Prison ethic comes to grammar school

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MelissaT | 08/01/2008 - 21:22 |  Ah~

As I start the first of what is surely to be a long 13 hour shift I'm preparing for a new patient (toddler) who has had (for lack of a "delicate" term) the crap beaten out of them by _________ (most likely mom or boyfriend, but that remains to be seen still) I see some severely dysfunctional families in my line of work and every time I meet one of those kids I'm struck with a profound sense of sadness and unfairness at the difficult circumstances that they are born into that many will never really overcome. They become part of a cycle that I don't see changing any time soon.

As new nurses and staff are introduced to the wonderful world of pediatrics one of the first things I tell them now (after almost 10 years of peediatric experience) is that there are 32 flavors of ["white"] trash and you will get to know each unique flavor very, very well. I could sit for hours telling unbelievably crazy stories of the stuff I've seen parents do- out of neglect, youth, ignorance, greed... It's depressing (especially on a night like tonight.) From what I've seen personally, and from what I've studied re: the criminal justice system the solution needs to go from being a primarily punitive focused solution to a preventative one.

I guess I have seen it from a few perspectives- I was one of those abused kids growing up and I remember fondly the one person that took the time to reach out to me and treat me with compassion, encouragement and respect. I also very vividly remember those that thought I would become part of the cycle. I understand (now) why they were so cynical. I find myself thinking the same thing more often than I'd like to- but in the end, I will always believe that if we invest as much in our youth as we could we could it would go a long way to change that cycle that keeps youth and adults alike from living their lives as statistics.

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varangianguard | 08/01/2008 - 15:00 |  Miscommunicating

I think we are both reading our own experiences into this. Thanks for clarifying your point.

My clarification is that I wasn't talking about Mom sitting down with the kids and explaining "how not to get shot by the Police". Instead, I was talking about the kids seeing the door kicked in by the Police because "Uncle Bob" is hiding out in the house and is wanted on multiple warrants for armed robbery. Or, Dad is in prison for whatever, or Auntie June is caught out on East Washington street during some sting. Or perhaps Mom keeping the kids up half the night during school, so she can shop at Wal-Mart when she wants. They get to experience first hand exactly what their "adult" relatives feel is their first perogative, instead of caring for their progeny in some semblance of responsible manner.

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MelissaT | 08/01/2008 - 12:40 |  On accountability

I work with youth every day and am well aware of the social problems that many educators must face when dealing with these same children and their families.

I'm not saying youth SHOULDN'T be held accountable for their actions. I'm saying let the punishment fit the crime. I assume you read the article I posted- Should the white youth caught setting fire to her parents home have gotten off with a lighter punishment than the black girl who was apparently just trying to get into the school building? I'm going to venture to say not. At least not in my books. Should they have both been addressed? Absolutely.

I should have added that, a huge part of the dilemma as I see it, is that the problem is everyone else's problem. No one wants to be responsible for the ills that pervade our schools and juvenile justice system (in addition to most other problems in our society), therefore no one feels it is their duty to rectify those issues.

No one, black, brown or any other hue of humanity should HAVE to have a sit down discussion on "how to interact with the police" so they can walk away with their asses in tact. It sickens me to know that it is something very real and necessary for many youth in our country. All youth (regardless of race or class) SHOULD be taught to respect authority and the laws by which we are governed. Even the laws we disagree with should be respectfully disputed in non-violent, legal ways whenever possible. It's the American way to challenge that which we think is unjust or inaccurate and our youth truly excel at challenging the status quo- This nation was built on dissent, but there is dissent that affects change and dissent that only serves to put more distance between sides.

The # of minority and impoverished youth in our CJ system is disproportionate as hell. (See Roger Jarjoura over at IUPUI if you question my above statement.) Poverty and race still heavily influence which kids are more likely to get thrown into a system that really isn't going to fix them and make them productive members of society. That's where my sense of indignation is. It's in the fact that we aren't necessarily teaching many children anything more than how to be part of the revolving door of the criminal justice system rather than how to be a good neighbor and citizen which would be much more valuable to you and I as their future neighbors and citizens. It benefits everyone for these children to be dealt with in a manner that will teach them respect and social responsibility.

I think if you police them like criminals and treat them (as a whole) as if they have all done something wrong (or are on the verge of screwing up any second now) then we will almost certainly be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Are there a few bad apples in every school? Without a doubt, but you tell me if you'd feel your workplace was a positive environment if your boss felt it was necessary to police every employee over the actions of a few miscreants. Should bad apples be dealt with so that they don't spoil the bunch? Absolutely. Should they be thrown out? Nope. Some of the best pies I've ever eaten in my life have been made with some pretty beat up apples.

 

OK... I just finished a 13 hour shift and am back to work tonight so I'm really going to bed now... Have a wonderful Friday~

 

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varangianguard | 08/01/2008 - 10:42 |  MelissaT

Before you get too riled up remember that there was something that started this kind of reaction by schools.

By the time some children arrive at school they have already been afforded a complete primer in "Interaction with the Police" by whatever adults/teens are in their lives. They have also may had a complete course of whatever negative behaviors you might care to discuss. Where's your indignation about that?

In school, teachers and administrators try to interact with parents and guardians on an adult level, but are sometimes met with verbal abuse, physical violence, resignation or abject denial from the persons supposedly responsible for taking care of their own progeny. Where's your indignation about that?

Kids see and recognize that. Oh, the adult in my life doesn't respect my teacher, so I don't have to either. Oh, the adult in my life called my teacher a B*tch! (or worse), so I can too. The adult in my life says that the schools can't do anything to me in response to my outrageously negative behavior, so I can act out at will. Where's your indignation about that?

I support kids being hauled off to jail for committing battery upon teachers, aides, administrators or fellow students. Time out doesn't work for them, they've already learned that from home. It's time we starting holding somebody accountable for their actions. Now, I suppose, you'll be indignant?

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