Had a conversation recently about a young person who had a minor transgression off campus. The student was punished through local law enforcement, but the university wanted to wreak its own disciplinary action as well. Consequences make perfect sense (as well as rehabilitative options), but how many times should we punish our young people–the ones whose brains haven’t fully developed?
Okay, I realize some offenses–rape or murder, for instance–demand elevated repercussions, but in today’s hyper-informational/social media-infused reality, are we giving our kids the opportunity to grow and learn from their mistakes…like we did.
Too many times. That’s how often I’ve been witness to our youth paying for their mistakes–small errors in judgement–for far too long. Some are penalized well into their futures because their punishment(s) prohibit taking advantage of opportunities.
My go-to when trying to understand motivation or procedure is “What’s the goal here?” Are we inflicting these consequences for an error, or are we shutting down any chance of redemption? If it’s recovery we’re after, then we can’t shut the door on the ability of our youth to make amends and flourish.
“Back in the day,” the younger generation made mistakes, paid for them, and moved on. They weren’t defined by one lapse in judgement.
Remember what it was like to be young. Remember the insecurity, the overwhelming thoughts, the stupidity. We all walked the same road.
Quote of the Day:
“Be who you needed when you were younger”
Designs on Life 