Cole: Real World

Children learn what they live. In Cole's case, he learned about violence, abuse, carelessness, irresponsibility and lack of trust. He really never had a chance at a "normal" life like I have. If nothing else, I find myself the complete opposite of Cole in our upbringing.

After some long thoughts, I began to wonder why some children are fortunate enough to be born into a caring, loving family; then others are born into a family who could care less, very much like Cole's. In fact Cole has fallen victim to two of the most common cases of abuse, neglect and physical abuse. Yet, this statistic was not the most interesting to me; children who are neglected and physically abused are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult and 30% more likely to commit a violent crime; all because they had an abusive parent, I find that rather disturbing.

But there's one more aspect to Cole's situation that I think should be recognized; Cole's parents were more than likely abused themselves. They probably grew up knowing nothing but pain, either physical, mental or both. The only way they know how to raise a child is the same way they were raised themselves. This viscous cycle has, most likely, been handed down from generation to generation, and it will continue until someone is able to help. Hopefully, through Cole's rehabilitation the abuse cycle can be broken, relieving his children of abuse and neglect.

After Cole is finished at Healing Circle he is hoped to be renewed and live the life he deserves to live, far from abuse. Hopefully he will never become another victim, or statistic, of abuse and he will break the abuse cycle his family has endured for the past generations.