Scary
One of my coworkers today told me something that really freaked me out. In the course of my life I've heard a lot about abuse, and known lots of people who've experienced it. I've never known anyone who has experienced it very recently though, and not had it resolved. A lady told me today that about a month ago her 12 year old nephew made her 3 year old daugher touch him, and his parents (her sister-in-law and the husband) aren't doing anything about it. The 3 year old told her mom (my coworker), she and her husband told the boy's parents, and they talked and decided not to involve the police if they would get the boy counseling. Bad deal in my opinion, but that's what happened. He's had tons of behavioral problems in the past too, she said. Now the parents aren't getting him counseling, and she was asking me what she should do now. I don't know why really, but I was very very bothered by all of that. I mean, of course it's a really horrible disturbing thing so I should be bothered, but I mean, I've heard this stuff before, so I was surprised with myself for being even more bothered than I have been in the past. Maybe more bothered isn't the right phrase, but I just felt very deeply impacted by it, and very very disturbed, like it was personal. I think it's for the reasons I said first, that it was recent and is unresolved... but still. It was a very strange thing. All of a sudden I felt like it was my job to make sure someone does something about it, or like I wanted to make sure at least someone did. It kind of made me think about what I want to do with the law degree, for a little bit. I felt so impacted by hearing about it that it made me wonder if that's what I should pursue. Today was a strange day.