Jamaica has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, mostly committed by young men. Their socialisation begins at home but continues in a society that holds strong stereotypes about male behaviour; homosexuality, for example, is still illegal in Jamaica. The dominant culture in many of the country’s comprehensive schools reflects the attitudes and expectations of wider society rather than presenting an alternative to it. As a result boys also learn to adopt a ‘macho’ and disruptive attitude within school.