Jamaica’s transnational violence: when geography matters the most

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article argues that effective policy initiatives aimed at reducing crime and violence require a focus on the global political economy of violence. It applies an exploratory research design using perception indices, crime statistical data, and newspaper articles to analyse the concept and application of violence in the Jamaican context. The study concludes that state and criminal non-state actors frame violence differently. The continued transformation of violence from a political act to a strategic economic tool requires closer inspection of violence as a product component in a global market, where geography influences trade, investments and economic activities.