This article posted by OP . Wow. The possibilities for big problems.....
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_28566114/teens-turbulent-family-life-and-death-santa-cruz
I am sorry to say that I am not surprised at all that AJG has had a disruptive home environment during the majority of his 15 years. Please do not think I am blaming his parents for the horrific crimes against Madyson, though the evidence is mounting that they are not perfect parents, as none of us are.
But having been a single mother myself, I can attest to how difficult it is to raise children and take care of their psyches when you are most worried about feeding them and keeping a roof over your heads. I have never been less of the parent I wanted to be as I was during those stressful times. I can clearly see those times of stress and my own failures in the people my children have become. Yes, in some ways they are so much more tolerant and compassionate than they would have been without those experiences, but I can also clearly connect how their self-esteem has suffered to my moments of frustration and anger and even how 'not having enough' has shaped who they are.
When children have had that real threat and fear of not knowing where they will sleep for the night, they are changed and often basic feelings of security are stripped away. And to some extent, though my own family and circumstance have changed, I still feel some part of a collective responsibility for any children who are or have been in that position.
JMO, of course.