Kids today

   What is wrong with the Canadian justice system?

   When I was a kid we were a lot more afraid of our parents and the police, because they did things. If you broke the law you knew you were in for it, you never talked back to your parents for you were afraid they would back hand you, but that is definitely not the case today. Our youth can get away with anything. I heard of a 17 year old boy who murdered an innocent person and all they got was 3 years in prison for it. I’m sorry I don’t care what age you are if you do the crime you must do the time.

   Now-a-days a kid can back space cakes put whatever drug they can get their hands on bake it in a cake than pass the cake around to friends at school. His only consequence was a couple days’ suspension from school. Really is this what we are teaching our children they don’t have to listen because whether you have a record or not anybody under the age of 18 gets nothing but a lecture (which I am sure goes in one ear and out the other) and a slap on the wrist.

   I know of a 15 year old boy who has been nothing but trouble since he turned twelve. He began stealing from his parents first than began smoking and it wasn’t long before his parents couldn’t handle him. He became violent throwing things around and cursing out everybody in ear shot of him. Sadly children’s aid became involved after the police showed up a couple more times because of his yelling and screaming. Children’s aid informed his parents that he might be better off going to a school for troubled teens, only allowed to come home on the weekends if he behaved during the week. Hoping this would help his parents reluctantly agreed and off to the school he went. Upon graduating the school the boy wasn’t any better. In fact he became worse, he learned a lot from the other kids in the school and when he got back home there was no controlling him.

   Thinking a change of scenery would help the boy’s parents moved out of their home and rented an apartment in a completely different neighborhood. At first the move seemed to work, the kid began going to school regularly and even started doing chores, but it didn’t last long.

   Within a couple months of the move and with children’s aid still involved the parents were informed if they couldn’t handle him than maybe a group home would be good for him. Maybe he would realize how good he had it at home and straighten out. Again sadly that didn’t work.

   Fed up with the kid and his attitude his parents were given the advice from other family members that he needed a good swift kick in the ass. Unfortunately one time while the cops were at the house again the police informed the parents that if they laid a hand on him than they could be charged with assault.

   For the next year and a half the family had to deal with children’s aid appointments along with an out of control kid. While in the group home the boy learned that he was completely untouchable and spent his time harassing and cursing at the poor staff of the group home. In the group home the workers can only tell the kids what to do and if they didn’t listen then they didn’t listen. During his stay in the group home he ran away four times scarred the female employees and even trashed the house. He was then charged with causing damage up to $5000, his punishment was to write a letter to the staff apologizing for what he did and promising never to do it again.

   Fearing that the group home was doing more damage than good they pulled him out hoping maybe if he were home he would settle down like he promised, instead he was worse. On a particular bad night this kid went after his sister and physically put his hands on her. He was charged with assault. He had to go to court where the judge order he take anger management classes and get counseling; he was also given a probation officer that he needed to check in with a couple times a week.

   After everything this child did the parents tried but to avail to take him to his appointments but he refused. His consequence for not complying with what the judge said was nothing, his parents tried grounding him taking things away and threatening to leave him in the care of children’s aid. More times than I can count neighbors called the cops fearing somebody was being seriously hurt. The cops would show up calm the boy down than leave again.

   Just recently the cops brought him home at 5 in the morning. He got picked up for breaking into cars, his punishment again nothing he was just returned home. Less than a week after that the boy again threw a fit and again fearing somebody was getting hurt the cops again showed up at the door. Once again they calmed him down and left.

   So I ask what is with the kids today. They don’t listen to their parents, skip school, mouth off to anybody, break the law over and over again and still nothing. When I was a kid if somebody did half of what this boy has done they would have sent them to juvenile hall. What are parents supposed to do? You smack your kid your charged, your kid won’t go to school your charged, and you yell at them they ignore you.

   So again I ask what is a parent supposed to do?