Letters: Addressing teen violence starts at home

I am sick of watching the 6 p.m. news almost every night here in Indianapolis and hearing about another two or three shooting incidents that usually involve young people shooting other young people. It breaks my heart.

In Marshawn Wolley’s recent commentary entitled, “More appropriate response needed for teen violence,” he seems to want to say the violence isn’t the kids’ fault. As he writes about their behavior, “Kids will also be kids. They will run. They will be loud. They may even sometimes be disrespectful to authority.” Running and being loud? OK, I get that. But since when does any responsible adult or parent raising their children think it is OK for an adolescent to be disrespectful to an adult or anybody in authority?

In fairness to Mr. Wolley, he later writes, “Parents need to be parents. But the reality is that some parents need help.” So what is he saying here? The kids are going to be disrespectful to authority, and their parents, well, they need help. So where is the “more appropriate response needed for teen violence” that he says we need?

Let’s get to the heart of the matter. Bad behavior on the part of young people and being disrespectful is a problem that starts in the home. It’s the parents’ responsibility to correct that behavior when they see any semblance of it from their kids—be it at home, in school or in public. Be the parent and quit trying to be their best friend. As responsible parents/legal guardians for any child, we should NOT tolerate disrespectful behavior from our children.

Second, as the adult parental figure, you need to be proactive about knowing where your child is and what he/she is doing.

And last, you want to be the very best parental figure you can be for your child/children? Then tell your child you love them EVERY day and that is why you are setting the expectations and ground rules you have set for them. Every child needs to hear a verbal affirmation from their parents that they have value and that they are loved.

—Harold “Bud” Boughton