Gloucester is anything but an isolated fishing community. It’s located about 30 miles to the north of Boston, and is easily accessible (to Boston and other north shore towns) via commuter rail and bus.
As for blame-laying, I’d say that the Social Service Industry’s influence (Gloucester-area families are major consumers) and that of the educators would play strong supporting roles alongside poor parenting.
This is such a shame. I grew up under similar circumstances (Catholic in a Rust Belt city without the access to what a large city has to offer). Family life was a wash, so it was teachers and school counsellors who put me on track to get into college and make something of myself rather than end up another DSS statistic.
It just floors me how not only the parents, but the professionals paid to help the kids failed these 16 so miserably.
