Ep 77. CAUGHT ON TAPE…MY 10 YEAR OLD STEALS, DRINKS & SMOKES!
- February 5, 2003
Description:
In the fourth season's 77th episode of the popular daytime talk show Maury, the episode is titled "Caught on Tape...My 10 Year Old Steals, Drinks & Smokes!" This episode features a young child who is caught engaging in poor behavior and his parents are at a loss on how to handle it.
The show opens with a video of the young child in question, who is a ten-year-old boy, stealing candy from a store. Soon after, the video shows the boy with a cigarette in his hand, with a lighter he stole from his mother. The video then takes a turn for the worse when the boy is shown drinking from a bottle of alcohol, which he also stole from his parents.
The mother of the child is the first to speak in the show, visibly shaken and emotionally upset. She explains that she and her husband are at their wits' end on how to discipline their son. She says that they have tried taking away his video games, giving him chores, and even spanking him, but nothing seems to work.
The father of the child then speaks, agreeing with his wife that they are lost and do not know what to do to help their son. He explains that they have already tried counseling, but the counselor they saw was not helpful. The father becomes emotional, saying that he is afraid of losing his son to the life of drugs, alcohol, and crime.
Maury steps in, offering his assistance and introducing the guests who are there to help the distressed parents: a psychologist, a substance abuse counselor, and a former juvenile offender who turned his life around thanks to their help.
The psychologist speaks first, explaining that the behavior of the child is not uncommon, and that stealing, smoking, and drinking are often ways for children to deal with underlying issues such as stress, anxiety, or depression. She suggests that the parents take a softer approach, trying to understand the root cause of the problem and offer support to the child.
The substance abuse counselor then speaks, explaining how drinking and smoking at such a young age can have lifelong consequences on the child's health, and that he could easily become addicted to these substances. He advises the parents to take control of their home environment, locking up alcohol and tobacco products and explaining to their child the dangers of these substances.
Finally, the former juvenile offender speaks, explaining that he, too, was caught up in the life of crime, drugs, and alcohol as a child. He shares his story of coming to grips with the consequences of his actions, and how he turned his life around with help from his family and professionals.
The parents take the advice to heart and have an emotional discussion with their son, explaining their concerns and the dangers of his actions. The young boy breaks down in tears, realizing the gravity of his behavior, and promises to change his ways.
The show ends with Maury thanking the guests for their advice and encouraging other parents who may be struggling with similar issues to seek help before it is too late.
