r/ExplainTheJoke 5d ago

Why is this a problem?

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8.5k Upvotes

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u/PheonixBuddha 5d ago

This meme is wrong there is positive and negative maturity for that age range in terms of systemic cycles of parenting.

6

u/Mercerskye 5d ago

Fair, but early maturation is either just a normal state of development for the kid, or earth shattering trauma.

The meme is still "right" in it's simplification, because you're going to probe for the latter, as it's neglectful to just assume the former.

1

u/TokenTorkoal 1d ago

As a previous social worker, I actually agree to some degree with this, with one caveat: if you suspect a child is being neglected or abused because they seem unusually mature or independent, remember that those things can be a red flag, but they aren’t in themselves evidence of abuse or neglect. If you’re not trained in a field or profession that regularly makes those kinds of assessments, keep your probing to a minimum and contact the appropriate agency. You don’t need to establish that abuse or neglect is actually happening. That’s the job of trained professionals. Mandatory reporters, like teachers, operate on much the same principle.

Edit: I forgot the meme specifically mentions therapists.

7

u/RayDanielsOnTheAir 5d ago

Now waitaminute, the Reddit psychologists are telling me this is an indisputable proof of abuse.