[QOTW] Are parents paying enough attention to their children? [Written by Shae McCoy]

Image Source: Chicago Tribune/ Getty

How many parents are we going to have to see grieve publicly before safety for our youth is taken more seriously?

19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins was found dead in a walk-in freezer at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel & Conference Center in Rosemont, Illinois. It was about 12:30 am. She was reported missing a day before the gruesome discovery. Most of us were informed about Kenneka’s death on social media with a video of her assumed friends smoking and drinking. It appeared as if they were having a good time, but various Facebook users started to dissect the video , speaking of screams being heard and sinful conversations being had. All assumptions. Police say that the investigation is still ongoing so it is not 100 percent clear of how Kenneka ended up dead that morning. Up to 12 people are said to be involved.

*Update

According to CBS News, Kenneka was seen on surveillance footage walking in to the freezer alone. This observation would eliminate the theory surrounding her friends murdering her. This information was provided by Chicago crisis responder, Andrew Holmes, who allegedly saw the surveillance.

After analyzing the information that we do have and the speculations that came about, one has to question why was Kenneka there in the first place and not at home? Were there drugs and alcohol involved? A lot of us have ventured in to drinking and smoking as teens, but that doesn’t make it ok.

Most teens claim adulthood after they hit the 18 year mark, but are we really able to fend for ourselves in a world that is much more cruel than it was a decade or more ago? There was a time where parents really took the initiative to keep their children away from harm. My mom always sniffed out the bad apples in my friend groups and tried to keep me away from them. What can we do as a collective to keep the youth out of harm’s way? Do you think parents are doing enough to ensure that their children are making the right choices?