After spending more than 40 years working with violent and aggressive young people, Garland resident Travis Wortham, Jr. has documented what he learned in a book called “Creating Monsters or Raising Champions.” He was a director in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for 33 years and spent 12 years in Metroplex schools as a volunteer. He witnessed behaviors and characteristics in kids and families that he believes can lead to the horrific behaviors being seen in young people in recent years.
Wortham examined family behaviors that if repeated over time, can create “monsters” who become those who commit mass murders, drive-by shootings, aggravated sexual assault and home invasions to name a few. These children have suffered consistent, extensive abuse that damages the soul and the spirit.
There are family practices and behaviors that can create kids who are “champions,” which are covered in the book.
Wortham dedicated four chapters to how a father’s treatment of his wife and children can destroy families.
“If you had to put your finger on the No. 1 thing outside of the absence of God, in the control of families, men would be No. 1,” he said.
Wortham explained how men and anger and men and generational curses, can negatively impact families. Generational curses include negative things men bring to their families from their childhoods such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Those behaviors are transferred to their children without
them even being aware. There are also men who simply disengage from their families.
He also explored how young people can get trapped in sex trafficking and human trafficking. There are people who believe that these things only happen in lower income families. However, that perception is inaccurate.
Generational poverty is common — Families live in horrific conditions where crime activity and gang involvement are prevalent, the mothers are involved in prostitution and more. Children in these families often join gangs, sell drugs, become mules for cartels, etc. because they see it as the only way to survive.
“When kids are in pain it has little to do with their color or economic status because kids in pain are kids in pain whether they are in Highland Park or South Dallas,” Wortham said.
He explained that typically, children in South Dallas turn their pain outward. They have often been consistently abused, and the fathers are absent or they have issues, often because of generational curses and poverty.
These kids sometimes start to sell drugs, commit burglaries, robberies, join gangs.
Then there are children in middle- or high-income families who live in safe neighborhoods with both parents. However, in some cases, the father lives there isn’t engaged with his family. He leaves for work early and returns home after the children’s bedtime. Instead of time, he substitutes expensive cars or gifts. These children turn their pain inward. They use drugs and some go as far committing suicide.
On a positive note, Wortham shared hope. Families must strive to be the kind that create champions. Characteristics of these families include:
- They are God fearing.
- Parents are present and engaged.
- Families interact over meals.
- Parents advocate for children.
- Parents are involved in children’s lives.
- Parents teach children that every choice has a consequence or a reward.
- Parents do not support children in wrongdoing.
- They do things as a family.
- Parents teach children to serve the community.
“I wrote the book as a blueprint for parents, to tell them things to do if they want to help their children avoid life’s landmines and give them an opportunity to succeed,” Wortham said.
For more information or to purchase book, visit https://www.urbanpublishinghouse.com/champions.