Abusers, Killers, Shock and You

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I was almost killed by a criminal as a kid. So, you’d probably be surprised that I sometimes still get surprised about man’s cruelty towards man. But I do. Yesterday I watched an NBC Dateline show that showcased a high-school boy who murdered a fellow student simply because he thought of him as a “nobody” and a total loser.

Every day people commit terrible acts. The high school killer I mentioned used to put cats in microwaves, but he’s not alone in acts of complete depravity. Every day people commit horribly cruel acts to other living things. I’ve seen it, experienced it and studied about it, yet, it sometimes still surprises me. I suppose it does so because I spend the vast majority of my time away from the cruel realities of the world so sometimes when I come across an utterly vicious act, I get shaken.

Perhaps the big difference between me and others who get shocked though is that I know the deep down and ugly reasons why they commit these acts and importantly, how to deal with them face to face. I’ve been around many of the harshest types for much of my life and I know that their psyche is damaged. That they’re troubled, hurting, scared and lost. That they’re lives have gone astray and twisted for a variety of reasons. Reasons like sexual molestation, neglect, abuse all of which have stunted and twisted their minds causing a myriad of perversions.

Personally, I know that no matter what causes these poor souls to do the things that they do, I can and will, if need be, physically handle and stop their cruel and inhumane actions. But I also know that physically stopping the acts and perhaps getting payback is not enough. They’re but band aids, needed band aides perhaps but not enough to make a big difference.

To make truly a big difference regarding these cruel and perverted acts is to deal with their cause. We must make sure that we bring our children up with tolerance. With emotional support. Without perfection. We must let them know that they matter. That they are supported and that we are in their corner, no matter what.

When someone has a child they must man-up or woman-up and treat them with the care a growing person needs. The next time you find yourself shocked by animal or human abuse by all means be ready and able to deal with them physically, but also remember that if you want to make a real difference for that type of behavior to wane, truly, get the word out to your extended family, friends and associates that children must be raised with care, dignity and support. Or else.

If you wonder whether one person, like you, can really make a difference by nudging others in the simple facts of basic human child rearing and the pitfalls of not doing so, remember the founder of Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD). It was started by one woman who was emotionally devastated by the actions of a drunk driver. So she started a group all by herself. One that would truly make a difference to curtail drunk driving. MADD mushroomed and now is a huge organization making a very real difference in decreasing drunk driving.

The next time some crazy stuff shocks your socks off, remember; get the word out. Get the word out to all who will listen or support organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America that strive to help growing children during their formative years. Doing so, you can believe that you are actually doing something to stop the madness.

Steve Kovacs
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Steve Kovacs

About Steve Kovacs

Steve's the bestselling author of 'Protect Your Kids! The Simple Keys to Children's Safety and Survival'. He's written many articles on a wide variety of topics and has three published books. Steve's a three-time survivor of violence in his youth, a former police supervisor and a graduate of The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) and was also an award winning part-time college Criminal Justice instructor. For several years, Steve did written and radio political and current event commentary and was the former host of the long running 'The Kovacs Perspective' Internet radio and TV talk show. Steve presently owns a small businesses in Ohio--The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense.

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