Making headlines is the Canadian Samaritan, the bus
monitor and the Grade seven bullies, Theprovince.com
After watching the video on YouTube, Max Sidorov of
Toronto, sound in judgement, challenged his peer to contribute to giving Karen Klein
a vacation of a lifetime. A much-needed
interruption from her day job, a monitor in a very enclosed environment shared
with neither fish nor fowl children.
Grade seven children commonly aged
between 12-14 years are referred to as pre-adolescents. An earlier term used by physiologists – feeble-minded
children. At this age social
recognition and abstract thinking become less tied to concrete reality. They
have a better understanding of action consequences. However, fantasy and
reality, lies and truth are yet not clearly separated.
In Karen’s case a vital issue
might have been overlooked. Apart from unacceptable behaviour from youngsters
and the disrespect shown, they were supplied with a tool that they might not have
been educated on. Many families suffer from nasty text messages and footage
children (and adults) inclined to send on impulse rather than thought, ABC News Article. Spoiling children with a cell phones
can very well compared to giving them guns to destroy each other with.
If there is a real need for
children to carry cell phones, boundaries are highly advisable. Cell phones
have to be used for what they’ve been intended to – for safety or parental reachability. Printing the text messages off and/or reading them out loud can easily
enforce this covenant. Pay-as-you-go phones also control the amounts allowed.
The wide ranged reactions to this
news-breaking event were also quite an eye-opener. The ongoing financial
support, the tongue-in-cheek jealousy from welfare organizations, some revenge-hunger adults, the martyrs, the honest regret of youngsters and their
families to name a few.
Rising to the occasion is Karen, with
a seasoned understanding of children and her humble appreciation for Max, who
wanted her to take a break.
Looking at the bigger picture, a
valuable lesson to be learned - there are modern day Samaritans and
understanding caregivers in a fast changing world where children should have a
fair opportunity to learn the moral-ethical realm of life with modern day
technology at hand.
Lets us, the adults take this event, using Max and Karen to educate our adults-in-the-making on the reality of
consequences to their deeds. Educators, make use of the video as a narrative to
discuss harmful, unwanted bullying, cause and effects of wrongdoing,
punishment, but also introducing all adults-in-the-making to concepts of kindness, respect
to mankind and civil righteousness.
