[1]
http://theconversation.com/neglecting-neuroscience-has-criminal-consequences-for-youth-34872
<-- This article prompted me to write this.
Having been born a stutterer, half deaf, half blind, diagnosed
with Cerebral Palsy as a baby, premature at six months, and
anxiety, I understand experientially what it is to be different
on a number of sensory levels.I have an excellent mother who: a)
Took me faithfully to a cerebral palsy center when I was 2-4
years old, which encouraged improving my sense of touch and
balance. b) cured my stuttering through speech therapy when I
was 7 years old (I can still taste the strawberry paste they
used.* They put it on the inside of the roof of my mouth to get
me to touch my tongue there.* It was disgusting and I gag at the
thought, but it worked) c) Fitted with glasses that same year.
d) Attempted a hearing aid when I was in 6th grade, but I gave
up after a few months.* She respected my decision after a little
fighting.* In retrospect, I'm impressed that she accepted it,
considering the high cost.* I'm grateful she listened. e) Took
me to biofeedback training at the same time.* Of all of the
above, that was perhaps the best decision.* I learned how to
breath through my problems, as it were.I am now, at 42 years of
age, by all appearances, perfectly normal, if a little eccentric
:P I scored extremely well on standardized tests and I did good
enough academically, although not so well socially. I may have
ADHD.* I may even be on the autistic spectrum somewhere (perhaps
Aspergers?).* I honestly don't know.* I have my suspicions, but
it never mattered enough to find out for certain just yet. But:
Let's flip things around. What if I didn't have that kind of
assistance? What if I couldn't rely on Mom? Would the school
system have taken care of me? No. So what might have happened?
Had I been unable to see the blackboard well, my grades would
have immediately suffered once there was less desk work and more
dependence upon the blackboard. Low grades = Who cares about
grades. So, instead of focusing on the teacher and what they
have to say, I would instead focus on the other students.* But,
had I continued stuttering, unable to focus on the schoolwork
and fearful of mocking from other students, I'd find school a
horrid place that I needed to escape from. Or, if I felt
neglected by those who I felt were supposed to care about me
(teachers + the school - had I not had a caring mother, I'd be
looking to somebody to lean on) - then, I might act out.* Do
things.* Cause trouble.* anything to be paid attention to. Or,
I'd be bored. Boredom is more than "something you have to learn
to deal with". Boredom can lead to creativity when nurtured, or
crime when there is no feeling of safety. Crimes is gaining
control over your environment.* You can't have control at home.*
You don't feel a sense of control in school.* So, you gain your
sense of control in the outside world.* Destruction.* Criminal
mischief. And lo and behold, you gain social acceptance!* The
social acceptance of those who find your violent anarchistic
behavior to be "bucking the system".* You get noticed.* Paid
attention to. If you don't gain social acceptance through a
newly found set of criminal peers, at least the police notice
you.* The courts notice you.* Something is being done with you.
You're paid attention to.* You're noticed. It's not much, but
it's all you have. It is, indeed "criminal" of the criminal
justice systems to not have some kind of "translators" for these
troubled boys (girls too, but statistically more boys).* They
don't know how to tell their story.* They might not speak well.*
Write well.* Communicate well.* They communicate via outburst
and have had no reason to respect authority, for authority never
respected them. The system assumes a level playing field. But
it's not. I was lucky.* Very lucky.* I count my blessings. I
know what many of the alternatives that were possible for me.* I
watched myself dramatically change from being one boy to being
the next boy.* I became a different Ken at each instance; the
same - but more in control of myself and my environment,
insomuch as the world I was thrown into allowed me to be in
control. To me, this is all basic.* How the system continues to
exist in such a manner has always baffled me, always confused
me, always upset me.* Perhaps it my unique experience in growing
up that gives me a unique perspective.* But I don't think I'm
anybody special.* I wonder - is the assumption of norms so
powerful that grown adults with education and training can't see
the impact of what they are doing on those who do not "fit"
already? Perhaps we need a one eyed man to lead the land of two
eyes. All have broken parts.* Large groups of people acting as
if they have no broken parts will not be sympathetic to those
with exposed flaws, such as these troubled youth, for they
remind "the normal" of their own frailties... and the
marginalization of the weak and powerless and their
incarceration allows the normals to continue believing that they
are unbroken and whole. The boys are failed by the same society
who then punishes them for the failures society caused, making
those boys the scapegoats for its own brokenness. Society
consists of people.* The criminal justice system is made of
people.* The school system is made up of people.* But when
people don't act like people but form a larger organism which
lacks empathy, something is severely wrong.* People are not
viruses or cancers - they are people.* The criminal justice
system is not white blood cells attacking an oncoming plague;
the criminal justice system is made of people who are not
behaving like people towards other people. Intervention must
happen with the assistance of governments and school systems
long before they reach the potential eyes of the criminal
justice system.* Perhaps alternative schooling methods.* There
are some in most countries, I believe, but there can be more.*
More intervention by psychologists, psychiatrists, childhood
development experts, cognitive science, educators: More adults
in these children's lives who can use their specialized skills
to improve the people who are making up the unseen future
society. Fix the problem before it becomes a problem and the
problem ceases to be.* Fixing disabilities and providing
alternatives, greater empathy for the fact that these are
children and not criminals.* Perhaps they will become criminals
someday.* But until they reach the age of the majority, they
should be the responsibility for all members of society who are
capable and willing to help. I don't think society will be
doomed if we don't.* School stinks, being a human on this planet
in societies and families and cultures can really be awful for
some people.* I don't think there is a magic bullet for all
problems.* But we can definitely be doing a better job than we
are now.* I can't think of any valid excuse why these kids
should be left behind to rot. I know I strayed from the
neuroscience component.* But I'm far from dispassionate about
the issue, as it strikes me at the core.* There are areas of
choicelessness in everybody's lives; you're thrown into the
world where you are and you have to make it with the help of
everybody around you. There's no excuse for failing kids. -----
Thank you.* I don't usually talk so much about her as I'm
usually talking about other things.* People in my offline life,
I rarely mention online.* Who would think my ridiculous post on
toilet paper would lead to this?* I didn't see it coming. But I
couldn't simply give a dispassionate opinion about this topic as
it's a vital one to me.* I couldn't see any other choice but to
tell my story..* I find poor treatment of the misunderstood - in
this case, quite literally misunderstood - to be an unpardonable
sin.* I needed to be fully understood before I expressed further
opinions on the topic.* I had to express my gratitude to the
places I found success, before I felt I could rightly speak of
the places where I see severe failures. It was the only way I
felt I could be understood.* It could have been me who was
speaking in short worded sentences to police after committing a
crime.* I could have been a statistic.* But I wasn't.* I'm
grateful for that. I have the freedom that those kids don't and
I could have been them.
References
Visible links
1.
http://theconversation.com/neglecting-neuroscience-has-criminal-consequences-for-youth-34872%20
