Karamo responds to viewer comments about a teen arrested four times by age 14 after experiencing trauma and sexual assault. He argues that adults dismiss young people's pain instead of addressing root causes, calling for empathy over punishment and judgment.
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How do you feel being 14 and being arrested 4 times?
I mean, I feel like plenty of more 14-year-olds, probably 13-year-olds, got arrested more times than me.
Nah, don't say that, bro.
What?
So recently on my show, a young woman explained that her household growing up was toxic and some very traumatic events happened in the home. She also shared that adults in her life failed her by not hearing her or believing her when she tried to come forward with her concerns. So I read some of your comments about this young woman, and y'all really heard her too. I take today to react to some of your comments.
It's like everybody just sitting here judging me because I'm acting this type of way, but nobody knows why I'm acting this way. Nobody knows about my background.
What is the reason?
All right, so you know me, I used to be young. First of all, I don't know who just said yes please. Y'all want to get it on? Y'all want to get it on?
Older people think they can talk to young people any type of way just because they're young. Shaking my head. That is so true. And I agree with you a million percent. When I was growing up, we grew up in that household where it was like, you disrespect your elders. And I always thought that was ridiculous because some elders are ridiculous and they don't deserve respect. They don't know how to communicate, they're disrespectful, they don't respect other people. And I was like, and I gotta give this person respect even though they're disrespecting me? I think sometimes we have to remember when we're communicating with kids, it's about listening to them and understand this is a young person that's growing and understanding the world. And I shouldn't just dismiss them because they're younger or I feel like they don't have experience or I know better because that is a dangerous path.
All right, and we can respect together when we get out of here 'cause I don't know why you talking like that. I don't know why you talking like that. I didn't ask you. We're about your daughter, not about me. Why you here? Why you not watching about your daughter?
Come on, come on.
Your daughter belong in the street. Okay, so talk to me. Okay, so I'm gonna tell you.
Talk to me.
The reason why I act this way is because it's like ever since I was little, my mother and my father was never around. It was always my grandmother.
There's this thing going on in society where people don't believe children deserve respect, and I don't like it at all. They're talking over her. Let her speak. I agree with you 100%. This young woman was 14 years old, and I could see the pain immediately that was happening. And she was just trying to defend herself, but yet people were trying to scream at her, talk to her, tell her why she's wrong. And what I realized is that the minute that I acknowledged her pain and she was able to be vulnerable with me, all those people stop screaming at this little girl. And all of a sudden they want to hear her and they want to come to her defense. And I think that we need to start with that as adults. Just because we see a young person doing something that we believe is wrong, it's usually a cry for help for something that's going on in their life. And we have to acknowledge that. So instead of saying, you know what, I'm mad, you're in trouble. It's why are you doing this? What is this behavior being caused by? And that's where we should start from.
I was living in a toxic household. It was like this one day where I did end up getting raped, yes. And it was very hard for me 'cause nobody understood me. Everybody thought that I was lying. I was not lying at all. So yeah.
Can you give me a hug? You just said that. I'm sorry. This is exactly why she is the way she is. She can't even express herself without being judged. Agreed, sister, agreed. It's easy for us as adults to sometimes be condescending, to be so authoritative that it could come off a little aggressive. And I think we just have to make sure that we're talking to young people in a way that says, how would I want them to talk to me? If someone said that to myself, would I be offended? The answer would probably be yes. So you would stop talking that way and talk to them like a young adult. Listen, this young woman is actually a really special young woman, and I hope to see more of her because I'm going to be following up with her. So everyone, come back next time so we can keep talking and growing. Hold up, hold up, where are you going? I know you want to watch more Karamo, so click here to subscribe and click here to watch more so we can keep talking and growing, friends. I love you.
