Problem children

Sunday, April 22, 2012 | 2 a.m.

This month, a story about a couple arrested for allegedly committing a string of burglaries and robberies caught our eye. Although the story sounded like a crime thriller with chases, near-misses and brazen actions, it was comments on the site that really captured our attention.

The online comments evolved from a focus on the case to a discussion about people and society. One reader wrote, “I am seriously puzzled by people like this. I just don’t understand what makes them tick.”

There were dozens of answers and personal experiences. There were questions and comments about parenting and raising children, as well as society’s role in shaping a child’s life. A woman who says she is the mother of one of the accused wrote, “Sometimes good parents just have ‘bad’ kids. Bad parents can also have ‘good’ kids.”

So we asked readers if she was right. We received many heartfelt answers.

If there was one thread that ran through the comments, it was the difficulty of being a parent. Raising a child is one of the most important — and challenging — tasks a person can take on. A good parent tries to prepare a child to make the right choices and do well in life, but eventually, children make their own way. As our readers noted, there are excellent parents whose children make horrific choices, and there are children who grow up in terribly dysfunctional families yet become exemplary adults.

A child’s upbringing is also affected by more than just what happens in the home. Although parents are responsible for raising their children and are expected to have the most direct influence, a community — from friends to the quality of the schools — does have an effect on a child’s upbringing. A child’s experience with friends, in school and in the community is important. Is it safe? Are there libraries, parks and activities that can help a child?

We’ve heard some people argue that it is difficult to raise a family in Las Vegas because of the temptations and the lack of a strong social safety net. That goes not just for children but also for parents, whose behavior can be affected by all that is Las Vegas.

With its relative youth and high transience, Southern Nevada lacks the deep family ties other areas have. Those ties can help a wayward child or a struggling family. The lack of a strong social safety net means it can be difficult for people without family here to find support.

Although family ties and safety nets are a great benefit and should be developed, they don’t guarantee success and don’t always solve problems, either. The lack of them can compound or exacerbate things, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more difficult to raise a family here than anywhere else. There are problems everywhere, and children will face difficult situations and temptations any place they go.

Still, the value of good parenting can’t be overstated, nor can the support of a community. We all have a stake in helping to nurture good kids.

What do you think?

We’d like to continue this discussion. If you’re raising children here, are there things you’d like to see that would help you? If you were raised here, what was your experience like? We’d also love to hear from students in high school and those who have graduated in the past 10 years. What has your experience been like? Would you raise children here? Anything you would like to see?

You can put a comment on the site below or you can send us a letter c/o Letters to the Editor, Las Vegas Sun, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074. Send email: [email protected] — put “children” in the subject line. Or fax: (702) 383-7264.