I heard about this HBO documentary today and had to check it out. It has many levels and is fascinating. The most disturbing part to me is the link between violence and child abuse. If a child is abused physically, emotionally, and/or sexually some become murderers. Not everyone, of course, and they didn’t talk about women at all. Have there been women serial killers?  Yet, women aren’t off scot free. Some of the killers were tortured by their mothers.

It makes me feel more adamant that one way we can make the world a better place is stopping and investigating child abuse.  That sounds like a no brainer but most people are afraid to look. They would rather not follow through on clues that a child next door might not be okay.  Most don’t want to be wrong. I wouldn’t want to be either. But to the child, if you are right, it would mean the abuse continues.  And, if there is nothing wrong, then what is the big deal?  I once had a neighbor who called social services on another neighbor so I assumed they called willy nilly.  I imagined they’d come to my door someday. And if so, they would tell me to clean up my place. I’d hire a house cleaner and be done.  No one is a perfect parent but I have nothing to hide.  Yet, some children have everything to lose. And if they are being severely abused, you could even be saving future victims of horrific crimes.

(P.S. that neighbor called social services because the other neighbor’s son was throwing things at a stop sign – so it had something to do with teenage behavior, as far as I can remember)