At-Risk Youth

At-Risk Youth:  What creates teens at-risk?  Personal view on variables which may, or may not, influence youth and put them at-risk.

Just recently, I ran into a young mother with two young children.  She just started college with a goal of becoming a social worker.  Years earlier, she completed a medical assistant program only to become a stay-at-home mom.

At age 51, and a retired social scientist, I was particularly interested in her career path.  When asked where she wanted to focus her efforts, she replied, "with at-risk youth."  Our conversation was short, so I did not get the "reason" she chose this area.

Reflecting on my own life, career, and children, I pondered "at-risk youth."  Several instances have helped me formulate my opinion on why youth are "at-risk" these days.

HOME LIFE

I'm guilty! I had a latch-key child.  My oldest child was more mature than my other two sons.  And, because of financial constraints of being a young couple, our finances couldn't afford day-care at certain points, so Kris was a latch-key child off-and-on during childhood.

I had him call me at work after he got home, and right after he had a snack for fear he might choke and I would call him regularly.  One time, our phone was out of order and I took him to work and sat him in the break room because I didn't want to leave him without a way to contact me. My employer chastised me for bringing him to work stating, "this is a place of business."  So, I promptly gathered my son, and I took the afternoon off.  "The Boss" didn't like that either.  But, my child came first.

There are many reasons why children may lack adult supervision during their childhood.  Some can't be helped, but many can.

Addiction, perhaps, may be the largest reason.  Chemical addition, such as drugs and alcohol, are still the most common of addictions. But addiction can be any form of venue which has a strong hold on a person.  Internet, television, video game, and other media addiction is becoming more and more apparent as technology advances.  Social addiction, such as dating and partying, are creating parents who rely on parents to raise grandchildren.  And, work addiction leaves children feeling alone and/or abandoned.  Nothing is more important than feeling loved, and needed by your parents.  Plus, children learn by emulating those around them.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters is one organization reaching out to provide by-proxy role models for children.

SCHOOL

School can be the most rewarding time in the life of a child.  But, just as a coin has two sides, school can be the most horrible of times for children.

Bullying is in the forefront of news coverage lately.  Parents bullying children, parents bullying parents, teachers bullying students, any combination of perpetrator and defendant can result in murder, suicide, or a diminished self-esteem which could lead to chronic conditions through out life.  Left untreated these little problems linger and grown into larger problems such as anger, depression, aggression, mental illness, and addiction to name a few.

Traditional Teaching Methods

Children are born with certain personality types and learning styles.  We all learn differently.  Briefly, kinetic learners learn by doing, auditory learners learn by hearing, and visual learners learn by seeing.  Having children sit in rows in school rooms may or may not be the best method for your individual child.

A recent Facebook post made me very angry the other day.  A woman commented she blamed homeschooling for poor grammar these days.  I find that very offensive, as my sister, and youngest son have homeschooled.

My sister has continuously been recognized for outstanding achievement in various academic and career related tasks.  She was valedictorian of her cover school graduating body, won the highest academic achievement in Coast Guard Basic Training, was Magna Cum Laude in her BA program, and won highest academic achievement in her nursing school class.   And, I'm hoping my son will follow in that tradition.  My sister is a visual learner, my son is a kinetic learner.

Whole language versus phonics is another source of concern.  My brother and his generation, and my middle son and nephew and their class learned to read using whole language.  I learned using phonics.  Neither my brother, my middle son, and my nephew can read well.  And, their spelling is inexcusable.  Many people my brother's age I have encountered comment they have trouble reading and spelling.  If you can not read or spell properly, one can not adequately compete within our society especially since it is becoming so global a society.

High school counselors do what?  I'll probably get several hate responses to this comment, but honestly, I don't have a clue because my high school counselor didn't do her job.  THIS is my greatest concern for at-risk youth.

One month before graduation, my counselor came into our English class and spoke with us individually after a brief introduction.  I didn't even know we HAD a high school counselor let alone what her job entailed.

When it was my time, she asked me, "what do you want to do when you graduate?"  I told her I didn't know but I knew I wanted to be a wife and a mother who baked cookies for her children.  NEVER did I get any offer for career guidance.  And, I had NO prospect of a husband at that time.

My parents were civil servants, and didn't know what all was out there, so they stuck me in nursing school because "it would be a great job for a young, single woman."  I HATED IT!   After 20 years of off-and-on college classes, raising 3 sons, being married twice, working two jobs, I had earned a Liberal Arts degree.  What a waste of time, and money.

I went to my department head and said, "have I got enough of anything to graduate?"  He said, "Yes, you have a BLA in Social Sciences, and Humanities."  That was the first time someone had pin pointed my interests!  And, it was during my Master's program in counseling that I learned about Myers Brigg Personality Testing, and the "how we learn" concept.

SOCIAL CRISIS

Financial problems have always been around, but some times have been/are worse than others.  The Great Depression was just one time in US history where financial suffering was abundant.  The Bull, the Bear, and the Bust of the stock markets dictate how our economy grows or suffers.

For teens, "fitting in" is a fundamental goal.  Clothes, schools, purses, tennis shoes, cars, motorcycles, houses, neighborhoods, etc, can all be sources of jealousy, and bias for youth.

Teens lacking the ability to keep up with his/her peers, may resort to illegal activity to gain acceptance, and money.  Then the teens get hooked into a lifestyle that perpetuates crime leading to early criminal records or long term jail sentences.

Most schools have adopted dress codes and uniforms to curtail this social issue.  But, teens need to learn that through education, hard work, and successful careers, their financial path, and living standards are made.  Nothing comes free, and everything comes through personal choice and/or sacrifice.

Responsibility is an ideal that isn't taught much any more.  Teens need to realize they should take the responsibility for themselves in all avenues of life.  One should not blame anyone else for personal failure.  We are each responsible for our own path in life and by wasting one day, a critical step might be missed which could alter the course of our lives either positively or negatively.  Granted, certain conditions, such as recession, could quickly put an end to everyone one has worked to achieve.

Entertainment Industry

Hollywood has become a major factor in the decline of morals, and ethics in our country.  It teaches demoralization, indiscretion, a moral behavior, and other negative behaviors.  I'm not going to say too much, but between the music industry, and movie/television industry, our society is inundated with negative stereotypes, and ideals.

CONCLUSION

In short, personality, family, friends, economy, education, and religion play a huge role in our lives.  These variables either mold or warp our sense of reality.  At-risk youth are exposed to the same variables as successful youth, but combined differently these youth fall instead of flourish.

As parents, guardians, educators, religious leaders, and other positive influential people, we should take every effort to reach out to youth, be a mentor, an intermediary, a role model, an arbitrator, or anything which might positively shape the future of the teen in question.  You might just intervene at the right time to save a teen from becoming at-risk.