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The Chance (Or
Mistake) Of A Lifetime
WARNING: The following article
may contain material that may be offensive to girls,
ages 13 to 18. However, it might just prevent them from
falling victim to some very serious crimes.
Spring vacations and senior trips have
almost become a rite of passage for high school girls
and boys. Although these trips have been around for
years, even when I was a student if you can believe it,
now the trips are more expensive, exotic, and ultimately
more dangerous.
Spring and summer trips have evolved from a
weekend in Panama City Beach to a 10 day cruise in
international ports or a week at a Caribbean Island such
as the Bahamas, Jamaica or Aruba. The level of
expectations, or the level of “wow” as well as the
level of expenses has reached an all time high. But,
what is most shocking is the level of approval and
permission that allows these kids to walk directly into
the arms of potential harm’s way. This is especially
true for the parents of young girls. Boys are vulnerable
as well, but no where near the level of danger that
girls find themselves.
This permissiveness, or in most cases
simply caving in to their daughter’s pleas, is done
not out of purposeful irresponsibility, but more so out
of love and the desire to offer the most memorable
opportunity that they can to their child. While we
accept the concept of peer pressure when it comes to
children, we also need to recognize parental peer
pressure is just as viable as child peer pressure as we
strive to ensure that our children are on equal footing
with other children when it comes to these types of
events. As parents, we will go to whatever measures are
necessary to see that our kids are considered “top
rung” when it comes to their childhood experiences.
Remember the word child hood, because I am going to come
back to it shortly.
But, it is these combinations of events
that have led us as parents to risk our children’s
safety even when we fully know that the potential of
being in an unsafe environment is a real possibility.
The disappearance of Natalie Holloway is a prime example
of how terrible things can happen to good kids. The
chance of a lifetime has turned into the nightmare of a
lifetime. While Natalie’s case has received much
publicity, it is certainly not the only one of its type.
It is one of many. According to the United States
Justice Department, girls between the ages of 13 and 19
occupy the largest percentage of those persons who are
most likely to fall victim to crime. Add alcohol to this
formula and the danger grows even more. Boys are also
prone to bad things happening on these trips, but they
are not even close when it comes to the likelihood of
being targeted for very serious, and sometimes fatal,
events. Whether this information is fair or not is a
moot point. It is what it is. And if we know this in
advance, how can we in good conscious willfully send
these kids to these situations? In the Holloway case,
some one hundred and forty kids and seven chaperones did
not prevent her disappearance. Now, only God knows what
will be the outcome of this incident.
According to an old saying, there comes a
time when we must “let our children go.” This saying
is full of content because it reminds us that they are,
in fact, children. Pierced navels, puberty, and a
driver’s permit does not render one an adult.
Secondly, I do not believe for a minute that “letting
go” means letting them go into what we know to be
potentially unsafe scenarios. When and where we let our
children go should be at the discretion of the parent,
based on the individual maturity of the child, and
nothing else.
Many people will say that this type of parental practice is based on those parents who hover over their children and are somewhat overprotective. I am betting that many parents who have lost children to tragic events wish that they could be accused of the same. Let our thought and prayers be with Natalie Holloway, as well as, all missing children throughout the world.
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your next club or group meeting, please email contact information to:
SHall BadgeNotes@aol.com
062005
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