Toss them aside, then blame the parents for all society’s ills

I’ve been sitting on this for a bit, becuase it made me terribly sad when I first read it.

In my usual fashion, I tried to see from all possible angles, because I forget that other people are incapable of doing so. But, as I’m all about villages and support and community and the rest, this comment made me feel sick. Physically sick.

It was in relation to a post I did some time back regarding the young (6 year old) Tyler Fishlock, who is now blind due to cancer and an incident at school where he was bullied. I voiced my thoughts, not in relation to Tyler specifically, just using his case as an example of how bullies are often treated by society and their needs are not met, or their situations are not conisdered. As you know, I’m believe we are lacking villages and community suport to raise our kids, and when one poor kid is having a hard time of it, and, unfortunately, behaving in a manner that is harmful, dangerous, threatening or not socially acceptable, they really need support.

Anyhoo, part the comment on this post was:

If a 6yo hasn’t learnt by the time they start school at 5, then in my view it’s far too late and that kid is on the skids because its obviously has parents who don’t care, or who have no idea about socialising their kid.

This made me cry. This is a 6 year old child, yet it is suggested he be cast aside becuase “it’s too late”? This is the society we are raising out kids in, and these are the adults that are part of society, who think this of six year old children.

But that aside, if we cast aside these kids as there is “no hope for them” what do people serioulsy think the outcome will be?

Honestly!

We are currently seeing a heap of alleged “adults” aged anywhere up to mid-30s beating the crap out of each other, driving like idiots and wiping themselves out, bashing police, stealing, drinking etc etc. Do we think that ignoring a six year old and whatever is going on in his or her life will help this other stuff going on.

That, because its too late we shouldn’t – as a community/society – do something about it? Does this behaviour not affect us all? Why would we sit back and let this continue?

I don’t get it.

I don’t know I necessarily agree with the proposed method of dealing with bullies, whereby they are encouraged to “empathise” with the “victim” (another word I loathe, but understand it’s use), but it’s certianly a step in the right direction.

I also know it’s not as simple as dealing with just the child; just as nothing is. It’s not about one person or one incident, it’s about the familial, social, local environment, it’s how the child is parented, but also the contact he has with many other people, teachers, peers, extended family, local traders and more. Sure it may start in the home, but if that environment is, for whatever reason, not conducive to love and support, what do we do? Ignore it and hope the issue will go away?

It’s not an easy fix, and will take, in my opion, drastic social change.

Starting with changing the sickening attitude that there is “no hope” for a six year old. Any six year old.