At every turn, as of late, children, who are our most vulnerable, are suffering some lack due to our national economic climate. There is a baby formula shortage, a teacher shortage and a child care shortage. In Durham, there are currently more than 700 students on a wait list for after school care. The Great Resignation directly influenced by the pressures that the COVID-19 Pandemic placed on us are disproportionately and negatively impacting our children. The lack continues to pile on, some of which began prior to the Pandemic.
The importance of nurturing a child at an early age and steering him or her in the right direction cannot be overstated. Time and again, we think we’ve got it right, and we somehow find ourselves missing something somewhere. This last summer has seen a couple of headlines regarding mass shootings at the hands of teenagers. Going over their past actions and mental health history can do nothing for the lives lost at their hands. This isn’t a new narrative.
There are many programs available for adolescents who may be withdrawing or falling through the societal cracks. Although it isn’t always easy to see the signs, the fact remains that having programs and parameters in place to facilitate better guidance is helpful.
InStepp, for instance, can offer early prevention services to young girls through its Girl’s Leadership Academy after school program, but there is currently a lack of funding sufficient to support it. Of course, there are other programs that exist that can offer similar support. After all, it take a village. Not all prevention efforts are the same, however. Hindering efforts on account of a lack of funding for any one part of a village created to raise children is a huge disservice, and has the potential to allow younger generations to repeat negative cycles.
For more generations than any of us would care to count or to admit, there have been women who subconsciously enter into relationships seeking to fill a void. The void that they’ve been left with as women could have been filled as young girls. It is easy to stand on the outside looking in, and feel disdain for a woman who one may believe should have known better, and was not strong enough to withstand their temptations. But we are often tempted by the things that we are most lacking and desiring, which makes things all the more irresistible.
Take, for example, the countless women who have criminal records on account of being involved with a man who saw them as an opportunity to accomplish their “above the law” endeavors. We watch docuseries and suddenly are experts on leading with our emotions and not with our good sound minds. But it is more difficult to singularly manage emotions than we’d like to think. For example, before puberty, the ratio of mood disorders diagnosed in boys to girls is 3 to 5 percent, whereas in adults, that ratio becomes 14 to 20 percent [1]. The consistent disparity between males and females suggests that more importance should be placed on early intervention for girls. But instead of appreciating, acknowledging, and accommodating as needed the differences women have, there has somehow been some misconception on the equity long sought-after through the efforts of feminist groups. There is a perpetual mishandling of the female.
The disparity between treatment of men and women exists all around us. For example, in the situation surrounding Brittney Griner, it has been suggested that had she been a male athlete, she would not face as much of an uphill battle. If you are unfamiliar, this is the WNBA star player who recently pled guilty to drug charges in Russia. Throughout her ordeal, she has been detained in Russia, and unable to return to the United States. During her detainment, her communication with the outside world has been severely restricted. There have been many pleas in the media by fellow athletes, male and female, for her to be returned home. Her coach has stated that her circumstances would be different if she was LeBron James, which is a very direct way to say that women are less protected [2].
Considering the recently overturned Roe v. Wade decision in correlation with the lack of funding available for early prevention, this leaves one to wonder why women, who are arguably the backbone of society, not better protected?
It is well-known that preventative measures to assist adolescents with navigating some possibly emotionally confusing times during their early years could help to better equip them in the future when making critical decisions. But stripping funding leaves many who may already have disadvantageous lives susceptible to a path of self-destruction.
So, when we see things like the Great Resignation and/or a lack of funding, the discouraging reality is that this mass exodus of blue collar working professionals includes individuals who had dedicated themselves to children, namely young girls. How do we fill in the gaps?
Woven into the fabrics of our very society is a story of abuse, trauma, disrespect and disregard for the woman. The current climate of lack as it pertains to children is a pressing issue deserving of more priority. Maybe it’s time to seriously explore some alternatives.
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