Shania Murray-Simm tells story of how she changed her life
A young Cairns woman who turned her life around says her mother was not to blame for her mistakes as debate rages over parental responsibility for kids’ crimes.
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PARENTS aren’t to blame for their kids’ wayward behaviour, according to a Cairns woman with a troubled past who transformed her life and now wants to help youth overcome their mistakes.
Shania Murray-Simm, 22, shared her time between Malanda and Cairns growing up and found herself in some grief.
Ms Murray-Simm said parents should not be blamed for the actions of their children.
“I see comments blaming the parents and stuff. That annoys me. For me I came from a good home,” Ms Murray-Simm said.
“My mum is a good mum. She has seven kids and I was the only stubborn one out of them. She did everything she could for me, she never gave up on me or anything.
“She tried her best, at the end of the day it was up to me to change.”
Ms Murray-Simm’s comments follow intense Cairns Post coverage of escalating youth crime levels across the Far North and the tragic death of 14-year-old schoolboy Bradley Smith during an alleged stolen car joy ride last month.
Ms Murray-Simm now has a two-year-old son and lives in Brisbane. But she has left those dark and troubled times behind her.
“I had to move from Cairns and move away from all the temptations and all that,” she said.
“A lot of things have helped me come to where I am now,” she said.
When Ms Murray-Simm moved to Brisbane she decided to turn her life around.
“I then started attending youth services. They help young people. I had some case workers and they take you on programs, swimming, netball, touch, all those sports,” she said.
After getting help from many case workers to change her life, Ms Murray-Simm decided this was what she wanted to do next.
“My main goal first was to stay out of trouble. Now I am going to be studying soon. I will do a Cert three in youth work,” she said.
“I want to help the next generation. Then I want to move back up north because that’s where I would like to work with the young people.”
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