I think everyone needs to stop pointing fingers at each other.

People are arguing that it is the parents' fault or the teachers' fault or the police's fault. Did it ever occur to anyone that the children just might be innately bad? There are plenty of excellent parents who had children turn out horribly. Likewise, there are plenty of horrible parents whose children have become very successful.

I do not think any single individual can lead a child astray. There are a number of contributing factors, such as: peer influence, home life, school life, and street life. Children who resort to crime usually do so because of poverty or boredom. When children know that their parents are faced with economic hardships, some result to illegal activies to make a life for themselves. However, some middle-class children will result to crime out of boredom rather than a need for attention.

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People should explore the problem with the children, not with the parents, the teachers, or the police. We should be helping these children to make a life for themselves, instead of allowing them to rot away. Challenge children more in school. Make education interesting to them. Show them the importance of education by applying lessons to real life scenarios. Give more educational grants to less fortunate children.

There are so many things that the people as a whole could be doing to improving situations such as this. Pointing fingers does nothing; cooperation and negotiation solves problems.

Jarred James Breaux, New Iberia