This case is overwhelming. It magnifies every negative aspect of inter-generational abuse and neglect and at best leaves even the most faithful feeling defeated. The answer to the question, "Where or how do we even begin to heal these fractured families, for the sake of future generations" seems almost unobtainable.
Perhaps, at risk, neglected and abused children should receive education, something child oriented, on proper parenting skills, classes on what constitutes abuse and neglect and sex education (age appropriate, of course) beginning as early as Kindergarten and Elementary school.
How else are kids to understand that abuse and neglect are not acceptable. I have a saying that seems to apply to many situations and seems to apply to the types of cases we have witnessed while delving into the disappearance of Relisha. It is this: "You go with what you know." Some folks say, "birds of a feather flock together." I guess the two are not dissimilar.
This inter-generational abuse and self destruction will continue as long as the children and young adults see no other suitable/acceptable alternatives or go without learning better options.
BBM
Yes it does.
For as many years as there is the written word society has faced the question of what to do with those who do not have the means to take care of themselves. It mostly dealt with the basic needs; food, shelter and medical care (at whatever level was considered the norm for the era). Education, when it became mandated was then later added to that list as a "need" to attempt to help prevent people from becoming dependent and going to the poor house in the first place.
Interestingly enough, I have been doing some research on my county's poor house, opened in 1852, in preparation for a project and have found some interesting reposts and facts that are not only local, but country wide. Up until the early 1950s local governments, basically on the county level in each state, utilized what was commonly called the "poor house" or almshouse. Simply put, without getting into all of the statistics, and gritty details, they worked and they worked well.
The average stay country wide was about 9 months. The percentage of people who left and ended up returning was low. The majority of people who ended up using the poor house long term did so only at becoming elderly with no family to care for them and no longer able to physically work or maintain their own residence. There were always the disabled or mentally challenged who became a permanent resident as well. Later, different types of facility were developed to attend to those two special needs; the old folks home or nursing home as we now call it and group homes or special care facilities for the mentally disabled.
The poor house was not a free ride. It was a group setting, without a lot of privacy. There were rules. There was constant oversight. Living skills were taught, shared and learned. Parenting skills; for those who were lacking, were shown, not so much by any type of a formal class, but by taking part in maintaining a structured and safe environment. Everyone was responsible for something, depending on their ability, including the children. There were no paid janitors or kitchen staff. Everybody pitched in and did chores. In a lot of places this poor house was located out in the countryside were food and livestock were raised, not only to feed themselves but to sell at local markets to help provide funds to pay for other needs. Weaknesses, such as a problem learning to read well or learn English could be overcome by being able to ask for help without risk of being labeled. Practical skills; how to fix things, use a hammer, or mend clothes for example , were shared with each other.
I'm sure there were on-going challenges and problems, there always are because nothing is ever 100 % perfect, but from what I have found so far these poor houses were closed all across the country because a small group of professional psychologist and politicians, with the lure of "this will save money" convinced the public that putting everyone into their own separate homes throughout the community was saving these peoples dignity and would show them that we truly loved them and wanted them to succeed and that everybody would benefit.
I dont know about anyone else, but Im not seeing that benefit. And I think it is safe to say Relisha did not benefit either.