” kids that go OTD “
Your point is well taken, Aries. But again, I want to draw a distiction between the boys motive and that of the girl. True, both are in pain. But the girl says, ” I don’t deserve any better / I’m not worth anything. So my destructive behavior is no big deal.”
The boy is also in pain, bu he says to himself, ” I can get away with this, and I won’t be held accountable for anything I do as a teen / young adult.”
Both had a lapse in judgment. One is filled with regret. The other is filled with rage at the system, for being so exacting. One gets our empathy. But the other only gets our pity.
And as far as not being able to listen to the voice of reason, Rabbi Wallerstein’s shuir that I mentioned was aimed specifically at young adults. He speaks up to them, not down at them.