect includes a range of emotional and behavioural problems including run-away behaviour, withdrawal
Withdrawal
Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and alcohol...
, depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, and, in some cases, acting-out behaviour.
The term has been used by a number of publications discussing the phenomenon, including the Trinidad and Tobago News which argued that for "barrel children the psychological scars have been great and have been troubling factors unto the second, third and fourth generations."
The Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
discussed barrel children in an article focusing on violence in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
while it was the title and subject of a short film by Cara Elmslie Weir about a Trinidadian family split by migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
, the parents "sending barrels full of material goods" from the U.S.A. to their children in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
.
UNICEF in Jamaica agreed that "Migration of parents who seek more lucrative employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
abroad has had a negative impact on Jamaican children. Some children are left in the care of strangers, neighbours or even older siblings who are still children. These so-called “barrel children” are left without parental guidance or adult supervision
Childcare
Child care means caring for and supervising child/children usually from 0–13 years of age. In the United States child care is increasingly referred to as early childhood education due to the understanding of the impact of early experiences of the developing child...
and with access to significant material resources in the form of cash remittances and barrel
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
s of clothing and toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s sent by absentee parents."
It has also been discussed in Caribbean Studies Journals , conferences on the Caribbean , the Trinidad Guardian and Trinidad Newsday . Discussing absent parents The Trinidad Guardian noted that "At holiday time, they ship their barrels of love, disguised as brand-name sneakers and clothing, believing that these would make their children happy and make up for them being not around. But the fact remains that children are deprived of the real love of their parents."
An article published in Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
by Brook Larmar entitled the "Barrel Children" dramatised the problem in its effects on one particular family. "The cardboard barrel has been sitting empty in Marsha Flowers's backyard for more than a month now, but the Jamaican teenager hangs onto it as though it were a sacred totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
. And in a way, it is. Five years after her mother immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, leaving Marsha and two sisters to fend for themselves in a Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
, the barrel is one of the few tangible signs of her mother's love - and of her own frustrated desires."
Blogs also exist highlighting the experiences of barrel children. Memories of a Caribbean Barrel Child was created by Dr. Anthony Salandy (a native of Trinidad and Tobago) to shed light of the experiences and outcomes associated with being a barrel child.
Sources
- Crawford-Brown, C. (1999). Who will save our children: The plight of the Jamaican child in the nineties. Kingston: University of the West Indies Canoe Press.