Chapter 2 - Introduction
"Until someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothings is going to get better, it's not." - Theodore Giesel (Dr. Suess)
We live in a dangerous, scary world. Most kids are lucky enough to be sheltered from the worst of it. Unfortunately, for far too many the world is a confusing and scary place. This book is dedicated to the kids of the world who are marginalized and hurting, for any reason, and to the ordinary people who give their own time and energy to try to serve them. If we want to change the direction of society, we all need to step in and do our part. It can not be acceptable for one child to fall through the cracks.
"I don't want your sympathy for the needs of humanity, I want your muscle." - Robert Folghum (author of Everything I Need to Know I learnt in Kindergarten)
The statistics can't be ignored. According to DoSomething.org (www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/1-facts-about-child-abuse) 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before age 17.
Child Help (www.childhelp.org) reports these further disturbing statistics:
• A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds
• Almost five children die every day as a result of child abuse
• It is estimated that 60-85% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on the death certificates
• Over 60% of people in drug rehabilitation centers reported being abused or neglected as a child
• About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.
• About 80% of 21 year olds that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
• Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
• Abused teens are 3 times less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for STDs.
The statistics clearly tell us that you don't need to work in a crisis shelter to encounter kids in need. If you are a Sunday school teacher, day care worker, camp counselor, scout leader or active in any community group where children are present you, most likely, encounter children in crisis. While there is no magic solution to all the issues we can do our best to serve the kids God puts in our path for the times they are with us.
"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say 'It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.' Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes." - Fred "Mr." Rogers
We need to want for every child what we want for our own children. All our success' and failures are interrelated. When we fail any child we fail society and we fail our own children's future. John Dewey put it clearly when he said "What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the community want for all it's children. Any other Idea for our schools is narrow and unlovely; acted upon it destroys our democracy."
This book is a collection of stories and lessons learned in over 20 years of dealing with God's children; many of them broken and hurting. These stories have grown out of the time I spent as a counselor at a camp for children with special needs, a Sunday School teacher and, most recently, helping at a crisis shelter, providing temporary respite for preschool children.
This book is not for the professional psychologist but for the everyday person trying to serve God's children they best they can. Hopefully it will give some ideas and perspective when dealing with kids that don't react, for whatever reason, in ways we are familiar with.