Child abuse on the rise

In the news today, child abuse is on the rise in Canada according to a national sutdy. Reported cases have increased by 276 percent in certain cases (like emotional abuse), which make me wonder what kind of animalistic society am I living in.

Now I don't have kids (yet), so my opinions are tainted by some "false" objectivity (the kind of objectivity that makes folks say Hey you don't have a kid, how can you say such things, You never seen truly mistreated children bla bla bla). But I have been around children, teens particularly, for the past 7 years and have been considered responsible for the education of these young individuals. That being said, I wonder how many of these researchers have spent time around some of the kids in my school.

Although there are many children who act like complete morons and animals because of parents who act like complete morons and animals (and I have seen my fair share of such inhumane parents, the kind that have no shame in humiliating their child in front of me), I have also witnessed many parents powerless when it comes to dealing with their child who may (or may not) be the true spawn of the devil...

I have also witnessed a grade 7 girl (so figure around 12-13 years old), running away from home because her mom didn't want to let her out past 11 pm. 11PM!!!! I couldn't go out past 10pm when I was in grade 11!!! And of course who looks bad initially: the parent (*gasp* the poor girl ran away, she must have been mistreated!)

There is also the case of Larry and Bob (see March 9th 2005). These two students have either used up all their parents energy and resources or, and this truly irks me, completely blinded them to what they truly are: idiotic twits who show no remorse, no responsibility, no respect and no integrity as a human being. Ok, I'm a wee bit harsh, but you haven't been called racist by them. They then encouraged the entire class to applaud and approve their actions. So please forgive the harshness, I think I am entitled to it in this case.

I figure that for every real case of abuse there is a case of Larry & Bob to balance the pendulum. But even for the Larrys and Bobs of this world, I guess the true responsibility lies in the hands of parents. As a teacher, I am tired of being told that I am responsible for the shaping of young minds: by the time they get to me, their minds, and hearts, are often too fudged up for any more shaping...