All The Questions... What's The Answer?

Ever since I can remember, there has been violence in schools. That’s not saying much about my generation is it? Do you know what your peers actions will say about your generation?

From Columbine to the recent Virginia Tech, innocent lives have been lost as a result to matters that used to be caught and dealt with in time before they escalated – if they occurred at all.

What makes a child want to cause harm to their peers? I mean, I remember wanting to kick someone’s behind; however I knew that violence wasn’t my answer, so I just counted down the days to graduation. I am a person who believes in people reaping what they sow. I know that somewhere, someday in the future, the children that caused my strife would be cosmically dealt with.

Now as a parent, I have my daughter to think of. What can I do as a parent to ensure that she does the same and doesn’t want to resort to taking weapons to school or causing physical harm to any of her peers? She’s four and already has had a bully incident. I’ve met the child and I truly believe that her behavior comes from lack of proper attention at home. The child knows that when they act out, someone will pay them attention. Children want to be seen and whether they have to commit a negative or positive act to not feel invisible, the result is all that matters to them.

Some say that a lot of today’s children’s negative behavior has to do with society so willingly available to diagnose the child with a disorder, prescribe a medication or place them in facilities that are inevitably un nurturing. Others believe that had prayer not been taken out of schools and the old school discipline of paddling, we wouldn’t have as many problems as we have now. Who’s to know for sure? And since we cannot predict life based on What if’s and Should be’s… we need to focus on what to do now.

Teens: When in a situation where you feel helpless because of negative behaviour (whether it’s sexual, mental, financial…) and you don’t know what to do or where to turn, what is your dream solution? Do you know whether there are severe consequences to your solution? Do you care?

Adults: Do you believe that another problem with our youth is that some parents are in denial of the responsibility that their actions play on our children’s behavior? Do you think that your child will come to you if they feel helpless in some of the above situations? Are you willing to accept that it is sometimes easier for them to go to their peers than for them to come to you? What are your solutions to this?

General: If the children are the future, then we HAVE to take responsibility in the present so when questions are asked about our past we are properly held accountable.

SPEAK!!!