What I researched and why
I decided to look up statistics and articles relating to the connection between repeat juvenile delinquency and foster homes, as well as the background causes that contribute to both situations. In "Flight," Zits is a clear example of a chronic juvenile offender, and I wanted to research non-fictional examples of people like him.
What I found
I found several articles dealing with the topic. Here is one:
http://www.mncourts.gov/district/4/?page=1889
Written by a judge, this is a short account of various problem children who have come into the system, and a promotion for a new program that is supposed to help ease the problem. It is easy to see in the judge's description of the children how Zits would fit right in. From a young age he has had no true home, bouncing from foster parent to foster parent, often in and out of abusive or neglectful situations. The person he knows best is the cop who often arrests him. As the article says, "Children who started out as “children at risk” a few years ago [are] now being jailed as serious juvenile offenders." Zits is another case of a child that "slipped through the cracks" and acting out in criminal ways seems both natural to him, and a way to gain the attention that no one gives him (although he may not realize this himself.)
http://www.sfms.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&SECTION=Article_Archives&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=1429
Here is an article that mentions the story of a young boy who was tried as an adult and convicted for murder-- at age 11. It goes on to discuss more general problems and statistics related to repeat juvenile crime. "What has been found in study after study in countries as diverse as Sweden and Australia and the U.S. is that a small percentage of boys who begin with serious behavior problems in toddler-hood account for upwards of 60 percent of adult criminal behavior." Obviously, a pattern of crime or misbehavior started early in life makes one much more likely to continue such behavior after the age of majority. In most cases, little intervention is made to try and steer the child away from this path other than the various punishments that seem to have no effect. As described in "Flight," Zits has been a juvenile offender for many years and is well-known to the police, yet no one has tried to turn him from his path. He is sent to abusive or uncaring foster homes, runs away, is put in another home or in juvenile prison-- rinse, repeat. Not until the end of the book (when he has come into change through himself) does he receive any kind of promising help.
My interpretation / What this adds to the class discussion
On the outside, based on this information, the message in "Flight" appears to be that someone like Zits cannot get help unless he is willing to receive it. While this might be true for a sixteen-year-old, who has reasonably developed mental faculties, it seems to be an unfair condemnation for younger children who may not fully understand the consequences of their behavior. In these cases, positive adult intervention is crucial, but is often not possible given the large amount of "criminal" children and the physical limitations of the system in place.
I feel that this adds to class discussion in terms of the reasons for Zits' behavior (other than what is specifically spelled out in the book), the meaning of the book's ending, and larger cultural ramifications of juvenile crime in general, which definitely fits with the theme of this course.
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5 comments:
I am glad you decided to look outside of the fiction world to find some information how how "Flight" is actually a book that should get us thinking.
It's very sad how a lot of kids are regarded as "another who slipped through the cracks". I feel like the book did a great job of hopefully opening our eyes to the real issues taking place amongst youth. I think if taken seriously there could be some positive changes that take place in kids like Zits.
Do you think children who might be in similar situations as Zits would read "Flight" and maybe see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel? I hope, it's books like this that really get me excited, while simultaneously waking me up to reality.
In response to Danielle's comment, I don't know if kids in a similar position to Zits would appreciate the ending. However, I do think this is a great book for kids--especially boys--who don't normally like to read. It has a lot of interesting themes and the format of vinettes makes it quick. I also don't think there are enough books available that realistically deal with the violent tendencies we all have, espcially during adolescence.
As I stated in the beginning, I do not think that kids in foster care would believe the ending. The probability of foster care children getting adopted is very low, and even lower in adolescents. It just doesn't seem realistic, even to me, who has only seen foster care from the outside.
This post brought to mind my Educational Psychology class. In that class we learned that children respond better to positive stimuli than to negative stimuli. In other words, offering someone a treat for doing something good is more effective than giving a punishment for doing something bad. Knowing this I wonder why the juvenile system seems to be built on the premise of punishment, especially when the population they are dealing with are already at risk. I agree with the other posts in that I think children should be given realistic materials to read, such as "Flight." I also think there is a big difference between realism and gratuitous exploitation of violence.
I do believe that children who receive positive responses are more likely to respond. However, I do feel like the children do want to receive some type of help. If the children are not receptive to the help, then the help is not going to work. Even if you force the child into help, if they do not want the help, they are not going to pay any attention to it. It is the same with a college student. There are many things that we can use to succeed at college, such as tutors and the writing center. If we do not want the help though, we will not seek it out or use it.
I believe that Flight could provide young children with hope in a similar situation. I found the information of those with juvenile problems making up 60% of offenders as adults was staggering. Although the language is a touchy subject for some young children, I believe the book as a whole can provide youngsters bouncing from foster homes, and those with juvenile issues hope in the future. It shows that it is possible to change and you do not have to become a product of your environment. I believe the book will empower some children and could help save some of those children from potentially "slipping through the cracks".
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