A child, only 13 years of age, is facing an uncertain future. Already in state care, already known to the justice system, he now finds himself in the spotlight—his name withheld, but his life laid bare.
Those who once cared for him describe him in harsh terms: manipulative, calculating. But is that what he truly is? Or is it how he has learned to survive in a world that has never given him stability?
Placed into state care for a reason, we can only guess at what he has endured. Children do not enter the system without trauma. His story, like so many others, is one of instability, of people coming and going, of temporary caregivers shaping a child’s understanding of trust and belonging—before leaving, too.
And yet, instead of questioning the experiences that shaped him, the public conversation centers on what to do with him now.
The media fuels this, giving a platform to those who no longer have ties to him but speak of him as though they do. One who was once paid to care for him now publicly condemns him. Even more troubling, her fiancé—who has unknown connections to the boy—is also given a voice, adding to the narrative that this child is beyond saving.
But where was this level of attention before? Where was this concern when he was struggling, when his actions signaled distress rather than danger? Why aren’t we asking what was proactively done to help him succeed, whether he was given real therapeutic interventions or just being watched? When caregivers struggled, were they given the proper training and support? Who in his life was invested in his future, celebrating his small wins, reminding him he was valuable?
Being in state care should not mean being destined for the justice system. But when a child is shuffled through instability, when they are surrounded by people who are only temporary, when they are treated as a problem rather than a person, how do they build a future for themselves?
Children are created by experiences—experiences beyond their control, passed down through generations.
Some are given stability, able to piece together a mosaic of life that is whole and beautiful. Others are shaped by instability, by the people who come and go, leaving only fragments behind. Why are we not teaching these children how to make a beautiful mosaic out of the pieces? Why aren’t we providing stability so that they have bigger more connected pieces to work with? Let’s start being proactive and not reactive.
International Relations BA at the University of Sussex/ Global Youth Ambassador @Theirworld/ UN Women UK CSW69 Participant
3moLove this