Common Fears Mothers Face When Kids Reach High School

There was a time when parents were ecstatic that their kids were finally in high school because they were at the point when they were becoming a bit more self-reliant. It was a time when they began preparing them to be off in the world in just a few years as young adults. Many would go on to college while others planned for vocational school. 

However, times have changed and even though moms and dads are happy that within just a few years they will have that all-important high school diploma, they are actually more concerned for the safety and wellbeing of their kids. There is so much going on these days that it’s actually more fearful than it is satisfying to send your kids off to school. Why is that and what exactly are mothers so afraid of when kids are in high school?

Violence in the Schools

While we are afraid of yet another school shooting perpetrated by an adult outsider, those are far less common than all the violence that takes place every day of the year in our schools. While some school districts have gone to metal detectors and school guards, others are in a “business as usual” mode. This means there is no protection against those kids who bring knives and various other weapons with them on campus. Yet even this takes a backseat to other issues that are less lethal in the immediate future but far more damaging over the long haul. 

Bullying in and After School

One of the biggest concerns we are facing in our society today is the amount of bullying and intimidation that is going on in our schools. It actually only takes on bully who is the “leader of the pack” to put together a group of kids who make it their mission to pick and choose vulnerable students to target. In fact, see this article on hazing, bullying and intimidation from a team of attorneys’ website to see just how widespread the issue is. 

Altogether too many times lawyers are called upon to get just compensation for kids who have suffered from bullies. Some are even refusing to return to class and will probably be spending the remainder of the school year, if not the remainder of high school, doing independent study online from home. That’s how serious the problem is. Can you imagine what that is doing to a kid’s social life and their self-esteem?

Hazing and Initiations

At one point, hazing and initiation rituals were common during freshmen year in college. They still are but did you know they are also now just as common in high schools? To make matters even worse, sometimes teachers and coaches are involved in the hazing ritual so what chance does a kid really have other than suffer the humiliation they are made to endure? From walking bare naked down the hall to any number of other embarrassing activities, they either comply or are not accepted into clubs and even sports teams!

The age at which kids can be held legally responsible for criminal acts varies from state to state, but even so, parents can be held accountable for the behavior of their kids. If you are fearful that your son or daughter will be the target of any of these activities, you should meet with the school principal and guidance counselor to see what their policy is on prevention. Sadly, even the schools with the strictest anti-bullying, anti-violence rules will suffer from time to time. If you are still worried, keep the contact info for a team of attorneys like that mentioned above to help ensure the safety of your kids. Sometimes, that intervention is what it takes to call a halt to such damaging activities. If everyone did their part, these situations just wouldn’t arise. Wouldn’t that be nice.