In Reply to: This is why kids shouldn't be left on posted by willow on Thursday, 6. October 2011 at 15:14 Bali Time:
I don't stand to judge the child or his parents in this case as none of us are aware the finer details.
However, I work intensely with offending youths. What is sad, is the cavalier attitude amongst some mainstream Australians towards their kids risk taking behaviour. Particularly regarding drug and alcohol abuse. In many circles there is a social acceptance to this.
I see many families that freely allow, tolerate or encourage the recreational use of alcohol and cannabis. For some families this is a generational cycle where it is accepted in the household as a norm. I regularly see parents who share bongs and get drunk with their kids.
The whole drunken & stoner attitude of a fair share of today's Aussie kids is very sad.
I wonder how many kids in Bali would be getting wasted all the time under the noses of their carefree parents?
Where Australia is a leader is how the authorities treat the abuse after the fact. That being, taking the harm minimisation and restorative justice approach to low level offending.
Unfortunately I just can't see that happening in Indonesia.
Having a nine year old and an eleven year old this unfortunate situation serves as a clear reminder to educate our kids about the rules in other countries.