More and more children are being diagnosed with disorders such as ADHD and autism. Dr. Gabor Maté of Canada says that the root cause is that the nurturing environment necessary for proper child development has collapsed in America, leading to children who are emotionally detached and have difficulty controlling their impulses. This 60-minute interview is fascinating—be sure to watch it all.
Or, to save time, just scroll down below the video options to read the transcript. (Thanks to Skylar for the suggestion.)
Dr. Gabor Maté on ADHD, bullying and the destruction of American childhood, on DemocracyNow.org.
Link supplied by a Lovefraud reader.
one/joy_step_at_a_time
sky – i posted to you in the ‘is he a n’ thread and just want ed to make sure you saw it, before the thread drops off the page.
one/joy_step_at_a_time
good nite all – the stress of the week is leaving me and i am tuckered out. it’s been a really intense week work wise. and i am just so glad i don’t have to work this weekend.
SeeingClearly
Dear Donna,
Something very disturbing caught my attention today. I attended a family XMAS luncheon. One of my great nieces had black lue green yellow bruises all over her arms.
When I asked what happened to her I am told that the kids hit each other (High school children) they’re called body shots-BODY SHOTS. WTF!!!! I had to collect my O is for umbrella thoughts. I spoke out and told her this is totally unacceptable behavior. After I spoke out others backed me up especially the 2nd generation (my children and their cousins).
I finally had to take this child aside and counsell her for about 10 mins. Asking her why she thought it is OK to hit and be hit by others. Amazing answers…I almost can not wrap my mind around it all. I told her mother about this site, I can only hope that she comes here. Her mother said it’s just a phase, a phase my arse. This is so dangerous and damaging. I told her parents that they needed to put an end to it and like RIGHT NOW. Man I am so wound up over this my head is spinning.
Has anyone here ever heard of this???? This is the craziest thing I can imagine.
one/joy_step_at_a_time
whoa! seeingclearly, this is VERY disturbing.
good job for being all over it. i am so sorry, this must be really shocking.
it needs to come to the attention of her school also, because you can bet some of this behavior is going on there.
Ox Drover
Yes, I find it disturbing….IF it is TRUE that is where she is getting the bruises (I’m not sure how old she is) but there is also reportedly quite a bit of “boyfriend/girlfriend” physical abuse going on by even junior high ages. So I think it SHOULD be investigated and brought to the attention of the school authorities immediately, and that the parents of her friends should also be brought into the loop…there may be more going on here than you think about.
Is it possible that one of the parents is doing this?
I know there have been some CRAZY fads going on like the “smothering game” (which kids were doing for the high they got from the lack of O2 to the brain) Some kid died of it at school and brought it to the media attention. GOOD kids (i.e. not ones on drugs or failing school) get involved in some of these “games”)
I’ve seen (mostly) boys whopping each other on the arms and “trading licks” to see who is the bravest, even back when I was a kid in the dark ages, but if this girl has bruises all over her there is more going there I think than a few stupid pranks.
SeeingClearly
ONe; it is going on in the school and not only on the arms but true body punches to the back kidneys, chest. This is frightening. My great niece lives in another state. It is totally disturbing. I could not even eat. I could feel the nerve ending in my hands and feet tingling. I felt the urgency of the situtation needed to be addressed. I can not as a parent think that another parent would allow this to be going on. It makes me sick to think about.
I cannot just sit by and leave this on the table. I need some super guidance here b/c I may be to close to the situtation. I need to know how to proceed with this.
SeeingClearly
Oxy–Exactly what I told her. That some boys may think that she feels it is acceptable to her to be HIT and they might abuse her also. And may not even stop at hitting her but abuse her sexually as well.
Told her she needed to set boundrary for herself and others. It is not and never will be acceptable for others to hit her, Ask her what if that were your baby sister would that be OK? NO, I’d beat someone up for that, she says. Then if it’s not OK for her then why is it OK for you. She started crying. I told her again—IT”S NOT OK.
You’re a smart pretty girl–your true friends would not abuse you in such a manner.
Ox Drover
What were her parents’ attitudes and the attitudes of the rest of the family? How old is the girl?
When I was in 2nd grade I was beaten up at school on a daily basis and I would NOT TELL either my teachers or my parents, I was ASHAMED of being beaten, when the kid hit me with a coke bottle on the jaw and broke my jaw and it swelled up, it was Noticed and I did tell….then I was told by my parents and the teacher that I should “forgive her” because she was abused at school, and that I should NOT be angry with her.
I think you told your niece correctly, and I would follow up with talking with her parents again, just so the niece knows you are following up.
I sense that there might be more going on here than just kids trading licks, though it might be true, I think there might be MUCH WORSE going on but the girl might not want to “fess up” to what is actually going on.
I’m glad that you noticed and did something. It is good she had that validation. If it IS TRUE that it is kids trading licks then it still needs to be stopped, but if she is being brutalized by bully kids at school, then THAT NEEDS TO STOP TOO!
I hope her parents will take this seriously.
SeeingClearly
Mom says she will not listen to her.
My daughter spoke to her also; I will stay on this—I can’t talk the talk and not walk the walk.
I point blank ask her if it is a boy hitting her she said No. I told her I could stop it if it is. She said no it’s girl and that she hits girls too. Crazy isn’t it. I would beat the living _ _ _ _ out of any girl or boy that ever hit me.
What floors me IS the parents not going to the school and at least bringing it to their attention. Keeping my child safe would be my number one priority.
Oxy: I would love to have a telephone conversation or private email talk with you—is that possible?
Thanks for hearing me out. This is what I talk about when I say Break the Cycle. Thanks again, Seeing Clearly but a little foggy tonite.
Ox Drover
Dear Seeingclearly, ask donna to send me your e mail address and I will answer your e mail.
I don’t understand why the parents are not as OUTRAGED AS YOU ARE. WTF?
Someone needs to go to the school counselor AND principal ASAP!
I understand that the girl (your niece) may be lying or making up some story to cover for something worse than “trading licks” but even the trading licks must be stopped.
I would also say that the child desperately needs counseling. What about child protective services? I know going to them is “extreme” and may cause some family problems, but before I would let it drop I would do that I think. I think this is a SERIOUS case of “something abusive” going on, but I don’t necessarily know WHAT is going on and I wouldn’t just take the girl’s word for what she is telling.