Sunday, March 17, 2013

Steubenville Rape Case: An Opportunity To Teach Your Kids



(Trent Mays and Ma'Lik Richmond
photo courtesy: ABC news)

Times have changed.

It seems kids today are growing up a lot faster than in previous years. Kids barely capable of tying their shoes now have cell phones and iPads.

These devices are putting so much of the world at their fingertips.

But their young brains aren’t fully prepared to process it.

I think this was the case of the kids involved in the Steubenville rape case.

These were all teenagers trying to be adults. 

Though the kids involved probably just passed their drivers’ tests, you can argue they’ve probably been seeing adult-like content for awhile.

I’m sure they’ve all seen some type of porn by now. Back in the day, porn sites required a subscription, but now free porn sites come a dime a dozen.

House parties have been the setting for multiple movies showing all the fun that can be had at a rowdy, music bumping, drink-filled party. They often fail to show the real life consequences that can happen after a night of irresponsible drinking.

This entire party was a disaster waiting to happen.

Kids + alcohol – adults = Big Ass Disaster.

That girl should not have been drinking. None of them should have.

But being drunk does not mean she deserved to be raped.

And now all the kids involved will have to live with the consequences well into their adult lives. Those boys will now be labeled rapists and will have to register as sex offenders. 

That night will haunt the victim arguably for the rest of her life.

But questions still remain in the case.

And the biggest is: Where were the parents of every single one of these kids?

I was a teen once. We know teens are sneaky but how can your child be out into the wee hours of the morning and you’re not concerned?

Better yet, how is it they have the balls to do it?

Parents have to start being parents again. 

I would’ve never had the audacity to disrespect my mother and be out all night like I was grown. The minute I pulled some shit like that I would’ve been looking for a new place to stay.

Get real with your kids about the world and what’s going on in it. Use this case as an opportunity to teach your sons and daughters.

Men have lost respect for women while women in turn have lost respect for themselves. A woman’s sole purpose is not as a man’s sexual object.

Young men need to know that and so do young women.