05/04/2025
Jamie Miller in the mini-series Adolence was a boy left to figure out life on his own and will eventually learn his lessons the hard way in handcuffs.
He was bright, tech-savvy, and had an entire future ahead of him. But by the age of 13, he was sitting in a police station, accused of the murder of a classmate.
His life had taken a dark turn, not because he lacked intelligence, but because intelligence alone doesn’t guarantee good decision-making.
Jamie wasn’t a bad child, He was simply a boy left to figure things out on his own in a world that preys on young minds. He was navigating masculinity without a clear guide, being shaped by social media, peer pressure, and unfiltered content, rather than by intentional parenting and mentorship.
The truth?
✔ Potential means nothing if it’s not directed.
✔ Talent won’t save a boy who lacks emotional control.
✔ A lack of boundaries will always lead to destruction no matter how intelligent a child is.
Jamie wasn’t making destructive choices because he didn’t know better ; he was making them because he hadn’t been equipped to handle his emotions, relationships, and influences.
He had access to unlimited information online, but no wisdom to filter it. He was seeking validation in the wrong places because no one had taught him how to validate himself.
He was drowning in the digital world, yet no adult truly understood the extent of his struggles.
His story is a wake-up call for every parent raising a son today.
Because here’s the reality:
✔ A boy left to raise himself will be raised by the internet.
✔ A child without boundaries will learn them the hard way sometimes in handcuffs.
✔ No matter how much you provide financially, if you don’t build his character, you will bail him out one day.
This is why my book “Raising the Boy You Don’t Need to Bail Out” is not just another parenting book it’s a survival manual for the modern parent.
It shows you :
✔ How to build principles, patterns, and policies that shape a boy’s future.
✔ How to teach self-regulation so your son doesn’t become a slave to his impulses.
✔ How to develop emotional intelligence, ensuring he doesn’t mistake aggression for strength.
Many boys, like Jamie, are drowning because no one taught them how to swim through life’s challenges. They are raised to believe that masculinity means domination instead of discipline.
They are left to discover their identity from influencers rather than from parents.
And then when trouble comes, parents are shocked. But the signs were always there.
A boy raised with intentionality knows
✔ His worth isn’t in how much power he can exert, but in how much responsibility he can take.
✔ His choices, not his circumstances, define his future.
✔ A father’s presence and a mother’s guidance are more powerful than any amount of money thrown at him.
Jamie’s story in Adolescence is a reminder that if we don’t raise our sons intentionally, society will raise them for us and the cost will be devastating.
Jamie’s fate could have been different if he had been raised with strong values, firm boundaries, and a sense of responsibility.
This is the difference between a boy who grows into a responsible man and one who ends up as another sad headline.
So while hoping your son becomes great, make sure you’re raising him with the wisdom, discipline, and emotional intelligence he needs to handle the world.
Because a future you have to bail him out from is a future you could have prepared him for.
Have you seen this mini-series? What are the lesson?
Be Intentional
