Are All Kids Good — Or Are Some Kids Actually Bad?
In this video, Dr. Justin Baeder discusses why starting with the assumption that kids are good is reasonable, but insisting on it in the face of harmful behavior is naive.
Key Takeaways
- Start with a positive assumption - It's reasonable to assume good intentions from students as a starting point
- But don't ignore reality - Some students make choices that harm others, and pretending otherwise puts people at risk
- Boundaries are essential regardless - Whether a student is 'good' or 'bad,' clear expectations and consequences protect everyone
Transcript
Are all kids good or are some kids bad?
I saw somebody on Twitter the other day claim that all kids are good and need to be treated as good, and if anything bad ever happens, we should just treat that with curiosity and compassion, and that's all that's needed.
And I think assuming that all kids are good, and I think finding the good in all kids is a good move.
I think we want to approach our students from the most positive frame possible.
But I think we also have to be realistic and recognize that not all kids are good.
Some kids are bad.
Some kids are committing crimes in our schools right now.
And if we don't do anything about that, if we let that happen, then the bad that they bring will affect everybody.
I think we have a group of students who are persuadable, right?
You have kids who will always do the right thing no matter what, but you also have a group of kids who will follow the lead of the strongest voices.
And if we allow the kids who really and truly are bad to have their way, to run the show, then that persuadable group is going to turn things around.
into an unmanageable mess pretty quickly.
So I think we have to have the right attitude about kids.
I think we have to like kids and see the good in kids.
But I think we also have to recognize that a certain percentage of human beings are psychopaths.
A certain percentage of human beings are sociopaths.
A certain percentage of human beings will rob and hurt and attack other people if the people who are in charge let them.
If the people who are in charge who are supposed to be adults cede control of the school environment over to the worst actors.
So I think we have to not be naive.
I think we have to recognize that whenever we're bringing kids together in a school, we as adults have to take responsibility for keeping them safe.
And that means keeping them safe from the students who we want to be good, but like will hurt them.
Some of them are not good.
Let me know what you think.