This story was very sad, it had such a tragic ending for the lives of two boys. As I read about Larry’s childhood it seriously brought tears to my eyes. How can a child be put through so much. I felt as if the system failed him as well as Brandon. Larry’s death could have been prevented. A murder in the eighth grade is not something you hear so often. In class, we learned that we have to analyze the client’s problem, in order to get a better understanding of who they are and identifying their needs. We also learned about barriers that can prevent clients from seeking assistance in dealing with their issues. A third thing that was taught to us was about Values and ethical standards. As I read, I immediately started to analyze the past of the two boys. In trying to identify the problem I looked at their past history. They both had a lot in common. Larry had been in the system from the age of 2. His mother was a drug user and father was M.I.A, he had a speech impediment, and as he got older they diagnosed him with Autism. Larry was gay and very flamboyant about his sexual orientation. His openness about it had become an issue in school, a lot of the other kids would bully him. Brandon’s childhood was not an easy one either, although it was not an excuse for him shooting Larry. Brandon’s parent constantly fought, mother may have been abused by Brandon’s father, mother was using meth, and Brandon spent a lot of his time on his own. These problems are certainly a concoction for raising a troubled young individual.
Larry’s problems were more than just the bullying he received. Larry was trying to avoid feeling like a victim so his mechanism of defense was by somewhat harassing other boys, especially the ones that made fun of him. Brandon was a victim to this sadly. When you’re a teenager all you want to do is be accepted amongst your peers. You certainly do not