The Virgin Islands Board of Education issues this statement not as routine communication, but as a moral response to a wound still open in our community. A young life was lost a couple of weeks ago as a result of violence in our Territory, and the weight of that loss has not faded with time.
We name what must never be normalized. That young person was somebody’s child. Somebody carried that child. Somebody raised that child. Somebody prayed for that child. Somebody expected to see that child grow into adulthood. That is not abstract. That is real. That is permanent. And that absence now echoes through a family that will never be the same.
A child should not become a memory because of a moment of anger. A disagreement should not become a death sentence. A chain, a gesture, or a decision made in seconds should never erase a lifetime of potential. We are not only mourning a life lost. We are confronting what is being lost every time violence is chosen.
We are losing future graduates who will never cross a stage.
We are losing skilled workers who will never build businesses or serve communities.
We are losing artists, athletes, educators, caregivers, and leaders who never get the chance to become who they were meant to be.
We are losing entire futures before they have the chance to begin.
Violence does not only end life.
Violence interrupts destiny.
Violence fractures families.
Violence erodes schools.
Violence weakens entire communities.
As the Territory prepares for the opening of a new school year, we must be honest. Schools cannot carry this alone. Teachers cannot carry this alone. Administrators cannot carry this alone. Education begins in classrooms, but safety is shaped in homes, neighborhoods, peer groups, and community spaces.
The Virgin Islands Board of Education calls on every sector of our society to respond with urgency and accountability. We call on organizations, churches, sports programs, youth groups, and civic leaders to move beyond concern and into structured protection for our young people by:
- Establishing clear curfews and accountability systems for youth participation in community activities
- Creating clear expectations for relationships, conduct, and respect among young people
- Teaching conflict resolution as a required life skill, not an optional message
- Implementing active supervision and safety check systems at youth events and gatherings
- Building intentional mentorship so no young person grows up without guidance and support
- Strengthening partnerships between schools, families, mental health professionals, and public safety institutions
This is not about control. It is about care. It is about the structure that protects life. We must also speak directly to the moral reality of this moment. No disagreement is worth a grave. No pride is worth a parent’s suffering. No moment of anger is worth a lifetime of silence at a dinner table where a child should still be sitting.
Let us be clear. A safer Virgin Islands will not be created by statements alone. It will require sustained presence, consistent accountability, and collective courage to intervene before conflict becomes tragedy. Let every church become a place of refuge where young people are reminded they are valued. Let every sports court become a place where discipline and respect are taught alongside skill. Let every neighborhood become a space where protection is visible, not assumed. Let every adult accept responsibility for the safety of every child.
The Virgin Islands Board of Education believes something simple but profound: no child should ever have to survive the community they are growing up in. We therefore issue this central truth not as rhetoric, but as a warning and commitment: Violence steals talent before it is fully formed. Violence steals education before it is completed. Violence steals life before it has the chance to unfold.
To the family grieving this loss, we extend our deepest and most sincere condolences. We recognize that no public statement can restore what has been taken. We also recognize that your child’s life mattered and continues to matter beyond this tragedy.
To the community, we say this plainly. We cannot become accustomed to this. We cannot normalize this. We cannot accept this as the cost of living in our islands. Let this moment be a turning point, not another passing headline.
The Virgin Islands Board of Education commits to continuing this work not only in words, but in action, partnership, and sustained advocacy for the safety and future of every child in this Territory.
— Sandra Bess is the executive director of the Virgin Islands Board of Education.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
