06/08: Why Trini kids run away
I was reading an Express article about teenage kids who run away. This is a problem few people consider "big". I have talked with many of these kids myself and some of the stories seem to come out from a horror movie. Literally.
1. A lot of them are living in a house where mom, dad or stepdad physically and sexually abuses them.
2. A lot of them are victims of rape by an older sibling with full acknowledgment of the parents.
3. A lot of them come from school to an empty house where both parents are working.
4. Boys are not taught to respect the opposite sex.
And the list goes on...but the strongest point is INCEST. Trinidadians live hiding their heads in the sand, but it's a HUGE problem in the island and few people dare to talk about it. These kids end up being depressed, smoking, using drugs, cutting themselves and yes...running away. I have seen it with my own eyes and I have seen the absolute lack of interest in the so called "mothers" of these children.
In a society where people abuse children in this manner tells us a lot about the quality of its citizens.
1. A lot of them are living in a house where mom, dad or stepdad physically and sexually abuses them.
2. A lot of them are victims of rape by an older sibling with full acknowledgment of the parents.
3. A lot of them come from school to an empty house where both parents are working.
4. Boys are not taught to respect the opposite sex.
And the list goes on...but the strongest point is INCEST. Trinidadians live hiding their heads in the sand, but it's a HUGE problem in the island and few people dare to talk about it. These kids end up being depressed, smoking, using drugs, cutting themselves and yes...running away. I have seen it with my own eyes and I have seen the absolute lack of interest in the so called "mothers" of these children.
In a society where people abuse children in this manner tells us a lot about the quality of its citizens.
