| As teachers in low income areas, we have a | | | | negative labels to children with a low IQ? Should the |
| tremendous responsibility. Many of our students | | | | attention concentrate on working within the families |
| come from poor families and there is some question | | | | when they are unable or unwilling to educate their |
| regarding the relationship between a low IQ and a | | | | children properly? Or should a global approach be |
| higher rate of crime on the one hand, and the | | | | attempted to make sure that low IQ children |
| relationship between poverty and delinquency on the | | | | between the ages of 4 and 10 receive all the |
| other. Are some teenagers more likely to commit | | | | necessary opportunities to develop their own skills |
| crimes because of their low IQ and/or their | | | | and an adequate social identity? |
| low-income situation or is the cause something | | | | Research May Be the Answer |
| different altogether? Some experts believe that | | | | Let us for the moment imagine an ideal scenario, free |
| schools may have a responsibility when they label low | | | | from all political, religious and financial restraints: Our |
| IQ students as such while still in elementary, thus | | | | first task is to develop a trustworthy scale of |
| fomenting resentment and low self-esteem. We | | | | intelligence that does not discriminate between |
| know however without a doubt that most students | | | | children whatever their background may be. Second, |
| with limited intelligence know the difference between | | | | set up teams of social experts in each school district, |
| right and wrong; they cannot use the low IQ as an | | | | making sure that retired teachers who have been |
| excuse for criminal behavior. | | | | selected by their peers as outstanding mentors are |
| Are Broken Families Responsible? | | | | included with the all-important mission of gaining the |
| If the families are unable or unwilling to foment the | | | | trust of the selected children (those with a low |
| adequate socialization process in their children, it is the | | | | intellectual level). Third, establish a baseline for each |
| schools' responsibility to not only impart academic | | | | student to determine weekly progress in academics |
| knowledge but also to model the acceptable social | | | | and social issues. Fourth, give the children the |
| behavior which eventually leads to success in adult | | | | freedom to select their favorite activities within a |
| life. Many unruly students struggle with a poorly | | | | carefully arranged "menu." Finally, thoroughly evaluate |
| developed social identity due to abuse and/or lack of | | | | each child at the end of the school year with a full |
| proper opportunities. Despite valiant attempts by | | | | panoply of reliable psychological instruments. This |
| public schools' teachers to socially educate their | | | | could easily be conducted as a research project from |
| students, the classroom instructor doesn't have the | | | | which valuable conclusions could be drawn as to |
| time or the tools to attend to all personal needs. A | | | | which interventions are most effective. |
| change of educational model is thus needed in which | | | | No More Wasted Lives |
| specialized personnel would analyze each case and | | | | We cannot afford to waste so many young lives |
| supply the proper attention and help. The short-term | | | | who believe that the only solution to their plight is a |
| cost would be high but let's consider how much | | | | life of crime; even low functioning students have |
| higher the cost is on a long-term basis: prison, crime, | | | | some abilities that can be developed for the good of |
| police, judges and lost lives are a price that we have | | | | society and their own. Most of them hunger for |
| to pay every day because a child did not receive | | | | recognition of their worth as human beings; once |
| proper attention when he or she could still be | | | | they have been submitted to the nefarious influence |
| influenced positively. | | | | of hardened criminals in jail, it may be too late to |
| So Many Questions and So Few Answers | | | | effectively change their behavior. The social |
| The burning questions remain valid: Does low | | | | intervention must be at an early age, when most |
| intelligence, when added to poverty, increase the | | | | human beings develop a social identity and an |
| probability that a child will eventually lead a criminal | | | | adequate level of confidence in their own skills. We |
| life? Or does the low level of intelligence make it | | | | could do a lot for the cost of a new bomber without |
| more likely for the criminal to be caught? Do public | | | | putting our national security in danger. Why not do it |
| schools contribute to the problem by attributing | | | | now? |