Parents of teenagers: hug your kid tonight

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…that is if you know where he or she is.

A teenaged girl in my part of the world suicided recently. Her story is just starting to make the news. As I read it, I kept asking myself where were her parents? Where were the parents of the other teens who were cyber bullying her? How could things get so out of hand?

I’m not giving specific details, because at this point I don’t think they matter much, just a girl with low self esteem who did a couple of dumb things for acceptance.

Even some of the more secular-minded experts are now saying that to keep teens on the straight and narrow, they need to stay identified with their families and not just with their peer group. I look around me and see a whole generation that goes its own way, parents not knowing where they are and clueless as to what they’re doing.

Any thoughts out there?
 
So very sad. I am praying for her and her family and her tormentors. This is a serious situation that affects people that all of us actually know. As Christians, my thoughts are, that we need to be reaching out before the tragic happens. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in trivialities that we miss the things that we are meant to help.
 
Catya said:
…that is if you know where he or she is.

A teenaged girl in my part of the world suicided recently. Her story is just starting to make the news. As I read it, I kept asking myself where were her parents? Where were the parents of the other teens who were cyber bullying her? How could things get so out of hand?

I’m not giving specific details, because at this point I don’t think they matter much, just a girl with low self esteem who did a couple of dumb things for acceptance.

Even some of the more secular-minded experts are now saying that to keep teens on the straight and narrow, they need to stay identified with their families and not just with their peer group. I look around me and see a whole generation that goes its own way, parents not knowing where they are and clueless as to what they’re doing.

Any thoughts out there?
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My family was EXTREMELY protective of me. While it caused some problems when I started college since I had to be away from home for the first time, my problems are NOTHING like they would be if my parents had taken a “let the kid do whatever” approach.
 
Catya said:
…that is if you know where he or she is.

A teenaged girl in my part of the world suicided recently. Her story is just starting to make the news. As I read it, I kept asking myself where were her parents? Where were the parents of the other teens who were cyber bullying her? How could things get so out of hand?

I’m not giving specific details, because at this point I don’t think they matter much, just a girl with low self esteem who did a couple of dumb things for acceptance.

Even some of the more secular-minded experts are now saying that to keep teens on the straight and narrow, they need to stay identified with their families and not just with their peer group. I look around me and see a whole generation that goes its own way, parents not knowing where they are and clueless as to what they’re doing.

Any thoughts out there?
Click to expand...
I am praying for her soul and for her family. :’(
 
Monicad, thank you for correcting me. You are absolutely right.

I’m sorry for being so thoughtless. When I posted, I was full of emotion - please let me explain why. My teenaged niece and nephew live in the general area in which this girl lived. There has already been another bullying-related suicide of a teen in that area. My nephew has been bullied, as well.

There is also a culture of drugs and out of control unchaperoned partying in the area. Last year’s infamous gang rape of a teen girl at a party (the one that was Facebooked) happened in that area too.

In this particular community there also seems to be a greater than average number of broken homes and not too successfully blended families, plus single moms who have to work long hours. It’s considered normal there for teenagers to go stay at a friend’s house for several days at a time without their parents checking on them. Generally, parents are clueless as to what their teens really get up to. It would seem that my own brother has basically given up on setting limits for my niece and I’m afraid for her.

Although only one person suicided in the recent situation, there were plenty more kids involved. I understand that people who are vulnerable to suicide can’t always be helped, despite the best efforts of their families and other supports. I didn’t mean to judge her situation, as I don’t know much about it. But where were the parents of the bullies? All bullies start out as good kids, but parental neglect causes kids to create their own “Lord of the Flies” culture.
 
My children are a few years away from being teenagers, but I try to hug them at least twice a day.

I hope, when they are older, and perhaps facing difficult times, they will be strong enough to not give up on themselves.
 
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