WE WILL RESCUE THE BOY CHILD: JEROME TEELUCKSINGH, Ph.D

                    

                                                   

I remember hearing a pregnant woman saying aloud that her pregnancy was a difficult one because she was carrying a boy child.  Is this a scientific fact or an old wive’s tale? What impact would this have if she later tells her son? This is a message that could have a negative psychological or emotional impact. A few years ago, a man, from China, felt very proud of his two sons but showed little concern for his daughter. Such scenarios cannot be a healthy environment for our young boys and girls.

Have we created comfortable venues for boys to discuss their fears and grievances? Have we created suitable spaces to allow boys to grow? Many governments offer mere lip service to challenges facing our boys.  In December 2011, there was a report in a newspaper, in Trinidad, of a boy who was two–and-half years old. Since birth he was diagnosed with cerebral atrophy, a hernia, and dislocated corneas. His parents needed $2 million (Trinidad dollars) for medication and surgeries. The Trinidad government has wasted billions of dollars on useless projects but was not able to assist this boy. This is one case, but think about the thousands of boys, across the world, whose parents or guardians are unable to afford medical care.

Do we see any governments providing adequate support systems to help boys who are victims of bullying? Check our schools to see if there are suitable remedies to deal with boys who are slow learners. How many schools are equipped with trained teachers and resources to assist boys who are differently-abled? Boys who are visually impaired or hearing impaired often cannot achieve their dreams of becoming top athletes or able to enter professions.  Show me boys who are autistic or have down syndrome being equally treated with dignity in our schools and society.  We have given some of these boys unofficial tags and labels. These boys know they have been relegated to the fringes of society. Some kind souls will embrace these boys and make them feel comfortable, but these boys are seen by most of society as possessing flaws and will never attain the status of equality.  

 

Each boy is unique and should be treated in a unique manner. Each boy must be treated with respect. Only then can that boy treat others with respect.  You cannot give fire to a boy and expect him to create water. You cannot give him a gun and expect him to use it as a paintbrush, farming tool, or pen.  We have to stop accepting the “psycho babble” being peddled by “specialists” and “experts”.   Many books and articles have been written and will be written on Fatherhood, raising boys, marriage, and family. Likewise, many speeches and lectures will be given on these topics. Which one is considered ideal and suitable for our boys?  It depends on many factors such as culture, ethnicity, religion, and geographical location. Even my writings and speeches do not contain the answers to rescuing our boys and men. Each father, each parent, and teacher must deal with the uniqueness of boyhood and adolescence. Each boy is as unique as a snowflake and fingerprint.

We must learn to develop their minds, talents, and abilities of our boys to help themselves and, in turn, help society.  A boy with an unused intellect and untapped potential will become a burden to society.  Boys who are child soldiers, refugees, and malnourished would not be able to use their talents and abilities.  Observers and supporters of World Day of the Boy Child must save our boys from suicide and rescue our boys form mental depression.  We must be vigilant and shield our boys from distractions. For every boy that society has lost, this world becomes darker and colder.