Basic Nurturing, Basic Sociopathy

Young people appear to be increasingly turning to sociopathic defiance of society's laws as though they have never been ingrained in a familial setting with a set of basic values. The social contract of law-abiding citizens appear to have by-passed too many young people. Their parents, or parent, as the case may be, somehow neglecting the most elemental nurturing of the young. And in the doing, failing to impress on them, through the yardstick of their own performance as parents, the worth of their value to society.

Women who for one reason or another appear to value their relationships with men - sometimes abusive men, sometimes men who haven't fathered the children they bring along to their serial relationships - over their parental responsibilities to their children. To ensure the children feel valued, emotionally supported, and given opportunities to become educated and socialized. People don't want to feel lonely, they look for companionship and it's all too human to make unfortunate decisions with long-term consequences.

Too often single mothers raise children whose upbringing has been neglected. The reason can be as simple as the mother needing to earn a living and as a result being incapable of fully attending to her children's needs. Single women raising children are at a distinct disadvantage in life. Their task is difficult and frustrating. But even in intact families with both parents in evidence, the current situation where both parents work to sustain their family economically leaves children without someone responsibly looking out for their welfare.

Young people left to their own devices, whose patterning as social beings has been neglected, for whom values are those they pick up where they may - even values and priorities shared by their parents which are completely acquisitive-oriented - aren't guaranteed to make healthy life-choices for themselves. These young people whose lack of discipline and direction make them vulnerable to life on the street, to drug and alcohol use, out of a sense of aimlessness, become society's problems.

A 16-year-old ward of the province of Alberta charged with second-degree murder after stabbing an older man repeatedly in a parking lot. Previous to that a 14-year-old runaway in the province was charged with the killing of two older people with whom he had no relationship; they were simply there, in his way, tempting him to kill them. In Ontario three teens charged with robbery, two of them 14, one 15. One of these 14-year-olds charged with possession of a dangerous weapon and carrying a concealed weapon.

Two 17-year-olds from Ottawa charged with robbery, conspiracy, wearing a disguise, intimidation, possession of a weapon and of stolen property. One charged also with pointing a firearm, and breaches of recognizance. A 16-year-old Ontario boy charged with aggravated assault and robbery. A 13-year-old boy charged with robbery. A 17-year-old charged with respect to four bank robberies. A 16-year-old charged with robbery, uttering threats, obstructing police and two counts of breach of recognizance.

Another two 13-year-olds arrested for their participation in three bank robberies in Ottawa; charged with two counts of robbery, one of attempted robbery, three counts of conspiracy, weapons and obstruction charges. Along with two 18-year-olds and a 16-year-old. The country's Youth Criminal Justice Act protects these very young people from being identified. And also protects their parents by not naming them, as well.

These maladaptive and abandoned young people become scourges on society, ready to move on to increased law-breaking and social mischief. It's when the social mischief goes beyond the mere nuisance of apprehension for robbery into murder that sociopathy moves into the sphere of psychopathy and someone is certainly responsible for these situations where under-age youth wreak havoc and their neglectful parents shrug them away.