Seems everyone's an expert when it comes to child-rearing, but IMHO the single most important thing a parent can do is help a kid have a good self-image. People tend to try to live up to expectations, whether bad or good. Normal kids will test the limits and stray, but in the end (with a little luck if the mistakes and developmental issues or injuries don't set them back too far) they usually become mostly who they think they are.

If the adults around them think a kid is "a liability" then that's not encouraging. Under that circumstance many more will end up in trouble.