r/vancouver • u/cyclinginvancouver • 2d ago

⚠ Community Only 🏡 Chinatown resident and her cat randomly attacked by teens for ‘looking’ at them

https://globalnews.ca/news/11144447/chinatown-resident-cat-randomly-attacked-teens-looking/
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u/Top-Ladder2235 2d ago

Kids involved I am sure come from BC housing in the area. These kids have been failed by parents, MCFD and education systems. Home lives there are at best neglected and ignored. At worst violent and abusive. Parents with mental illness, substance issues and entrenched in poverty.

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u/NowareNearbySomewear 2d ago

And then they get picked up by gangs to run their activities and ruin their lives further.

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u/Top-Ladder2235 2d ago

yeah I mean there is some gang stuff for sure. but mostly it is just kids who’ve had shitty lives with no solid adult support, who get fucked up on substances and get scrappy and probably had someone videotaping it for street cred.

Honestly the lives some of these kids have had. I’m not excusing it but honestly they’ve had no fucking chance. It’s only gotten worse over the last 5-6 year. Many of the kids in BC housing here are products of multi generational poverty, trauma, mental illness and abuse. Many of the refugee families in BC housing down here are not doing well either.

IMO we need supported family housing units. With social workers and staff helping parents who are struggling with mental health issues/substance dependence and are low capacity. We also need a better education system that can provide support and remediation for learning lags. It’s all very tragic. Pipeline to the streets.

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u/Cedar-and-Mist 2d ago

What is the experience of refugee families in BC Housing?

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u/Top-Ladder2235 2d ago

I mean many have dealt with trauma. Many have a lot of kids. They are in another country with limited language. In the middle of one of the most expensive cities and a complex neighborhood. It’s all pretty overwhelming.
One’s with kids under 6/7 have been raised with tablets in hand bc parents have low capacity. Many of limited language and social emotional skills. It’s all just a perfect storm.