Kate Stewart:PR is not for Public Relations but Personal Responsibility

Bad behaviour? Blame the schools, blame ADHD ... blame anyone and anything but the parents.

To many the letters PR might signify the term Public Relations, but to me they conjure up another phrase — Personal Responsibility, a once common and admiral human trait that is now on the verge of extinction.

Years ago, anyone with a modicum of pride and self-respect would hold their hand up and admit they'd made a mistake or were part of the problem.

Nowadays, however, it's become all too common to play the victim as people desperately seek an appropriate scapegoat so they can absolve themselves of any wrongdoing.

And, in some cases, even though it may be the truth, we're too afraid to voice it for the very real fear that we will be accused of "victim blaming/shaming".

Yep, the hypocrisy is nauseating.

We can call out something or someone else for our problems, but no one had better have the audacity to accuse us.

I was horrified to read a story last week about the drowning of a toddler on a fenced piece of council property. The onus was clearly being put on the council.

There was no mention of how and why a toddler was able to wander unsupervised, in the evening, to meet their death. Where were the parents or other appropriate adults?

Is the asking of such a question really deemed inappropriate in the search for the truth?
And why should that valid question automatically be translated into "blame" by over-sensitive right fighters?

Instead, it's easier just shift the blame to those responsible for where the tragic incident took place.

Sadly, this lack of PR is nothing new — it's spreading faster than cream cheese on a bagel.
Rather than admit we may be a less than perfect parent, we instead blame ADHD or whatever disorder is currently trending.

We blame schools and overcrowded classrooms, we blame benefit levels (since when did discipline cost anything other than time and consistency?), we blame politicians ... we blame anything and anyone as long as it's not ourselves.

That's a great lesson to teach our kids — not. But this is why the problem is becoming worse because we have raised a generation to play the blame game and feel no personal responsibility whatsoever.

And it's not just the younger generation, many a mature adult has also chosen to abandon their ownership to any problems they've contributed to.

Ironically, I could blame social media and social justice seekers or political correctness gone mad ... even the media, for not having the backbone to ask the hard questions for fear of "victim blaming" accusations. But I won't because all of the above only exist due to the personal choices made by many, even though we probably won't take responsibility for them either.

The problem doesn't just relate to kids and parenting — it's become the standard go-to response for any personal setback or failing.

You over-committed financially to a mortgage or bought at the wrong time ... blame the bank or the housing market.

You beat your partner ... "I was drunk" or "they made me do it".

It just excuse after excuse.

Well, excuse me, but has our society become so jaded that the truth is now commonly overlooked for fear of offending somebody?

If we want to be treated like a responsible human being, a good place to start would be by taking responsibility for our own damn actions.

Blame who and whatever you like but ultimately nothing will change until we do.
Personally responsible feedback is welcome: investik8@gmail.com