What's wrong with our youth? Is it a psychosocial disorder? Is it the parents?

[cheerfulgreek]

I'm sure it was posted here but when I saw the video of the 16 year old girl getting beat up by 6 or 8 obvious sick individuals, I was outraged. It just seems like it's an occurance that happens so often now. Look at the psycho morons shooting other innocent children in the United States. Then I ask how long until another shooting occurs from some sick child.

A lot of people think it's background or environment. That may be true to an extent, but I no longer know if I actually believe that anymore. I think it could be a number of things. It starts early in life and it doesn't necessarily have to be the parent(s) fault. I think it could be from poor nutrition, birth complications or even low birth weight. All of this can cause poor neural development, which can result in bad behavior.

Sometimes children that are antisocial get ignored, and then they end up becoming some hardcore criminal. Maybe a lot of this can be prevented if people would catch this early on in a child's development.

[DSTCHAOS]

The problem is GreekChat. I rebuke thee.

[ThetaPrincess24]

As someone who works with children on a daily basis in a family health clinic, I will say that half of the problem is that of the parents. Some children unfortunately do really have psychological imbalances, but a lot of the behaviors i see at the office are mostly a result of the parents...and I'll leave it at that.

[RU OX Alum]

Most doctors who treat these children give them medicine that the doctors have invested in, and only those medications.

[SigKapSweetie]

Parents.

[AGDee]

I'm sorry, but the only thing "new" about a kid being beat up by a group of 6-8 bullies is that it gets videotaped and posted on the internet now. Do you seriously mean to tell me that nobody in your highschool ever got beat up by a group of students? It happens, they are kids. They didn't used to be made famous by it, they just used to get suspended.

People always freak out about the awful behavior of the generation or two below them when, in fact, the behavior really isn't a new phenomena. Parents never like their kids music (except me.. I tend to like the same music that my kids do), they always think kids dress in ridiculous fashions (ironically, the 14 y/o is wanting to wear the same stupid 80's fashions that I used to wear), etc.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

Most doctors who treat these children give them medicine that the doctors have invested in, and only those medications.

And where do you get your information that "Most doctors" give patients psychotherapy drugs to profit off their investments? Most doctors give these medications because the parents are pushing for an easy fix for behavioral problems that are best treated with discipline. It's the same effect seen when doctors prescribe antibiotics for colds because the patient's demand and expect to receive an antibiotic despite its uselessness in the situation and the danger of drug resistance. Society is the issue not the doctors.

[nikki1920]

I think its a bit of both. We now have names for behaviors, which leads some parents to make an excuse for "normally bad" behavior. You also have the proliferation of prescription drugs and a lot of doctors who are willing to write those prescriptions. A lot of times simple parenting and child development classes would do both the child and the parent some good.

Re: Medicaid and checks. I do this every day. Many parents are quick to get their kids labeled ADD, ADHD, Autistic, or *insert issue here* to get a Social Security Disability Income check. Thetaprincess, is that what you are talking about? Medicaid doesn't write checks to recpients if they can avoid it at all. If a person receives SSDI, which is currently $637 per month, that person can also receive Medicaid. I've seen children with very minor developmental issues whose parents go through hoops to get that check, and they don't need it, finanacially and vice versa. (Kid born at 27 weeks, blind, no swallow reflex, needs help breathing and has a DNR on her medical reports--do not resuscitate--and mom thinks she's completely normal)

[RU OX Alum]

hijack:

my personal case study/history published as memoirs with commentary/introductions by a docotor would make a lot of people a lot of money

/hijack

[Educatingblue]

Definitely the parents! Very few parents want to discipline their children these days. They would rather medicate or allow someone else to deal with the problem (I cannot STAND the parents who are in denial). We need more accountability for the parents and the children.

I am sick and tired of children getting in trouble and their first reaction is, "My Mother/Father is not going to do anything!" There are a lot of people who do not believe in spanking or whatever, but when I was growing up 20+ years ago, I knew the consequences for my actions...getting my a** beat. No questions asked.

[AKA_Monet]

My thing is I am reading several psychology books--not textbooks--but folks personal perspectives and they asked how does smacking a child around teach him or her anything about better behavior?

And the trainers do not do it with the animals they train... Hence their minds are not much more than a human 4-6 year old--therefore, if we can do it for Shamu then how come we cannot do it for humans? At least this is the current thought for disciplining children in the books I am reading.

I think corporal punishment should be in place for kids. I do not think it should borderline abuse, be it physical or verbal. However, that the child will know when behavior is appropriate and when it is not. When it is acceptable and when it is not.

Also, the animal trainers also ignore a baby's cries when everything has been done, such as feeding, burping, changing diapers (if a primate) and bedding. Babies do need coddling for appropriate neural connections to form. Most people barely give them that, so the connections fail to form. However, animals and humans are strikingly different--animals are always in survival mode; whereas humans are thought to use higher ordered intellect to outsmart their would-be predators. We are not always taking flight or fighting--yet...

[epchick]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Wow! What kind of neighborhood was your school located in? Geez.

Its not about the neighborhood...even schools in the "good" areas weren't perfect. You'll always have rotten apples in the bunch.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by epchick

Its not about the neighborhood...even schools in the "good" areas weren't perfect. You'll always have rotten apples in the bunch.

I know. I was only kidding with you.

What I bolded is SO true.

[cheerfulgreek]

I think normal behavior problems require praising for good behavior and punishing for bad behavior. I think for problem kids the strategy is slightly different. I think sometimes punishment can be ineffective. As children are punished (the ealier the better) they improve overall and begin to know how far to go. The problem kids would probably only improve slightly if at all. This is when I think it's time for the meds to be prescribed, or otheriwse we're looking at another highschool or college shooting spree.

[nikki1920]

A lot of parents are trying too hard to be friends with their kids or go out of their way to not have their kids be afraid of them.

WTF is that?