The history of Western civilization provides evidence of cruel and negligent attitude towards children who frequently were treated as property, severely punished or even sold into servitude. Regardless of the remarkable progress of democracy, the problem of social support for youngsters remains undertreated in the United States. Demonizing children’s deviant behavior is the common strategy implemented to justify the draconian punitive measures.
While democracies worldwide have already given serious consideration to the protection of youth rights, the legislation of the United States still allows sending children under 18 to be imprisoned for a life sentence. It is important to understand the underlying causes of the youthful problem behavior for selecting the most effective solutions to the problem instead of punishing children who are the victims of the social order themselves. According to Peter Benson (1997), this approach can cause the bankruptcy of social capital (Brendto & Shabhazian 2004).
Coping with Conflict
Though conflict is a normal animal reaction to the occurrence of threats, people may have a distorted perception of danger and redefine insults as potential threats. The sharp anger as the reaction to any kind of assault is rooted deep in American culture and history. Being exposed to violence at home and school, modern children choose between the roles of victims and victimizers instead of learning how to coexist peacefully with other members of the community. Taking into account the fact that the children’s observable behavior is insufficient for concluding their inner life, it is necessary to understand the triggers and true motives of kids’ actions and avoid responding to their problem behavior with a threat which is a thinking error.
Pathways to Problems
As opposed to the tendencies of demonizing the children’s problem behavior, the youth trouble makers only try to defeat themselves. Traumas as painful feelings are recognized as the main triggers making children decide on coping or defeating behavior. Developing the sense of their self-identity and looking for their place in the community, children depend upon adults and need their positive responses and connection. Misunderstanding or neglecting children’s needs, adults can traumatize them and observe the troubling behavior which is the direct consequence of their errors. Love and limits are the kids’ primary needs. It is important to distinguish between behavioral and psychological control for teaching children responsibility and self-control paying proper respect to their emotional needs.
The Dance of Disturbance
According to Karl Menninger (1893-1990), healthy emotional adjustment requires living in harmony with oneself and others. So that to teach kids how to obtain that balance, adults need to achieve the goals of empathizing, compassion and encouragement. The response to children’s annoying behavior depends upon the adult’s private logic and has a significant impact on the kid’s following development. For this reason, enhancing the parents’ and educators’ awareness of the true causes of the troubling behavior in children is crucial for improving the current practices of responding to the kids’ troubling behavior. Recognizing the importance of empathy for understanding the children’s inner worlds is crucial for dealing with their behavior more constructively.
Relationship Beachheads
The goal of establishing trustful relationships and showing the depth of their love was defined as the major challenge for educators by Pestalozzi to a hundred years ago. The deficit of love as an unmet basic need in all children was recognized as a common cause of the troubling behavior by Anna Freud. A positive relationship with children is the necessary precondition of their regular development and effective interventions.
The traumatized children can develop sophisticated strategies aimed at blocking the adults’ attempts to help them which need to be distinguished by the adults to estimate not only the observed behavior but also the underlying inner processes which accompany it. The fight, flight and fool techniques used by children can explain how kids may attack the others because they are afraid of being hurt themselves (fight), avoid interpersonal contact not to be hurt (flight) and conceal their true feelings and emotions because they are afraid of being laughed at (fool). Distinguishing these strategies can be a challenge even for experienced educators, but the empathic skills can be helpful.
Cultivating Strengths
An interesting interpretation of the defiant children was provided by Maria Montessori who explained their troubling behavior as the courage and resistance to an unfair surrounding world. Unfortunately, not everyone can see the positive qualities of troubled children. The problem behavior should be viewed as an opportunity to structure the child’s personality for success, to boost his/her attention and affection, enhance their morale and motivation and coach them for competence. No matter how difficult it may be in certain situations, adults should look at the positive sides of the problem children and hope even for those who seem hopeless.
Crisis as Opportunity
Taking into account the strategies which children can implement for concealing their true emotions and avoiding contact with adults, it can be stated that connecting with problem kids can be difficult. However, crisis moments need to be perceived as opportunities for establishing rapport. Entangling themselves from anger is of paramount importance for adults who attempt to help children in conflicts. Their emotional management, including the monitoring of their feelings and avoiding personal assaults through children’s trouble behavior, can be offensive. The next step is creating favorable conditions for settling the conflict by allowing tine to cooling down and modeling a forgiving spirit. The crisis events can cause emotional conflict and reduce the person’s ability to cope with the problem. It is especially important to break the self-defeating patterns in the crisis periods for avoiding more serious traumas.
The Developmental Audit
The children’s trouble behavior should become a signal for the adults motivating them to analyze the preconditions of crisis, the main deficits, and ways for filling them and plan future development. In contrast to widely spread misconceptions that trouble children are irresponsible and immature, kids should be involved in their developmental planning. Constructing growth plans and discussing their needs and strengths is an effective intervention strategy that can help overcome self-defeating blocks and teaching kids to live in harmony with themselves and the others.
“The Courage to Trust”
The story of Allan represents a clear example of problem behavior as the result of family crises and adults’ thinking errors. Though it was the extreme case in which Dad as a domestic offender had some psychic disorder and needed professional help, the main message is that loving but not understanding is not enough for a child. Allan’s broken life is the result of a series of draconian punishments for his problem behavior which was only his response to the unfair world. However, the fact that Alan can monitor his emotions and their causes is a significant step forward in learning how to cope with crises.
Reference List
Brendto, L. & Shabhazian, M. (2004). Troubled children and youth: Turning problems into opportunities. Virginia, VA: Research Press.
Globally the views and popular notions about adolescents are by and large negatives in nature. Consider the US representative public opinion about its young people. When asked to caricature the characteristics of today’s youths, a majority of adults used undermining and negative terms such as “irresponsible,” “lazy,” and “disrespectful” (Public Agenda, 1999). In the late 1950s, adolescents were even identified as more disliked than Communists(Freidenberg,1959). Equally unflattering were the words most often thought of in relation to adolescent behavior. These included the use of phrases like wild behavior, sex, drugs, and violence (Bostrom, 2000). Less than half of the adults in the United States believe that the next generation of young people will make the country a better place (Public Agenda.1999).
Present-day opinion about young people is remarkably affected by theory and considerations involved in cultural dynamics. Conventional theoretical models on adolescent development are freely intermingled with the concepts and labeling of this period of youth milestone as being one of “storm and stress”.This phrase is frequently used to summarize all of the physical, emotional, and social changes that occur during adolescence (Santrock, 1993). Such socio-psychological frameworks have virtually determined the shape of professional orientation toward pathology in understanding adolescent development. Adolescence in American society has been comfortably ‘medicalized’ into a pathologic condition where adolescence itself is reckoned as a significant causal factor of problems (Hill & Dennis, 1992). This condition has reduced adolescence as a growth stage singly defined by its symptomatic ‘problems.’ However, despite popular perception, adolescence is not a state of pathology (Newcomb, 1996; Peel, 1990). Adolescence is actually a normal, socially defined, phase of life wherein behavior is rational and understandable (Lewinsohn et al, 1993).
Stereotypes, well defined but rigid, are based on broad generalizations and more often than do not accommodate individual realities; however the way they are used, stereotypes have uncanny ability to short shrift detailed analysis and as a result, they serve as powerful tools to form impressions images about a group of people-young people being the most significant ‘victims’. Stereotypes convey truncated images of youth characteristics and behaviors and, therefore, can only be an imperfect tool to understand youth behavior in any societal context. Any analysis which aims at being realistic and empathetic to young people needs to logically limit the use of stereotypes. Additionally, the analysis of the behavior patterns of youth is also plagued by several other complex stereotypes in regard to sexual orientation, religious orientation, race, ethnicity, gender, residential location(urban, suburban, and rural), and socioeconomic status. For instance biases in respect of various groups of youths can impact academic expectations and affect the educational opportunities thrown open to such youths. Which may, in turn, make them active in anti-social behavior. Similarly, stereotype biases about urban, suburban, and rural youths can lead policy-making concerning the anti-social behavior of such youths entirely astray. Another popular instance of bias is observed on account of gender differences; normally this affects adversely several opportunities which would have been otherwise available to girls e.g. educational, sports, employment, etc. This may also lead to the incidence of anti-social behavior amongst girls; for instance, tendencies to resort to prostitution for earning a living. Thus stereotypes of all categories are to be relied only upon for conceptual understanding of the group and group analysis of facts, particularly those that are at divergence with stereotypes, turn critical in any analysis. This paper examines the evolution of youth policy in relation to these stereotypes.
Youth Policy in the Present day
Changes in social trends are one of the triggers for an examination of the causes of policymaking in relation to youth in the present day. Adolescence is as much a social phenomenon as it is biological or psychological. As societies change, so does the definition of adolescence (Violato,1992). These include changes in family patterns, changes in education, changes in the normal experiences of young people and wider influences such as media and socio-economic influences but to name a few (Rutter et al, 2004). Accordingly, the youth policy undergoes changes.
Take the Anti-Social Behaviour policy of the government, for instance. The same has been informed of several theoretical considerations. It can be seen that major changes to family systems such as an increase in divorce rates have led to the rise of single-parent families and in turn the increase of anti-social behavior. More than ever young people are likely to experiment with illegal drugs, due to peer, media, and other influences. Calabrese (1987) states that youth alienation is a “… major problem of contemporary society, yet the problem is not taken seriously (p. 929).” In fact, alienation and isolation have become an anticipated process in adolescent development (Sprinthall & Collins,1984) and has been identified in studies as long as forty years ago(Colliers & Lawence,1951). Schorr (1988) lists the deleterious effects of disenfranchising adolescents by defining such interpretations and behavior as rotten outcomes, including high rates of adolescent violent crime, leaving school early, and teen pregnancy. Schorr’s rotten outcomes are abundantly reiterated while documenting the mental and physical health declines of adolescents in very many studies (Hechinger, 1992, Hurrelman & Losel, 1990) Social policy and more important all partnering forces need appropriate outlook to make their interventions more emphatic and target improvement of family life and the social environment and be responsive to adolescents so as to minimize rotten outcomes—as well as maximize the potential for this disfranchised, high-risk population.
Farrington, D.P. (1995) lists the strongest childhood predictors of delinquency as antisocial behavior, impulsivity, low IQ, poverty, and poor family management at ages 8-10, as well as having a delinquent sibling or a convicted parent. Gottfredson, M.R, & Hirschi, T. (1994) note three well-established research trends: 1) most problem behaviors tend to peak early in life, and then decline; 2) youth committing certain types of problem behaviors are much more likely to commit others; 3) and the stability of anti-social acts across the life-span. They write, “A valid theory of adolescent problem behaviors must see them for what they are – largely petty, typically not completed, usually of little lasting or substantial benefit to the actor, always jeopardizing long-term interests for the interests of the moment” (p. 43). Moffitt, T.E. (1993) explores two seemingly contradictory facts about antisocial behavior: 1) antisocial behavior seems fairly constant over the lifespan, and 2) adolescents are 10 times more likely to commit anti-social actions than any other point in the life-span. Patterson, G. R. (1996) summarizes past struggles to develop a theory capable of explaining delinquent and antisocial behavior. Challenges to developing a developmental model were presented, focusing on the concepts of stability and change. Those identified as having the highest risk for later antisocial behavior were temperamentally difficult infants raised by unskilled mothers. Esbensen, F., Huizinga, D., & Weihur, A. (1993) found that gang members were more likely to live in non-family arrangements and were more likely to feel that teachers’ perceptions of them were negative. Ray, Jeffery, C.(1998)reviews twenty-one recent works and compares their approaches, and identifies that the main issues are early identification of juvenile delinquents who go on to careers of serious violence, and interdisciplinary application of modern scientific knowledge to the problem of violence is needed as a corrective.
As the following website provides a summary bid’s eye view of the youth policies followed by the UK government as below:
“Labour’s second term in office has been arguably marked by an emphasis on putting into practice the recommendations emerging from work done by the Social Exclusion Unit in respect of young people. The report of the Policy Action Team on Young People, Policy Action Team (PAT) 12: Young People (2000) looked at how Government could improve better coordination of policies affecting children and young people and improve services for young people and how they could be developed to help prevent social exclusion. It recommended the setting up of a Youth Unit. The report showed that children and families at risk of running into severe difficulties can be identified early through known risk factors and that effective interventions can often improve their prospects. It argued for better local coordination in identifying the needs of young people and a shift of resources into prevention activities, both to help parents and children deal with problems before they become acute and to promote effective cross-cutting interventions for children and young people most at risk.
The main policy thrusts currently lie in:
Better co-ordination of policies affecting young people.
Further measures to widen access to post-16 education.
Targeting of those perceived to be at greatest risk of social exclusion through early interventions.
Management of anti-social behavior through families.
Greater focus on participation and active citizenship”(Youth,2007)
The above amply exhibits the fact that the government is delving into the root causes of the youth issues and trying to evolve a policy that is effective in actual solutions of youth problems so as to target their healthy civic participation in today’s UK. In concrete terms the objectives of youth policymaking can be reiterated in the words of the same website as below:
“The government’s aim is that by 2010, 50% of the population should enter higher education by the age of 30. There are many initiatives associated with this goal. For example, the Excellence Challenge is a 3-year program that aims to increase the number of young people from poorer backgrounds who apply for and enter higher education. There is now much more of a focus, in terms of education, on the ‘knowledge economy’ and a movement away from education as a one-size-fits-all structure. To this end there are targets about the level of attainment young people should reach (including individual pupil-level targeting), Learning Mentors whose role is to identify and support children needing additional help at school, and measures to encourage pupils to take greater control of their own learning, as ‘consumers’ of education. There are further developments towards the idea of graduation from secondary school at 18, based on the US model, but ensuring that all school graduates have some form of general or vocational qualification. A nationwide consultation on the 14-19 Curriculum Green Paper is nearing completion and will provide a means of achieving this (developing from Curriculum 2000 ). The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act, which came into force on 1 September, removes the previous exemption of education from the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act”.
The above government stance in youth policy making reveals that it is recognized that, self-determination is a core value of social work and consistent with the NASW Code of Ethics(Weick&Pope,1988). Self-determination demonstrates respect for the adolescent client and should be incorporated in intervention goals and processes. Inclusion of self-determination in practice would give responsibility to the adolescent to actively participate in the decision-making process and intervention outcomes (Bush & Gordon,1982).
Adolescents have long been thought of as incompetent and incapable as documented in medical texts as early as the 1840s and 1850s(Kett,1977). In contrast, the use of a strengths approach means recognizing that adolescent clients are competent (Maluccio,1981). Research on protective factors examines ways that adolescents with a history of psychopathology are capable of surviving in adverse environments. Rutter (1985) defines protective factors as, “… influences that modify, ameliorate, or alter a person’s response to some environmental hazard that predisposes to a maladaptive outcome” (p. 600). Adolescents have resilience, however, not enough is known about this aspect of the adolescent. Beardslee and Podorefosky (1988) have identified three qualities of resilient adolescents, (1.) self-understanding, (2.) commitment to relationships, and (3.) ability to think and act separately from parents. The government policy should reorient further to reflect the above nuances.
Works Cited
Public Agenda. (1999). Kids these days: What Americans really think about the next generation. Web.
Friedenberg, E. Z. (1959). The Vanishing Adolescent. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Bostrom, M. (2000). Teenhood: Understanding attitudes toward those transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Washington, DC: Frameworks Institute.
Santrock, J. (1993). Adolescents. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown & Benchmark.
Hill, R. F., & Dennis, F. J. (1992). Adolescence as a culture-bound syndrome. Social Science and Medicine, 35(1), 73-80.
Newcomb, M. D. (1996). Adolescence: Pathologizing a normal process. The Counseling Psychologist, 24(3), 482-490.
Peel, S. (1990). Diseasing of America. Boston, MA: Lexington Books.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Hops, H., Roberts, R. E., Seeley, J. R., & Andrews, J. A. (1993). Adolescent psychopathology: I. Prevalence and incidence of depression and other DSM-III-R disorders in high school students. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 133-144.
Violato, C. (1992). History of adolescence. In S. B. Friedman, M. Fisher, & S. K. Schonberg (Eds.), Comprehensive Adolescent Health Care (pp. 3-6). St. Louis, MO: Quality Medical Publishing, Inc.
Rutter, J., Giller, H., and Hagell, A. (2004). Antisocial Behavior By Young People. Cambridge University Press.
Calabrese, R. L. (1987). Adolescence: A growth period conducive to alienation. Adolescence, 22(88), 929-937.
Sprinthall, N. A., & Collins, W. A. (1984). Adolescent Psychology: A Developmental View. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishers.
Collier, R. M., & Lawrence, H. P. (1951). The adolescent feeling of social isolation. Education Theory, 1, 106-115.
Schorr, L. B. (1988). Within Our Reach: Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage. New York: Doubleday/Anchor Books.
Hechinger, F. M. (1992). Fateful Choices: Healthy Youth for the 21st Century. New York: Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Hurrelman, K., & Losel, F. (1990). Basic issues and problems of health in adolescence. In K. Hurrelman & F. Losel (Eds.), Health Hazards in Adolescence (pp. 1-24). New York: Walter de Gruyter.
Farrington, D.P. (1995). The Twelfth Jack Tizard Memorial Lecture: The development of offending and antisocial behavior from childhood: Key findings from the Cambridge study in delinquent development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 360, 929-964.
Gottfredson, M.R, & Hirschi, T. (1994). A general theory of adolescent problem behavior: Problems and prospects. In R.D. Ketterlinus & M.E. Lamb (Eds.) Adolescent problem behaviors: Issues and research. Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum.
Moffitt, T.E. (1993). Adolescence –limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674-701.
Patterson, G. R. (1996). Some characteristics of a developmental theory for early-onset delinquency. In M.F. Lenzenweger & J.J. Haugaard (Eds.) Frontiers of developmental psychopathology. New York: Oxford University Press.
Esbensen, F., Huizinga, D., & Weihur, A. (1993). Gang and non-gang youth: Differences in explanatory factors. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 9, 94-116.
Ray, Jeffery, C.(1998). Prevention of Juvenile Violence: A Critical Review of Current Scientific Strategies. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, v28 n1-2 p1-28.
Youth Policies in the UK:A Chronological Map.(2007). Web.
Weick, A., & Pope, L. (1988). Knowing what’s best: A new look at self-determination. Social Casework, 69(1), 10-16.
Bush, M., & Gordon, A. C. (1982). The case for involving children in child welfare decisions. Social Work, 27(4), 309-314.
Kett, J. F. (1977). Rites of Passage: Adolescence in America 1790 to the Present. New York: Basic Books, Inc.
Maluccio, A. N. (1981). Promoting competence in clients. New York: Free Press.
Rutter, M. (1985). Resilience in the face of adversity: Protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 598-611.
Beardslee, W. R., & Podorefsky, D. (1988). Resilient adolescents whose parents have serious affective and other psychiatric disorders: Importance of self-understanding and relationships. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145(1), 63-69.
When one considers the challenges and concerns of the various stages of human life, it can be argued that The Ramayana is more relevant to youth and the Beowulf is more relevant to maturity. Just like an industry or factory which processes a raw material into a finished product life is a process which begins from birth to adulthood. In life youth and maturity are some of the most interesting areas.
In a nut shell one cannot use two paragraphs nor can he fully comprehend the challenges experienced in ones youth. These challenges take a loin’s share of ones development. Since genesis youths have faced various challenges depending on the error in which they lived. The challenges they faced during the Stone Age period, differs from the challenges faced by youths in the 21st century. This is due to revolutions, inventions and advancements in the technology which have led to changes in lifestyles. Revolutions such as industrial revolution in the 17th and 18th century greatly transformed the world. This brought about changes which can be felt up to date in spite of more advancements and technology especially in information technology, infrastructure and health.
Discussion
We can see that youths have to cope with responsibilities. They should to be optimistic about their future and one has to maintain good relationship with his parents and other members of the community. The emotional responses and anxieties they display are most of the time prompted by situations they face in their lives. Some of the situations are uncontrollable and inexplicable. We can see that in The Ramayana, Rama faced a lot of problems he accepted to go with the sage where he was accompanied by his brother Lakshmana. They obeyed there father and they had vowed one day to destroy Ravana and his demons, but first they had to fight the she-demon, Tataka. They fought bravely since they wanted at the end of the battle to get back the peace they once enjoyed and most of all their lost land and property. In process of looking for the powerful Ravana they fought so many demons and Rama managed to kill the she-demon Tataka and Sage was delighted to see the efforts of Rama since he was determine to fight for his people.
Most of the youth try their best to work hard in their academic studies and everybody rejoices because of their hard work and at the end of it all they become academic heroes. We can see Rama as a hero in that he was respected by everybody in the community. He was seen as a perfect man to marry King Janaka adapted daughter Sita since he managed to show his strength and righteousness by lifting and stringing the ancient bow of Shiva. He proved he could do it in front of thousands of people who watched including several princes who didn’t manage to lift the bow before. The King declared Rama as the man to marry his daughter and a wedding ceremony was held in the Kings palace. Rama’s father Dasaratha wanted to make him a King since he felt he was becoming old. He had a lot of faith in him and he felt that he will lead the people of Ayodhya.
When most of the youths are developing they face a lot of physiological changes, during this period the only thing they think about is their friends whom they think that they can support them in which ever problem they face. They see their parents as enemies and they frequently bring a lot of shame and violence into the family. They change moods now and then causing a lot of drama in the family. They always feel that they are in control of everything and they behave in all sorts of manner. Peer influence has also made so many youth to engage in crime such as violence and robbery. Some engage in prostitution and drug abuse thinking that it’s a solution to their problems. Some end up getting unwanted pregnancies and the deadly disease AIDS. They mess their lives when they are young and growing up and trying to pick the pieces it becomes very difficult.
Most of this is cause by peer pressure. These problems are also brought about by changes in lifestyle, attending movies, discos, internet, literature, lack of proper guideline and counseling. It can also be caused by poverty, inflation and unemployment. Moreover, as a result of this the youth might end up in so many problems which will affect them for the rest of their lives. Some end up dying in the process, get life imprisonments, early parenthood and you find that they are not in a position to support themselves and some end up being school dropouts.
In the Beowulf we can see that he was seen as a great soldier and an even greater leader to his people. They respected him since he managed to kill Grendel. He became King of Heorot instead of becoming the king of his native Geat land in 1908 as a young warrior after King Hrothgar died. Hrothgar had promised to give half of this kingdom to any man who will defeat Grendel. Grendel didn’t for a single day try to touch the thrown of Hrothgar since the king was always protected by the powerful god. Grendel was so strong he made Hrothgar to leave Heorot together with his people. Beowulf was always kind to his people and he was always keen to win fame from his members of the community. He was fair-minded and also gracious and he managed to kill Grendel together with his mother.
Youths who portray their self in a mature way are always morally upright and enlightened. They have the right to fight for there fundamental rights for they are mature and they can be in a position to take care of themselves. According to the jurisdiction of the United States 14 year old cannot vote, obtain a driving license or buy alcohol. We can see again that if the same 14 year old happen to commit murder, in most of the states he could be tried as an adult. To the lawmakers they are finding it hard in deciding what age the privileges of adult membership in society should be extended to an individual. When you reach the age of adolescent stage you are mature enough to make your own decisions in your own capacity with full adult responsibility for criminal behavior.
Mature youth can engage in so many things, they can marry and have children leave their parents at their wish and leave in a different areas. Mature youth have to show maturity for they are fully grow and well developed. They have enough experience because of interacting with different people. Going to school and attending different colleges and professional institutions, meeting and socializing with different kinds of people from different races makes them grow and become better people in future. They became independent where they happen to join different Universities and different institution. They relay on themselves, work hard with devotion and determination in order to become better and respectable people in the society.
Youths who don’t perform well in whichever profession they undertake they mostly don’t end up well in future. They are seen as failures and most of the time they are not recognized by the members of the society. If they happen to prosper they becomes heroes and end up become important members of the society who are recognized not only in there countries but in the entire world. Having high standards of discipline makes one have the courage and faith in whatever he is doing. He feels confidence walking, talking and engaging in whichever activity or task he undertakes.
Mature youths who are well behaved make their parents proud. Parents feel free introducing them to the members of the society. They get a lot of support from their parents and they are likely to achieve a lot through the parents blessings. Rude and arrogant youth who look well developed and they don’t respect their parents they are most of the time surrounded by so many misfortunes. They don’t have anybody to cling to in times of problems. They are neglected and people view them as losers.
Responsible successful youth’s help not only their families but they also help a lot in the society building. We can see Beowulf fought bravely and selflessly and he managed to overcome the evils that opposed them. He forgave all of his enemies though he died in the process of trying to save his people. After his death he was buried in a barrow in Geatland by his retainers. Beowulf had a lot of respect and trust for the king; his soldiers vowed loyalty to him and joined hands together in order to win the battle.
Youth are also advised on strong and Christian virtues. If they become mature they are in a position to choose which religion they want to follow. Growing spiritually makes one strong; joining Christian youth groups’ makes youths even grow more and understanding what is happening in their daily lives. They are taught how to lives and how to cope with different situations after they arise. They build a strong faith and since they are mature enough they are able to make their own choice by choosing what is good and what is wrong. They are able to stay strong and avoid engaging in unnecessary violence.
It’s also very encouraging for the mother to treat all children equally; we can see that Kaikeyi one of the King Dasaratha’s wife she didn’t want Rama to take over the Kingship. She wanted her own son Bharata to take over the kingship since Rama was the stepson. We can also see that she convinced Dasaratha to banish his son from the kingdom for a period of less than 14 years. Rama respected his father very much; he was so obedience, good listener and followed what his father wanted. Lakshmana could not stay away from his brother and so he decided to follow him together with his wife Sita. Where they went in the forest and stayed in a place called Chitrakoot in the forest. People of Ayodhya loved Rama so much that they cried as they saw him leave the palace.
Youth are very vulnerable and easily irritated by small things. The way we handle them when they are still young is likely to determine their future. It’s advisable to correct them where we can, love them and show them that they are worth in the community. Discriminating children affect the child’s confidence, he feels he is not worth in the family and some end up committing suicide or running away from their maternal homes in order to look love and acceptance. Training them to love each other not going against each others wish, this will help them in sharing different perspectives’ in life.
Passing though different stage in human life is very challenging, the two myth story is a clear indication of how young youth go through in the process of growing up. It’s difficult but one has to persevere with whatever problem one faces and look for the best mechanisms. Listening to advises from your elders also help a lot in tackling problems. Youth have to be patient and understanding. They should avoid characters that can mislead them in doing things that are not pleasing in the society, especially interacting with friends who engage in cruel deeds such as, stealing from other people, lying and not respecting the elders. Being kind, honesty and at least being there for your friends in times of need will make you a person of integrity and your reputation will be highly recognized in the society. Seeing that Lakshmana could not leave Rama in times of problems teaches us a lot. He gave his time and they struggled together and they finally conquered the battle. Vibhishana who was Ravana’s brother could not tolerate his brother’s evil deeds so he decided to follow Rama in order to set the people free.
Conclusion
It’s always good to teach youths to be optimistic in whatever they do, they should not give up, and by attending workshops and youth seminars they will be in a better position of growing spiritually and thinking positively about life. Building their foundation spiritually from the time they are young will help them grow loving and accepting everybody in the society.
References
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Donna Rosenberg, World Mythology. An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics, 1994.
The behavior of school-going children is determined by the efforts that parents and caregivers put to ensure that all activities that the kids engage in are checked. In the recent past, truancy among school-going children has increased tremendously, with statistics indicating a sharp growth in the number of school dropouts. Truancy is caused by several factors, which include poverty, drug and substance abuse, bullying, stress, and constant failures among others (Dahl, 2016).
Besides, it predisposes students to the risk of drug and substance abuse, which may negatively affect their health and/or reduce their chances of becoming employed in the future. Unemployment among school leavers is a major threat to the national security since jobless individuals tend to engage in criminal activities to satisfy their economic needs (Reid, 2013). However, as the paper highlights, parents, teachers, and caregivers need to be supported effectively in their role of addressing these issues in terms of availing the required love, recognition, admiration, and supervision to all school-going kids.
Rationale for Review Strategies
The review strategies used in this paper are the following: thematic review and evaluative review. The thematic review implies that it is focused on a specific theme chosen for the paper, i.e. the needs of parents or caregivers of children who demonstrate the truant behavior. This strategy was chosen as appropriate because it allows the researcher focus on a particular topic, whereas the chronological order of the reviewed literature remains less important than the topic itself.
The evaluative review is a strategy that focuses on the information presented in the paper, but it does not merely state the facts. Instead, the evaluative review aims to explore the literature, provide information about the studies and their findings (including participants and procedures), analyze the discovered literature, and provide a conclusion based on the results of the reviewed studies. Such a strategy helps the researcher explore the issue more deeply, compare how different studies addressed and resolved the issue, and formulate a summarized conclusion based on the studies’ findings.
Literature Review
Overview of Truancy and Parents’ Position on the Subject
According to Reid and Morgan (2012), the number of unemployed persons has grown tremendously in almost every country around the globe. Consequently, employers are recruiting new candidates based on merit where the best-qualified persons are the only ones who find their way to the available decent jobs. Truancy leads to poor performance and subsequent dropping out from school, a situation that increases the level of unemployment (Reid & Morgan, 2012).
Research by Reid and Morgan (2012) indicates that parents of truant students tend to suffer from stress, which may predispose them to the risk of other diseases such as cardiac disorders. The participants of the study were head teachers and staff from primary schools in “the City and County of Cardiff, Torfaen, Hereford and Derby, Nant Celyn Primary and the Ysgol Plasmawr Cluster” (Reid & Morgan, 2012, p. 3).
The procedures used by the authors to conduct the study were observations, literature review, analysis of methodologies used in schools, and experiments. The research indicated that specific strategies of behavior management (values-based education, SEAL approach, multidisciplinary approaches, etc.) could be used to improve students’ behavior (Reid & Morgan, 2012). The recommendations were to implement the values-based education to teach students how place values at the core of their lives and avoid low-quality personal relationships.
Additionally, truancy may increase poverty since an aging parent in the traditional family structure expects support from his or her children. Therefore, failure by the prospective caregiver to secure a job is a major blow to the welfare of the parents and community at large.
Galloway (2014) defines truancy as the deliberate non-attendance of class by a student without giving any reasonable cause for such absenteeism. Generally, truancy is expected to reduce or even cease if it is followed by interventions from parents/caregivers, schools, or courts. However, at times the practice continues, and this situation underscores the need to devise other strategies to deal with the vice, for instance, by examining the needs of parents/caregivers who have to interact with truant kids on a daily basis.
For example, according to Nauer (2016), chronic absenteeism, which refers to the unexcused missing of class by a student, may have its roots on the parents/caregivers who lack the necessary support (financial or physical) to deal with their truant kids. A low aged student is perceived as having little or no ability to make independent decisions without the parent’s approval. Therefore, as Nauer (2016) reveals, absenteeism cannot be classified as intentional since the concerned student cannot intentionally fail to attend classes unless he or she lacks the necessary support from parents/caregivers.
While Galloway (2014) provides a review of the information on absenteeism collected from various articles and reports of national, state, and local levels, Nauer (2016) describes the research conducted in P.S. 48 Wordsworth in Queens, New York, NY. Galloway (2014) suggests clinical treatment and legal/administrative sanctions, as well as preventive action, as possible solutions. Nauer (2016) points out that the staff, the principle, and the community are capable of improving the situation if taught and trained efficiently. As it can be seen, Galloway (2014) recommends legal and clinical interventions, whereas Nauer (2016) recommends paying more attention to parent-community-child relations.
The Place of Parents/Caregivers in Influencing the Causes of Truancy
According to Markström (2013), the causes of truancy vary based on the student’s age and the general environment, implying the need to examine the parent/caregiver’s influence on a child’s non-attendance conduct. Markström (2013) conducted 52 interviews with 12-13 years old students and a qualitative research based on these interviews. The results show that the causes of truancy may be broadly classified as family factors, school factors, economic factors, and Student factors. Kim and Page (2012) explore the familial bonds that influence students’ school attendance with specific reference to the following factors: lack of supervision, poverty, and alcohol or drug abuse.
The authors used a multi-informant approach and recruited 74 elementary-school students with absenteeism issues (Kim & Page, 2012). The study stated that child-parent attachment was specifically important for the possible prevention or development of absenteeism. The authors recommend focusing the intervention programs on students’ emotion regulation capabilities and child-parent bond.
Traditionally, women had the opportunity to track their children’s school attendance. As such, they would easily detect any absenteeism before it turned chronic (Markström, 2013). However, due to the high cost of living and development of career opportunities, women focus on building a career, hence limiting the amount of time they spend with their children. Confirming the above claim, Staunæs and Pors (2015) assert that children are less supervised, and this situation motivates them to become truant. Besides, since parents are not aware of such truancy, they are unable to mitigate the vice.
Other than the lack of supervision, Staunæs and Pors (2015) cite poverty among parents/caregivers as one of the factors that contribute to truancy among students. In some countries, especially the developing ones, parents live in abject poverty. According to Staunæs and Pors (2015), caregivers and parents who live below the poverty threshold may not raise the money, hence causing their children to miss classes.
Combining the affective and frictional methodology, the authors examine the problem of absenteeism from a new standpoint (Staunæs & Pors, 2015). The researchers also engage literature review, but there are no participants in the study since no experiment was conducted (Staunæs & Pors, 2015). Research by Staunæs and Pors (2015) indicates that children whose parents abuse alcohol and other substances have high chances of missing classes. The situation, which is attributed to the fact that such children face abuse from the parents, may lead to the development of negative attitude toward schooling. The recommendation is to use this combination of methodologies in future studies on truant behavior.
In addition to the familial factors, Kim and Page (2012) explore the school-based factors that contribute to truancy among learners with reference to teachers and students’ attitudes, inflexibility toward meeting different learning styles, and parents’ inconsistent procedures for dealing with chronic truancy. Teachers, students, and staff largely influence the students’ attitude toward attending school. If either students or teachers show hatred to one another, they will tend to develop a negative mindset toward schooling, a situation that may lead to truancy and consequently an added burden to parents/caregivers. Teachers and parents must be aware of how to interact with children to motivate them to remain in school.
Recent research by Bodén (2016) has also established a link between stress (among parents and children) and truancy, which is greatly attributed to unfavorable relationships between students, parents, and teachers. In her study, Bodén (2016) uses literature review, observations, and systematic reviews to explore the issue of absenteeism in the posthumanist society. Bodén (2016) who attributes stress to the fear of failure argues that such pressure may precipitate truancy in the end.
Generally, students are under pressure from parents and teachers to pass their exams in order to continue with their studies, hence increasing the fear of failure. Such apprehension of disappointment often leads to “test anxiety”, a condition that presents itself in the form of overexcitement before, during, and after exams (Bodén, 2016). Stress emanating from the fear of failure may be avoided by preparing well for the exams before the examination day. Good preparation in this context should entail serious studies, weeks or months prior to the day of the exams, and hence constant parental attention and guidance to the learner. Bodén concludes that small factors such as technology, complicated schedules, multiplying learning materials, and others all lead to growing absenteeism and need to be considered.
Stenliden (2014) found that adequate information regarding exams could help reduce test anxiety and the fear of failure. Most scholars have settled on the listed exam preparation practices to avert stress among students and consequently parents at all academic levels. Stenliden (2014) used systematic review that included more than one hundred studies, books, articles, and researches related to the explored issue.
Markström (2013) explores the student-based factors that are linked to truancy with reference to poor study habits, poor preparation for exams, and drug and alcohol abuse. In this context, poor study habits refer to the failure of the student to adopt the right learning behaviors. For example, students’ postponement of assignments leads to work overload and inability to complete tasks within the stipulated timeframes.
Many learners at all levels of education often spend much of their time in extracurricular activities while forgetting about the schoolwork. Parents have a role to play in advising their children to balance between extracurricular activities and studies. Given that most institutions require students to submit assignments within specified deadlines, such learners have a limited time to complete the tasks.
Consequently, they have to work under strict time frames to ensure that the assignments are submitted on time. Most institutions often punish students for late submission of assignments, a situation, which may cause learners to skip classes for fear of such castigation. In the light of this argument, Sherman (2012) reveals how learners can avoid truancy by completing their schoolwork perfectly and in time, firstly by heeding to parents’ guidelines concerning study habits at home and secondly by splitting the assignments into several sections and deadlines. The strategy ensures that students do not fail during exams because of the lack of a balance between studies and other activities (Sherman, 2012).
According to Markström (2013), the traditional methods for dealing with truancy involved informing parents about student’s failure to attend classes. This strategy holds even today, where parents are invited to the school to discuss the issue of truancy. Markström (2013) observes the family support as the heart of fighting truancy since parents are in direct contact with their children most of the times. Therefore, they are in a position to influence their behavior.
Chen, Culhane, Metraux, Park, and Venable (2016) allude that much of the stress that students experience emanates from family issues. Chen et al. (2016) conducted a longitudinal study that included approximately 58.000 students from 7th through 9th grade. According to them, the stress is mostly associated with financial discrepancies among parents (Chen et al., 2016). The recommendations of the authors are to be attentive to students’ individual characteristics and the social context they face every day (Chen et al., 2016).
If only relatives offered the relevant material and non-material support to learners to evade such conditions, stress would be alleviated. However, some students may experience learning difficulties associated with addiction, which may affect not only their studies but also their overall performances in the short run.
In such cases, Sherman (2012) recommends medical intervention in which a student needs to visit a psychologist for the necessary therapeutic treatment. Some of the therapies available for such students include counseling where parents have to be fully involved since the treatment targets changing students’ undesirable behaviors. Sherman (2012) used Check and Connect Intervention as the case study for her research; literature review was also included. The study’s findings indicated that teachers had the greatest impact on students’ attendance (Sherman, 2012).
The Role of Parents/Caregivers in Curbing Truancy
McConnell and Kubina (2014) argue that truancy could be avoided through encouraging students to prepare well prior to the examination period. In the study, the authors examine a variety of literature using Educational Resources Information Center, Journal Storage, and others (McConnell & Kubina, 2014). The large sample size consists of all the sample sizes from the books and journals reviewed in the study.
To mitigate truancy associated with test anxiety, McConnell and Kubina (2014) assert that parents and teachers need to help their students to prepare well for exams. On the one hand, parents need to offer favorable studying environment at home and avoid overworking their children. This strategy gives learners ample time to prepare for their exams. On the other hand, parents should provide their children with the relevant material and non-material support to facilitate their preparation for exams.
Such support could include availing the relevant study materials and offering physical and mental support. Research indicates that students who get enough support from their parents tend to perform better than those who do not have access to such backup (Galloway, 2014). Hence, parents and caregivers need to adequately support their children to fight truancy. Other than parental support, teachers who act as caregivers to some extent also need to support their students when preparing for exams. Teachers need to understand the learning techniques for each student to develop a curriculum that best fits the entire class.
The apprehension of poor performance is one of the leading causes of test anxiety. Hence, its absence will lead to confidence on the part of the student, thus reducing anxiety. Other than preparing well for the exams, scholars in the field also notice that good health practices may help to avert stress among college students. Stenliden (2014) argues that poor health among the freshman students may present psychological problems, which may lead to poor performance in exams. Some of the healthy practices that researchers such as Stenliden (2014) among others have settled on include proper nourishment, good sleeping habits, and regular physical exercise. Medically, proper nourishment entails consuming foods rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins in each meal. Besides, learners should engage in social events at schools where they interact with one another as a way of relieving tension.
According to Gase, DeFosset, Perry, and Kuo (2016), truancy may be avoided by integrating technology into learning. Digital games and educational toys have specifically been attributed to enhanced performance among students against the backdrop of the increased embracement of technology. Gase et al. (2016) used a qualitative descriptive approach to conduct and analyze 39 interviews with students from South and East Los Angeles.
The authors recommended modifying the school environment, improving school response to truancy, and engaging parents to address the problem (Gase et al., 2016). Galloway (2014) argues that the educational value of a toy depends on the stage of development of the child and that toys should be designed in a way that they align with the child’s developmental needs. Still, toys for grown kids may not be helpful to small children who are in their early developmental stages.
For a toy to achieve the educational objective it is designed to accomplish, it must be aligned with the age of the child. As stated earlier in this paper, a toy should be easy for the child to use. Hence, the child’s developmental stage should be considered when designing the toy. In the case of a learner who is joining the elementary educational level, refined features should be included in the play items to aid in the improvement of additional expertise. For example, interlocking manipulative toys such as the Lego or the puzzles have additional features that challenge the children to improve hand-eye coordination, patience, and the understanding of the spatial relationships (Sherman, 2012).
Despite the reluctance or fear of many teachers to incorporate holistic education into their teaching practice, as some may not believe in its effectiveness, compelling evidence exists that education that captures the students’ psychological and social factors is, at the very least, as effective as traditional teaching methods (Stenliden, 2014). A recent study conducted by McConnell and Kubina (2014) indicates that the level of enthusiasm for learning among grade five students who were exposed to holistic teaching style is significantly higher compared to learners in classes that were taught exclusively by the traditional methods. Therefore, embodying wholeness in classrooms will not only improve students’ academic performance but also help them to meet their individual needs, hence making them better prepared for life in the “real world”.
In line with Reid’s (2013) view, many educators believe that “teaching embodies far more than the technical; teaching requires contemplation and the imagination, caring and empathy, thoughtfulness, discernment, and cognition and emotion” (p. 12). On the contrary, the contemporary preparation programs focus merely on professional competencies, skills, and techniques that teachers require to adequately prepare students for the global economy.
Holistic education indeed is a new concept for teachers, parents/caregivers, and students. Integrating holistic paradigm into education will enable teachers “to see their practice as multi-faceted and arrive at insights born out of their own experience” (Muula, Rudatsikira, Babaniyi, Songolo, & Siziya, 2012, p. 112).
Therefore, the strategy will empower them to bring their holistic understanding into their classroom practices, hence relieving parents of the burden of having to deal with the stress of truancy and poor or underperformance of their kids. In the research conducted by Muula et al. (2012), 2257 pupils took part in the survey. The authors used SPSS software to analyze the results collected in 2004 during the global school-based health survey. The study found that unsupervised time with peers that resulted in harmful behavior was related to truancy (Muula et al., 2012). The authors recommended paying more attention to the relationships between students and their supervisors/parents (Muula et al., 2012).
Reid (2013) asserts that schools should work closely with parents and guardians to completely extirpate truancy. Most parents are unaware of such laws, including the consequences of truancy on the child and the society. Reid (2013) used literature review, case studies, observations, questionnaires, and experiments in the study to explore the causes of absenteeism. The sample sizes were mostly from schools in Wales and England. The study findings showed that absenteeism was tightly linked to poor parenting skills, low socio-economic status, poor teaching, and negative teacher-student relationships (Reid, 2013).
Reid (2013) recommendations are the following: the community needs to be enlightened on the same issue to ensure that they play a role in eradicating the vice. School administrators also need to understand the affected students’ familial relationships to devise effective strategies to mitigate truancy. Parents who work around the clock have less time to spend with their children. Such parents need counseling to help them understand the importance of taking good care of their children in preventing truancy.
Conclusion
Truancy refers to an unexcused intentional failure by a student to attend classes. Such absenteeism is attributed to several issues that fall under the purview of economic, school, personal, and familial factors. As the literature review reveals, detachment with parents, the lack of supervision, and addiction among parents are the major causes of truancy. From the findings of the review, truancy may be regulated by informing parents about the problem and collectively developing strategies to mitigate the vice. Teachers and caregivers need to be equally enlightened about the importance of adopting holistic methods of instruction to avert the fear of failure among students and reduce truancy rates. Additionally, parents need to be educated about the importance of fighting truancy by tracking their children’s school attendance.
References
Bodén, L. (2016). Present absences: Exploring the posthumanist entanglements of school absenteeism. Linköping, Sweden: Linköping University Electronic Press.
Chen, C., Culhane, D., Metraux, S., Park, J., & Venable, J. (2016). The heterogeneity of truancy among urban middle school students: A latent class growth analysis. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 25(4), 1066-1075.
Dahl, P. (2016). Factors associated with truancy: Emerging adults’ recollections of skipping school. Journal of Adolescent Research, 31(1), 119-138.
Galloway, D. (2014). Schools & persistent absentees. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Gase, L. N., DeFosset, A., Perry, R., & Kuo, T. (2016). Youths’ perspectives on the reasons underlying school truancy and opportunities to improve school attendance. The Qualitative Report, 21(2), 299-320.
Kim, H., & Page, T. (2012). Emotional bonds with parents, emotion regulation, and school-related behavior problems among elementary school truants. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 22(1), 869-878.
Markström, A. M. (2013). Children’s perspectives on the relations between home and school. International Journal about Parents in Education, 7(1), 43-56.
McConnell, B. M., & Kubina, R. M. (2014). Connecting with families to improve students’ school attendance: A review of the literature. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 58(4), 249-256.
Muula, A. S., Rudatsikira, E., Babaniyi, O., Songolo, P., & Siziya, S. (2012). Prevalence and correlates for school truancy among pupils in grades 7-10: Results from the 2004 Zambia global school-based health survey. BMC Research Notes, 5(48), 1-5.
Reid, K. (2013). Managing school attendance: Successful intervention strategies for reducing truancy. London, England: Routledge.
Reid, K., & Morgan, N. S. (2012). Tackling behavior in your primary school: A practical handbook for teachers. London, England: Routledge.
Sherman, K. M. (2012). Participant perceptions of the check and connect truancy intervention: A case study. Chester, PA: Widener University.
Staunæs, D., & Pors, J. G. (2015). Thinking educational policy and management through (frictional) concepts of affects. Abingdon, England: Routledge.
Stenliden, L. (2014). Visual storytelling interacting in school: Learning conditions in the social science classroom. Linköping, Sweden: Linköping University Electronic Press.
For one to be of optimal use in their profession, they must have professional skills as well as values which will assist in making the individual adept in their work. At the very basic level, a professional is someone who has undergone specialized training for a certain vocation. However, a professional is not solely defined by this attribute but also by his possession of certain values that are not only desirable but may be mandatory for a particular profession. Values can be defined as what a person judges to be of importance or worth in their lives. These values “color our human reality with new ways of understanding” (Zeni, 1997). As such, they assist us in carrying out our plans and at times dictate the path that we will take.
Values are especially significant in child care since this profession calls for a person who is self-aware and is able to inspire the young person through his/her own values. For this reason, possessing of certain values is not only desirable in child care but it may be mandatory for one to be successful in helping the young people. This paper shall set out to give a detailed discussion on three values that are of great significance to me so as to document their relevance in making me an effective counselor. The paper shall begin by defining this values as well as describing how I came to acquire the values. The manner in which these values will impact my career by helping me work with the youths will also be discussed. Owing to the fact that child care involves working with other professionals, I shall also discuss how my values will impact by interaction with other professions. All this will result in highlighting the fact that my values are indispensible to making me an adept counselor.
My Values
Zeni (1997) declares that values are “the brushstrokes which give a meaning to our lives.” As such, having values is an issue of great importance since without them, our lives become somewhat meaningless and we can therefore not live optimally. In my life, the three values that are of most significance to me are: respect, positive attitude, and patience. According to me, respect entails treating everyone with dignity at all times no matter their race, economic status or creed. This means that I am not to discriminate or have a judgmental attitude towards others when dealing with them regardless of their situation. Fulchre and Ainsworth (2006) note that being respectful does not stop at being non-judgmental but also extends to having respect for individual differences which are bound to exist. One is therefore supposed to be accommodative of people with differing opinions to their won. Respect inevitably results in my building trust in other people and maintaining the same on a mutual basis.
The second value, positive attitude to me means always being optimistic and maintaining the belief that a positive change will occur. A positive attitude may help to promote the self worthiness in a person. Possessing a positive attitude results in the likelihood of one imputing more effort in a task and therefore increases its probability to succeed. Positive attitudes also results in self-belief which may make one strive to achieve goals that they would have deemed as impossible without a positive attitude. In addition to this, a positive attitude brings about enthusiasm when one is undertaking a certain task. Undoubtedly, there is a higher likelihood of one accomplishing their desired goals when they are enthusiastic about it as opposed to when they lack the passion for what they are doing.
The third value that has special significance in my life is patience. Patience is the ability to wait steadfastly without losing hope for a particular outcome. To me, this value demands that I take my time and not expect everything to work out instantly. Patience means knowing that it may take a lot of time for the desirable results to occur and one can only see the favorable results if they take the time to wait for it to happen. The importance of this value when working in child care cannot be understated. DuBois & Karcher (2005) credit patience as being the single most important value in the creation of solid relationships between people. It is only through a lot of patience and perseverance that the favorable positive changes that I may wish to seen in my clients can occur.
How I Developed my Values
While some values are innate to all humans, some values are acquires as a result of our socialization (Zeni, 1997). These three values that are of importance to me fall under the category of values that I acquired as a result of my socialization. My acquisition and subsequent reverence for respect is mostly a factor of my upbringing. When I was young, my family was a middle class family and as such, we could afford a fairly comfortable life compared to other people in our neighborhood. Naturally, I socialized more with the people whom I felt were of the same socio-economic class as myself and at times, this resulted in my being judgmental to the people I saw as coming from a lower social class.
On the other hand, my parents had a different take on life; they treated everyone in the neighborhood as equals and did not at any one time view themselves as being superior to anyone else. I observed that as a result of this indiscriminate treatment of others, my parents were not only appreciated by others but they were trusted by all and had many friends. They also had many people who confided in them and sought advice from them. I on the other hand was shunned and hardly had any friends as a result of my “superiority complex” and disrespectful treatment of others. No one shared any secrets with me and I was mostly on my own. These incidents in my childhood years taught me the valuable lesson that respect to others is worth more than being disrespectful. I therefore made a conscious effort to be respectful to all the people regardless of their race, creed or economic status. The outcome for this decision was positive and with time, people started trusting me and treating me as a friend.
My second value is having a positive attitude. As human beings, we are predisposed to think the worse of situations and always view the glass as “half-empty” instead of half full. As such, it is always easier to give up on a task before one has even attempted it. In my life, I have been lucky to have had an upbringing that instilled in me the value of positive attitude at a very early age. My father always had a “you can do it” attitude and he positively reinforced this notion in me. He always insisted that I could do something even when I had serious self doubt in my ability. While I can genuinely admit that this positive attitude did not always result in novel results, it is as a result of this positive attitude that my family had concerning me that made me strive to achieve things that I would otherwise never have dared to try. These experiences inculcated in me the fact that while having a positive attitude may not always result in the desired outcome, it goes a long way in making the outcome a reality. I therefore go thorough my life with a positive attitude and make a conscious effort to stay positive when it is tempting to be negative or give up.
Exercising of patience is my third virtue and I must admit that this has been one of the hardest values for me to acquire. While some people are naturally patient, I happen to be more inclined to doing things as soon as I can and not procrastinating. I can still recall as a young person viewing waiting as a waste of time that one could have been using doing something of value. A scenario that made me realize that my impatience could be detrimental to my life was when I got a job as a tutor just before I joined high school. While I was a very capable tutor given my age and knowledge restriction, I found it especially hard to tutor students who were slow.
As a result of my impatience, I found repeating the same set of facts without results as being especially frustrating. On discussing my predicament with a close friend of mine, they revealed to me that patience is about realizing that attaining some things takes a lot of effort and time. Without either of these components, my friend confided that I would be doomed to a life of frustrations and little success. With such negative prospects in my sights if I continued on the path of impatience, I decided to make a change and try and exercise patience at all times. While it has not been an easy undertaking, I must say that the benefits of being patient have been immense in my life and I thing that they are worth the sacrifices I have had to make to become a more patient person.
How My Values will Impact my Work with Youths
It is my earnest belief that my values will be of monumental impact in my work with the youth as a child care professional. This is because each of these values will not only enhance my counseling abilities but also positively help the youths whom I’ll be dealing with. The value of respect will be of great significance in assisting the youths who will consist of people who are at risk or who are already emotionally and behaviorally troubled (Zeni, 1997). Treating such individuals with respect will send out the signal that I am not judging them for any wrong they might have done in their past or for their current situation. Affording people respect means that you treat them with sincerity. Respect will also dictate that when the young person is talking, I treat his issue with the seriousness it deserves just as I would if I were being spoken to by a peer or another adult. Respecting what the youth is saying will entail looking at them while they are speaking, not interrupting their talk and generally being an active listener. Peterson, Baker and Weiseth (1997) confirm that good relationships are build on open communication and mutual respects that grows out of caring enough to share sensitive information. Respect will therefore result in a building of trust which will make the youths more open and susceptible to the help that I as a counselor may offer them.
As a result of their histories which are mostly marred with trouble and a lot of negativity, it is plausible that most of the clients that I will deal with as a child care professional will have a low self esteem and a generally negative outlook on life. This being the case, my value of positive attitude will be of great use to them. While it is true that I cannot impose my values of positive attitude on my clients, I can by use of my positive attitude expect favorable results from them. In addition to this, most youth are highly impressionable and it is very likely that my positive attitude will rub off on them. This will be very desirable since a positive attitude in the youth will result in them having higher expectations of themselves. Peterson, Baker and Weiseth (1997) assert that creating and maintaining a positive “I-can-do-it” attitude in the youth will result in the youth being motivated and hence achieve better results. A positive attitude will also result in an improvement in the likelihood of success of my counseling efforts since the client will hope for the good and will therefore work towards achieving the positive goals that we will have agreed on during our sessions.
Patience is arguably the most important value when dealing with troubled youths. I therefore feel that this value will greatly assist my efforts as a counselor. Patience dictates that I invest a lot of hours to helping a client and hope that they will respond positively to my effort. As a counselor, I can only be effective if I learn how to take things at the pace of the client. Without patience, I am bound to be of little use to the clients despite my intentions to be of maximum use to them. Dubois and Karcher (2005) reveal that counselors who try to develop their relationships with troubled youths by pressing the youth to disclose personal information or to discuss difficult issues in their lives are often met with resistance. A lack of patience would result in me as a counselor being stonewalled by my clients. This would be negative for both my client and also for me. For the youth, he/she would not receive the help that I could provide as a result of my impatience. On the other hand, I would also doubt my abilities as a counselor since I would not have any successes without patience. Patience would also important when I am trying to encourage a certain positive behavior in the youth. This is because behavioral changes and mastering new skills takes a lot of time (Peterson, Baker & Weiseth, 1997). Patience is therefore a very necessary value for me as a counselor if I am to be of use to the youths.
How my Values will Impact other Professionals
Child care professionals involve working in an interdisciplinary collaborative environment. This is because child care professions must liaison with other professions such as social workers, teachers, juvenile court personnel and policemen to name but a few. Respect will dictate that I not only treat the other professionals with respect but also foster a good relationship based on cooperation and the mutual desire to assist the youth in question. With this respect, it can be expected that the youth in my care will have the best care as a result of the unified goal by the other professionals and me to assist him.
Some of the other professionals dealing with my client may have given up on the client in question and it may be up to the child care professional (in this case me) to assure them that there is still hope. Thompson (2002) asserts that the care giver can validate their own effectiveness by having a positive attitude about the children they are working with and their families. By maintaining a positive attitude, I can influence the other professionals involved in the case to be positive and expect favorable outcome from the child in question. Some professions may take a negative and pessimistic attitude as just being “realistic” possibly as a result of their many unfruitful encounters with other children who were in the same situation as the client I may be handling. If I lack the positive attitude and hence cannot visualize the child as being redeemable, odds are that the child will be doomed to a devastating future.
When working with other people, things may not go at the pace at which I want. There may be bureaucracies to be dealt with which may result in delays. Without patience, I may end up being frustrated by the other professions I am working with therefore leading in degenerative relationships between up. This will negatively impact on my work since the other professionals may refuse to give me the necessary support that I need. My valued or patience will result in me being more accommodative and therefore fostering good and productive relationships for the good of my client. We at times acquire values from the people around us. It is therefore possible that as a result of my patience with the youth, the other professionals dealing with the youth, for instance the social workers may also be more patient with the youth therefore yielding positive results. As such my values will enhance the services provided to the youth by not only me but also other professionals.
Conclusion
This paper set out to give a detailed discussion on three values that are of great significance to me and which will be of great importance in my role as a counselor. To this end, this paper has discussed the three values; respect, positive attitude and patience. The significance of these values especially in the child care setting has been articulated and it has been seen how greatly these values would increase my effectiveness as a counselor. This paper has highlighted the fact that without this values, my ability to work effectively as a counselor would be greatly inhibited. As such, the discussions herein overwhelming support that my values will result in me being a better counselor by making me more helpful to the youth I will be assisting.
In addition to this, it has been shown that the three values would enhance my relations with other professions with whom I will interact in my work. This is especially significant since working in child care will require that I constantly interact with other professionals. These personal values will have a positive impact in my counseling endeavors which is desirable for me to make the significant impact in the lives of my clients. By combining the necessary counseling skills that I have gained in class with this values that I have acquired at various stages in my life, it can be expected that I will be a very effective counselor, offering optimal assistance to the youths with whom I will be dealing with.
References
DuBois, L. D. & Karcher, J. M. (2005). Handbook of Youth Mentoring. Sage.
Fulcher, C. L. & Ainsworth, F. (2006). Group Care Practice with Children and Young People Revisited. NY: Routledge.
Peterson, W. R., Baker, A. G. & Weiseth, A. M. (1997). Caring for Youth in Shelters: Effective Strategies for Professional Caregivers. Boys Town Press.
Thompson, R. (2002). School Counseling: Best Practices for Working in the Schools. Psychology Press.
Zeni, T. (1997). From a Workshop on Child Care Worker’s Day. NACCW.
Risky sexual behaviors are all activities that increases an individual’s risk of getting sexually transmitted infection (STIs), misuse of contraceptives, and unplanned pregnancy. Young people are at an increased risk of engaging in reckless intimacy which they regrate later in life. The main causes of such mannerism include the nature of youth as being strong and wanting to explore more on their sexuality, use and abuse of drugs, peer pressure, and other behaviors such as frequent clubbing and partying (Crooks et al., 2020). The primary influences of the risky sexual behaviors include the changing culture reflected in the media sensuality.
Although there is plenty of studies that have been done on risky sexual behavior there is paucity of knowledge that explains effective ways of protecting the young people from negative repercussions of sex. In the United States 45% and 55% of sexually active girls and boys of ages 14 to 19 years report having multiple partners (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2021). Most young people are also less likely to remember using condoms especially when they are under the influence of drugs. The consequences of such behavior are high number of STIs and teen pregnancy as indicated in figure 1. In Mexico, 19.2% of young people have been initiated to sex of which only 58% of young men and 42% of women feel satisfaction (Casique, 2020). Moreover, risky sexual behavior is costly to the individuals and taxpayers. For instance, a person on antiretroviral drugs consumes at least $1,800 during their lifetime. The nation also losses productive people due to time wasted time and death of young people
Figure 1: Consequences of Risky Sexual Behavior
Advance Practice Roles and Management Strategies for Change
The two best strategies to effect change at the community level is through media and policy. Notably, the internet and other mass entertainment has a significant role in exposing young people to pornography and other inappropriate sensual behaviors (Crooks et al., 2020). Yet, it is also a powerful tool in changing the lives of people through showing the dangers of risky sexual behaviors. Regarding advance practice roles and management, it is vital to transform the community through federal policy and systems. For instance, money should be allocated for sex education workshops for young people to influence their change. Moreover, the rules for controlling media consumption among young people such as the parental advisory should be implemented.
Community and Social Resources that Affect Risky Sexual Behavior
The resources that positively influence prevention of risky sexual behavior in the society include schools and religious institutions. For example, the Christian and Islamic teachings all cautions people against promiscuity. The other positive resource are parents and leaders who are morally upright as they can mentor young people. There are also books, movies and television programs that teach young people to change their behavior. The resources that negatively influence prevention of the social issue include some entertainment places such as bar, clubs, and lodgings which encourages drug consumption and provide a place for people engaging in sex.
Changes or Enhancements in Community-Related Services
It is vital to enhance community services such as access to healthcare that deal with sexual reproductive health for teenage minors. Particularly, it is important for hospital to stop insisting on having consent from adults or identification documents before according service. The other enhancement is to have an anonymous community call center where teenagers can make calls and get help on all sexual issues. There should also be ambulance specifically kept to help young people who get into crisis such as after getting an abortion.
Strategic Plan to Reduce Prevalence
The social ecological method presents one of the best models that is effective in strategizing how to minimize the prevalence of risky sexual behavior. The model was developed by Bronfenbrenner in 1997 and helps in organizing factors based on their level of influence. There are three primary goals for the plan: 1. To increase the age at which young people have their first sexual encounter by at least one year within the next five years. 2. To minimize the chances of teenagers using the money they have for drugs by 20% within the next ten years. 3. To reach 90% of adolescent from ages 10 years to 19 years with education on sexual reproductive health.
All around the world, adolescents need to be prepared to take up the roles and responsibilities of adulthood. Today’s complex, increasingly technical and diverse cultures make the development of adolescents even more difficult. To ensure that the youth access the right guidance, communities must come up with programs that help them acquire social and emotional skills, education and training, and supportive relationships that will see them through adolescence and later in adulthood.
In the state of California, community service activities, after-school programs alongside several other community-based activities have played a significant role in the lives of the youth. The significant challenge lies in the development of programs that meet the developmental needs of the youth.
In addition, the programs must aim towards building happy, healthy and productive adults. Various youth development programs in California include California Homeless Youth Project, California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Transforming Career and Technical Education (CTE) program (Messner, 2009).
The California Homeless youth project aims at eliminating sexual harassments among the youth, especially the homeless. In the recent past, the state of California developed ways of assisting individual who undergo sexual exploitation. The program achieves this goal by enhancing the funding towards mental health as well as reframing the definition and criminalisation of sexual exploitation.
The program has enabled the development of a comprehensive, easily replicated, and multidisciplinary model to address the needs and treatment of commercially sexually exploited minors. The model provides a protocol for assessing and identifying minors who may be targets of commercial sexual exploitation. It also addresses the needs of those youth as well as training to the victim and the law enforcement officers.
The California Alcohol and Drug Programs aim at preventing and treating patients of drug addiction. In this line, the program provides the necessary leadership and ensures implementation of policies for enhanced planning, development and evaluation of systems of prevention, treatment and recovery services on alcohol and other drugs abuse. This program assists the youth as well as adults. A third program in California involves improving the quality of education in the state.
The Transforming Career and Technical Education (CTE) program provides high-quality, relevant educational opportunities for the youth in California. The program achieves this through a mixture of technical assistance, competition, and a system of planned rewards to ensure that more learners, regardless of backgrounds or situations, have access to quality CTE programs (Males, 2010).
The existing programs in California offer chances for incorporation of additional ideas. The main areas that can be enhanced include strengthening of relationships within families, amongst peers, within schools among others. In the California Homeless youth project, the homeless youth can be put together into a programme that brings them together through sports activities. This would enhance the relationship amongst the peers.
In addition, bringing in the assistance of willing families into the program would enhance the appreciation of the family relationship by parents as well as their children. Further improving the relationships within schools, the California Alcohol and Drug Programs should ensure students are sensitized on the need to assist affected students with positive guidance by friends and teachers.
Table 1: The resources available for young people in California
Name of Program
Mission of program
Program engagement with the Youth
Development assets the program focuses on
California Homeless Youth Project
To eliminate sexual harassments among the youth, especially the homeless
The program involves the engagement of the victims of sexual harassment with the law enforcement officers, medical officers and trainers
Family Support
Other Adult Relationships
Caring School
Climate
Parent Involvement in Schooling
California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs,
To prevent and treat patients of drug and alcohol addiction
The evaluation of systems of prevention, treatment and recovery services on alcohol and other drugs abuse involves the combined effort of the youth as well as professionals
Family Support
Positive Family Communication
Other Adult Relationships
Integrity
Honesty
Responsibility
Planning and Decision Making
Cultural
Competence
Resistance Skills
Transforming Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.
The program ensures provision of the necessary leadership by mentors in collaboration with the youth
Caring School Climate
Youth as Resources
Safety
School Boundaries
Adult Role Models
Positive Peer Influence
References
Males, M. (2010). Teenage Sex and Pregnancy: Modern Myths, Unsexy Realities. California: ABC-CLIO. Print.
Messner, M. (2009). It’s All for the Kids: Gender, Families, and Youth Sports. California: University of California Press. Print.
Youth engagement in problematic behavior is a widely recognized issue. It creates barriers to adequate development, has long-term effects on the success in adult life, and contributes to the environment that promotes the effect. The following paper analyzes school- and community-related factors that contribute and sustain adverse behavioral patterns assesses the influence of diversity and multicultural issues that may impact the success of interventions, and explores several possible ways of addressing the issue, both on the level of participating systems and human behavior field.
School-Related Factors
School activities play a major role in the life of youth. Due to the amount of time spent in school and as a result of the importance of interaction with peers and socialization, school-related events have a major influence on children’s behavior and in some cases may lead to problematic behavior.
One of the well-known causes is academic underperformance. It is commonly assumed that academic performance is crucial for further success in life and, therefore, improves motivation and determination of students. Conversely, poor performance demotivates students, creates emotional downfalls, and triggers delinquent behavior. The effect is observed as early as primary school. A study by Morgan, Farkas, Tufis, and Sperling (2008) determined a statistically significant relationship between reading problems among children in the first grade and the emergence of the behavioral problem in the third grade. Interestingly, some evidence also exists of the inverse relationship, with a displayed tendency for disruptive behavior leading to the eventual decline in academic success. In one study, Thornberry’s interactional theory was applied to test the assumption that school-related social factors are interconnected with behavioral patterns and can loop to create a sustainable effect (Hoffmann, Erickson, & Spence, 2013). It is also important to point out that underperformance itself can be rooted in different factors, and include the lack of student motivation, the teachers’ failure to maximize the students’ output, and the system-wide flaws such as inappropriately constructed curricula.
A factor that must be considered separately is bullying. Generally, it has a detrimental effect similar to that of academic failure since it stresses the students, demotivates them, and restricts their interaction with peers. What sets it apart is the fact that its presence is not readily apparent to the teachers (Modecki, Minchin, Harbaugh, Guerra, & Runions, 2014). Unless a deliberate and coordinated action is made by the school staff, the issue may remain undetected while its effects will continue disrupting the behavior of the students. The issue is further complicated by the emergence of cyberbullying, which uses social networks and the wide availability of personal communication devices for intimidating practices. Since this aspect is both less familiar and harder to track down for teachers, it adds to the gravity of the issue.
Community-Related Factors
Aside from school and immediate family, each child is constantly influenced by its environment, including the neighborhood and the economic conditions of the locale. Poverty is among the frequently cited reasons for problematic behavior, with a growing body of research pointing to a direct relationship between restrictive economic conditions of the community and the number of registered instances of disruptive behavior among youth (Wu, Morgan, & Farkas, 2014). Also, high poverty rates are often accompanied by the lack of parental care, higher risk of neglect, occasions of parental abuse, and a greater possibility of substance abuse among parents. By extension, such a setting deprives children of the availability of positive parental role models, exposes them to a greater volume of negative experiences, and generally distorts the clear perception of goals by introducing confusion (Wu et al., 2014). Exposure to violence is another strong factor that contributes to problematic behavior. While there is still no consensus over the critical duration of exposure or the longevity of the effect, there is strong evidence that the proximity of the exposure to violence directly affects the likelihood of displayed violent behavior later in the course of life (Spano, Rivera, & Bolland, 2006).
On the other hand, an over-protective family also increases the risk of behavioral disorders. Specifically, the children who develop in conditions of unrealistic expectations are more likely to engage in lying to fulfill the requirements set by the parents. Also, these children rarely obtain a grasp of the concept of power and authority, which invariably impacts their interaction with peers – specifically, they are more likely to engage in hazardous behaviors imposed by more powerful peers. Finally, such a setting eventually disrupts communication channels between children and their family members, which makes timely intervention much more difficult.
Finally, social stigmatization can add to anxiety leading to behavioral problems. The most common example is obesity, which is both a widespread problem and a basis for abuse and bullying. However, obesity has a cumulative effect on that stress and depression associated with it is not limited to bullying. The physiological impact of the condition and the real physical challenges posed by it aggravate the stress created by the peers and make its impact harder to address and extended in time (Wills, Backett-Milburn, Gregory, & Lawton, 2006).
Diversity and Multicultural Considerations
A rapidly diversifying modern society is still in the stage of active development, which means that many issues still do not have established solutions and many more are expected to emerge. Working with youth that exhibits problematic behavior can also be complicated by the issues associated with multicultural qualities. The most evident example is the situation where the impacted child’s family holds certain cultural or religious beliefs that discourage external intervention and create barriers for the therapist or another professional. For example, a student who has recently arrived from another school may experience depression caused by poor academic performance and amplified by confusion associated with the unfamiliar environment and the turmoil of the move. His parents, however, may believe that this matter should be resolved by supernatural intervention and the involvement of an outside agent such as a therapist or a counselor is undesirable as it undermines the authenticity of the outcome. Another possibility is the cultural background that prioritizes family values in resolving problematic situations and discourages the involvement of unrelated individuals. Finally, the cultural background of some families may lead to preferences of certain upbringing practices, some of which are obsolete, ineffective, or inherently flawed, and promote problematic behavior. Unfortunately, the cultural origin of such practices makes them extremely resistant to change and persistent.
Effective Interventions by Participating Systems
As can be seen from the information presented above, many of the causes of problematic behavior are rooted in system-wide qualities rather than individual specificities. Therefore, it would be logical to conclude that they can be addressed at the organizational level at least in some instances. For example, bullying is a phenomenon pertinent to the organization and is supported by its qualities at least to some degree. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect positive outcomes originating from a bullying program. Admittedly, such programs are still fairly diverse, lack standardization, and display controversial results. Nevertheless, a recent meta-analysis by Lee, Kim, C, and Kim (2015) outlines several essential components based on the evaluation of thirteen previous studies. The results suggest training in emotional control, the establishment of a school-wide policy on bullying, and peer counseling as the components that yield the most significant results (Lee et al., 2015).
Parental involvement is another critical factor that can be introduced on the organizational level. A study by Wang and Sheikh‐Khalil (2014) showed a positive relationship between parental involvement and improvement in academic performance which, as was detailed above, serves as one of the major causes of problematic behavior. Also, parental involvement was found to improve emotional functioning and alleviate a range of mental health issues, essentially creating a sustainable effect (Wang & Sheikh‐Khalil, 2014).
Finally, a collaboration between schools and community organizations has been proven successful in decreasing problematic behaviors and improving the associated causal factors. Since the community-based causes of disruptive behavior are often interrelated, and their effect is cumulative, such collaboration must have an encompassing scope and target the known inconsistencies (high crime rate, wide income gaps, exposure to violence) as well as create solutions for shortcomings (e.g. provide youth with developmental opportunities). Such intervention needs to be accompanied by meaningful evaluation techniques to introduce timely adjustments and enhancements throughout the action.
Evaluation and Application
Of the suggested interventions, the latter demonstrates the greatest capacity for improvement due to its broad range. As was detailed above, most of the social and cultural factors have a cumulative quality, are often observed in conjunction, and can create a sustaining effect. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect a similarly sustaining effect from the intervention that is organized similarly and addresses the issues in the same manner. However, it also requires the greatest allocation of resources, a significant engagement from the organizations and individual stakeholders, excellent coordination, and support from local and state authorities. On the other hand, the improvement of parent involvement is far more realistic for application by a leader in the human behavior field since it can be scaled to the scope of a single school (thereby decreasing resource requirements) and will create robust communication channels between authorities and families. In addition to direct positive outcomes, the said intervention is expected to create an environment favorable for the future community-wide program. Once a better stakeholder involvement can be observed, it can be used as a predictor of future success and will help to find partners and funding sources.
Conclusion
Problematic behavior among youth is a persistent issue that demands attention. However, despite the growing body of literature that studies the issue, it remains unaddressed in several key areas, and its cultural and social aspects are either overlooked or undervalued in many intervention attempts. The analysis of the factors allows us to conclude on the importance of academic performance, economic conditions, parenting issues, community mental health status, and cultural background as decisive factors in the process. To address these issues, small-scale programs that increase parent involvement in youth education are suggested for implementation. These programs have several advantages over more encompassing alternatives, such as scalability, affordability, and the creation of sustainable conditions that increase the success of related interventions in the future.
References
Hoffmann, J. P., Erickson, L. D., & Spence, K. R. (2013). Modeling the association between academic achievement and delinquency: An application of interactional theory. Criminology, 51(3), 629-660.
Lee, S., Kim, C. J., & Kim, D. H. (2015). A meta-analysis of the effect of school-based anti-bullying programs. Journal of Child Health Care, 19(2), 136-153.
Modecki, K. L., Minchin, J., Harbaugh, A. G., Guerra, N. G., & Runions, K. C. (2014). Bullying prevalence across contexts: A meta-analysis measuring cyber and traditional bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health, 55(5), 602-611.
Morgan, P. L., Farkas, G., Tufis, P. A., & Sperling, R. A. (2008). Are reading and behavior problems risk factors for each other?. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(5), 417-436.
Spano, R., Rivera, C., & Bolland, J. (2006). The impact of timing of exposure to violence on violent behavior in a high poverty sample of inner city African American youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(5), 681-692.
Wang, M. T., & Sheikh‐Khalil, S. (2014). Does parental involvement matter for student achievement and mental health in high school?. Child Development, 85(2), 610-625.
Wills, W., Backett-Milburn, K., Gregory, S., & Lawton, J. (2006). Young teenagers’ perceptions of their own and others’ bodies: a qualitative study of obese, overweight and ‘normal’weight young people in Scotland. Social Science & Medicine, 62(2), 396-406.
Wu, Q., Morgan, P. L., & Farkas, G. (2014). Does Minority Status Increase the Effect of Disability Status on Elementary Schoolchildren’s Academic Achievement?. Remedial and Special Education, 35(6), 366-377.
The XYZ Company’s Think Beyond taskforce was convened in Minnesota with the aim of developing public policy on youth gambling. The policy would serve as a guideline in combating challenges posed by youth gambling in United States of America. This project paper commences with a brief introduction of the company behind this policy development. A brief overview on youth gambling is also revisited.
In order to support facts presented in the paper, relevant statistics have been incorporated throughout the essay project. Furthermore, themes and goals that acted as guidelines for policy development have been fully explored in the paper.
On the same note, identification of goals and themes has been pointed out as one of the success determining factors when exploring positive and negative trends that may either promote or hinder the policy development process.
Finally, several recommendations have been arrived at based on discussions that were conducted in an open and democratic manner. These recommendations, also referred to as action plans, were designed to facilitate smooth implementation of the policy.
Background Information of the Company
XYZ Company is a provider of specialized behavioral health care services in United States. The company specializes in rehabilitation of mostly young people who have been ravaged by drug and substance abuse, eating disorders, learning differences among other behavioral problems.
They reach out their clients across United States through myriad of clinics and academies spread across various states as well as through seminars that are usually conducted on a regular basis. They also carry out both empirical and theoretical research studies which are used as important informative tools in the entire rehabilitation and treatment program.
In designing their programs, XYZ understands that being youthful stage in life is proving to be more challenging than it was some decades back. The company clearly understands that young people are highly vulnerable to drugs, exposure to violent gangs and the new wave of cyber crime.
The world today is very fast paced with everyone rushing to keep with globalization wave. In any case, the level of neglect among young people is rather high since there are no well defined structures that have been put in place to catalyze their smooth transition to adulthood.
XYZ Company is more or less like a model academy programs. It target vulnerable youth by addressing individual and group issues affecting them while transiting to adulthood. The organization prefers tackling youth related problems using an insight-oriented therapy as compared to behavior modification therapy. The model has proven to be successful and has been embraced by other organizations.
The key target of both therapies is to increase awareness among participants on how their emotional and behavior habits affect their well being alongside offering guidance towards positive change. The company has been in business for well over 20 years.
They have made use of research as core method of devising scientific solutions in behavioral health issues identified among youth. Their programs have been a success. Five years ago, XYZ entered into contractual agreement with United States government to carry out research on public policy regarding youth issues that are emerging and need to be treated with urgency.
Description of the policy issue
Medical statistics obtained from XYZ Company shows that quite a significant number of adolescent’s patients were being admitted to the academy with mental health symptoms that had not been common in recent past. They recorded an increased number of adolescents with sudden alcohol and substance abuse complications, suicide attempts, anxiety complication, poor unexplained health and higher rates of depression symptoms.
Further investigation by the organizations’ therapist confirmed that most of the adolescents who were diagnosed with above symptoms had been involved in online gambling. Most of them also confirmed that they were addicted to gambling hence the mental health related symptoms.
Gambling industry has been expanding at a rapid rate on a global scale. The advent of the internet or information superhighway alongside increased use among adolescents has lured innocent young people into the highly addictive habit (Campbell & Smith, 1998). According to Messerlian, Derevensky & Gupata (2005), adolescents have adapted gambling as a new form of recreational activity.
They quote a research carried out in Canada and US in 1999 which showed that over 80% of adolescents took part in gambling online or otherwise at least once in their lifetime. The research also showed more alarming results that between 4% and 8% of adolescents have developed more serious gambling problems while10-15 % were at a high risk of developing similar problems.
Despite the numerous problems associated with gambling, policy makers have always viewed it as a socially acceptable form of entertainment. With most people reporting to have gambled at least once in their lives, it has been very hard to convince policy makers otherwise. According to Dunn (2003), public policy informed by research shows that a particular problem would negatively affect many people within a population.
This has not been the case with gambling since it it has been viewed as a public health problem only in the recent past. Initially, it was perceived as an individual problem which did not attract the attention needed to make any decisive public policy.
The current researches being conducted has showed that gambling was impacting negatively on the society both on financial and behavioral perspective (Campbell & Smith, 1998). More so, the research results showed a rising number of adolescents who participate in gambling.
In addition, empirical researches had revealed that adolescents who gambled excessively were likely to engage in alcohol and substance abuse among other habits noted above (Campbell & Smith, 1998).
According to Dunn (2003), public policy aims at addressing societal issues by improving awareness and creating recognition of risks involved. This new public policy aims at developing new measures that can reduce emotional, social, financial, mental and physical problems attached to a particular problem.
It is against this background that XYZ Company saw the need of designing a public policy initiative that would address the perceived gambling problem among young people. The company realized the general legislative statues that prohibit youth from participating in formal gambling might do little to control online illegal and legal gambling among the youth.
There was a need to come up with a public policy aimed at preventing youths from participating in any form of gambling. Previously, the company was involved in designing treatment programs for the identified behavioral problems, but the policy on gambling was designed with a different goal in mind.
Why public policy?
The main goal identified in designing public policy on youth gambling was to come up with programs that would be implemented across states to help discourage youth from engaging in gambling. The youth from each identified centre would come up with programs that would provide training, education and provision of support services to those already affected.
Training and education would increase information among the youth about the risks associated with gambling. This was a new goal as the company wanted to deviate from therapeutic-restorative initiatives of treatment and focus on preventive measures that would be less costly than the current programs.
This public policy also aimed at come up with regulatory measures that would be put in place to stop the spread of the problem. According to Dunn (2003), regulatory measures as a component of public policy, aims to reduce the perceived risks within the community.
Control is enhanced through access restriction to a product or service perceived to have negative societal impacts. Though regulation is important, the main emphasis will be on preventive measures as historically regulations have not succeeded in preventing risky habits among the youth (Dunn, 2003).
Developing the policy
The policy development task force was named “Think Beyond’. Leaders selected participants to be involved in policy development based on their interest on the problem of youth gambling. The task force comprised members from education, finance, law enforcement, gambling industry, health care, research community and government officials from Minnesota State.
The participants with diverse backgrounds and perspectives were brought together to fulfill a commitment to save the youth from the self destructive behavior. They were ready to invest their time, money, energy and their talents in order to address the national problem of youth gambling. All the above participants were volunteers; hence no compensation was made to compel them to attend the meeting.
The leader of the public policy through the public relations office had solicited for funding from progressive gaming operators, insurance executives, lawyers, bankers and other stakeholders who supported the policy development. The fundraising was led by the public relation co-coordinator Mr. Thomas D.
The funds raised would be used to implement the recommendations that would be arrived at during the policy making stage. The Think Beyond task force stated with presentation from selected participants. After the initial presentations, participants were divided into three groups to continue with what was called break out sessions.
Policy theme and goal identification
Breakout session 1 was assigned a task was to come up with the goals of the intended public policy program. The session consisted of ten participants. Each of the participants was asked to contribute materials for designing the vision.
In addition, working as a group the participants would identity the key themes and goals to be included in the vision. This was important as the key themes and goals would contribute positively in recommendations development.
Develop a national policy on problem youth gambling
The main goal for coming up with the above theme was to convene a taskforce involving relevant stakeholders who would foresee the development, enactment and implementation of gambling problem public policy.
Funding
The goal of coming with the above theme was to ensure the Think Beyond taskforce explored possible avenues to ensure there was consistent and dedicated revenue for the proposed youth programs.
Law enforcement
The main goal for exploring the above theme was to ensure that the laws that prohibited underage gambling were more consistent and tougher on offenders.
Need for consistent research
The goal was to come with a taskforce that would be in charge of carrying out research so as to consistently measure prevalence. The outcomes of the research would be useful in identifying the program outcomes as well as provide answers to the whys of youth gambling.
Treatment and Training
The participants realized problem gambling was already in existence hence the need for treatment and training programs for the affected and infected. The goal was to design treatment programs informed by research.
Education
The goal under this theme was to use education as a prevention measure. To achieve the goal the taskforce would come up with education programs that are suitable to disseminate information to schools and communities.
Public awareness and media
The goal was to increase awareness of problems and issues associated with youth gambling through the numerous media avenues. In addition, the gambling advertisers would be required to avoid advertisements that are appealing to young consumers.
Assessment of positive trends and assets identification
Break out session 2 main task was to research on the issues that needed to be addressed so as to achieve success of the goals identified by session 1.
They were required to analyze the situation and gauge whether it was possible to achieve the desired goals, identifying the available assets that would contribute positively to goals achievement. The participants would identify the assets of each theme identified above and identify the positive contribution of the identified asset in achieving the main goals.
Positive trends and assets in gambling industry
The government and the private sector were willing to assist in addressing the issue of youth and gambling.
The above stakeholders were also willing to provide the needed economic resources to support the proposed programs.
Positive trends and assets in communities
There was increasing awareness of the issue of youth gambling among the community.
Communities were willing to support the programs that aimed at disseminating information on youth gambling.
The established community, religious and fraternal groups would be involved in the discussion of devising new gambling policies.
Positive trends and assets in public policy
To support the proposed public policy, elected officials were found out to be more inclined to consider youth gambling a national problem that needed an immediate intervention though public policy.
The law makers were also willing to support the underage gambling prohibition measures either through funding or devising strict laws.
In addition, the public was putting pressure on government to be more accountable of how their funds were being spent. This was a plus as it would ensure the funds set aside for the youth gambling programs was channeled efficiently.
To support the execution was the benefits brought about by technology, as it would be easier to forecast the economic and social effects of the gambling policy.
Positive trends and assets in institutions and organizations
Many independent and institutional researchers were concerned with problem youth gambling, and directed their research objectives towards the study of the above issue.
They also found out that corporations were willing to contribute funds to carry out research on youth gambling problems.
Planners of the think beyond program and the sponsors were also willing to invest their time and money to make the policy development a success.
Positive trends and assets in treatment and training
It was discovered that specialist trained in dealing with gambling addiction problems were many and were willing to contribute positively to the program.
It was also noted that treatment technologies for gambling related problems were becoming more sophisticated and more advanced. This was positive as it meant there was a way out for the youth who has sunk in problem gambling.
The numerous online help programs would also contribute positively as well as the involvement of family and friends in supporting the patients.
Positive trends and assets in the media
The media was viewed as the best avenue to draw attention to the problem, and if more coverage was enhanced the issue would be widely recognized.
In addition, the media was a potential avenue to reach the wide network of youth using youth oriented programs on television and using social media to educate the youth on gambling problems.
Negative trends and obstacles in public policy development
Upon identification of the positive trends and assets that would contribute positively to the policy development, the participants during break session 2 also noted that there were negative trends, of which failure to anticipate them would hinder the achievement of the identified goals.
Obstacles in gambling industry
A critical analysis of the gambling industry showed that gambling was commonly taken as form of family entertainment. The perception would hinder dissemination of problem gambling information.
It was also noted that there were so many adverts directed towards the young consumers as well as high publicity of lotteries which would make the youth to try gambling.
Obstacles in community
It was noted the declining economic prosperity increased the demand for get rich activities.
The youth today are bored either because they have no jobs or otherwise, and they took part in gambling for it offered immediate gratification.
The youths were becoming more and more disconnected from the society, and in turn results to gambling for emotional connection.
The rapid expansion of gambling games that were easily accessible to the youth contributed negatively to the goals achievement.
The technological innovation also increased access to cash and credit by use of ATM machines and credit cards.
The community failed to provide alternative social programs to keep the youths occupied, and instead they turn to computer games and technologies. The above games influence them negatively as they transfer the skills to gambling games.
Online communication had promoted new gambling technologies which made it hard to enforce regulation against youth gambling.
Finally, the today families were no longer united a situation which made the life of a youth today to be very stressful in combination with the burden rested on them from school works.
Public policy obstacles
The lawmakers had contributed to the rapid expansion of gambling through licensing and rules relaxation. They did so without consideration of the positive and negative effects of their actions on society. In addition, they were not willing to take responsibility of the consequences that arose from their actions.
The government was more interested in revenues generated from the gambling industry and cares less on the impact of gambling on its public.
Treatment and training obstacles
There was a widespread treatment programs whose methods could not be authenticated.
The treatment providers were engaged in turf of wars on the best practices of gambling addiction treatment.
The treatment models for training and delivery of services were not adequate
Most insurance companies failed to acknowledge gambling addiction among the youth as a medical problem; hence they never allocated funds for prevention and treatment programs.
The national reduction of health care services funds was likely to affect the prevention and treatment programs.
Media obstacles
The media was more focused on sensationalism and rarely did they concentrate on provision of accurate report of the problem and treatment programs availability.
Actions plans for policy implementation
Having carried out an analysis of the trends, obstacles and opportunities, during break out session 3 the participants’ task was to develop action plans that would oversee the implementation of thick beyond public policy. The participants were required to assess the themes and goals identified earlier and base the action plans on the same. The recommendations that were arrived at were as follows:
Policy development action plans
A bi-national task force would be created inclusive of the key stakeholders of public policymaking.
Both the public and private sectors that were willing to fund the programs would be identified.
To begin implementation of the program the necessary support staff would established.
A five-year strategic plan that included program and public policy initiatives would be developed.
The research data results would be used as a strategy to gain policy makers support.
There was a plan to identity the allies of the policy from the government and private sectors.
After every stage of actions plans development, the participants would assemble to discuss the recommendation. Each of the recommendation was discussed and through a democratic process adjusted based on the majority opinion. It was agreed that a bi-national taskforce was necessary to coordinate the response of the youth on the policy program.
The Minnesota council and XYZ organizational would negotiate and appoint an interim task force. The interim task force would be responsible for developing and circulation of the bi-national plan to other participants.
The permanent bi-national task force upon establishment would develop the recommend five-year strategic plan. The developed plan would capture both public policy and programmatic public policy goals and if possible include legislative proposals.
Recommended action plans on funding
A tax-exempt charitable structure would be enacted so as to attract funding.
Each of the participants pledged their money that would be used as seed to drive the task force.
Potential private and public sector organizations would be identified and funds would be obtained. The collected funds would be used to drive recommended programs in policy development, treatment and training, education, research and public awareness.
Likewise, the above recommendations were tabled for discussion and participants arrived at the following agreements; the participants were in agreement that potential funding sources from the public and private sector should be explored.
To attract more funding, the group would concentrate on increasing public concern on youth gambling, which in turn would attract political attention; hence more funds would be released.
Trends in the previous years had indicated that state legislatures had contributed some considerable amount of money to support some council’s and private gambling treatment centers. it was therefore, recommended that the task force would push the government to set aside some portion of revenues collected form gaming industry to support the anti-gambling programs.
Another measure to attract funding was for the bi-national task force to make the organization a tax exempt charitable organization. This would enable it to solicit for funds from businesses, foundations and the government. The most potential organizations to provide funds are those that dealt with youth health and wellness issues, and the bi-national taskforce was required to focus more attention on the same.
Law enforcement action plans recommendations
The organization would lobby for establishment of standardized laws to prevent underage gambling.
Lobby for tougher laws on offenders found selling lottery tickets to under age persons, and those who do not make effort to prevent underage gamblers from entering into the casinos of any other organized gambling sites.
When the above recommendations were tabled the participants saw no need to increase the minimum age, instead they agreed that the policy should focus on existing age limit. They also agreed that the tougher measures should include but not limited to loss of license and higher fines plus or minus jail terms.
Research based action plans
Establish as mini library where research findings would be deposited. The findings would be designed into educational materials and disseminated across all the established programs. In addition, a websites would be launched to ensure the information reaches a wide audience.
An international research agenda would also be developed to gain more information on youth gambling prevalence and to share information on treatment and prevention programs.
CDC would also be requested include questions on gambling in their youth health surveys.
A uniform methodology to conduct research on youth gambling prevalence would also be developed.
The participants were in agreement that there was need for extensive research on national and international level to assess the prevalence of youth gambling and to explore the different treatment and prevention programs across the country. Since many of the studies used different methods, it was agreed that a uniformed methodology was needed so the results can be generalized.
They also suggested that several research centers be establishes in universities so as to encourage research. The task force would set the research agendas, assist in dissemination of research collection tools, and host conferences to attract more researchers. They also noted that the availability of funds directed at youth gambling researches was a positive asset to the program as many researches would be taping into the resources.
Treatment and training based action plans
Develop a manual to guide the establishment of treatment and training centers.
Conduct regular assessment of all training centers to ascertain their efficacy in solving the problem. In addition, training of professionals in treatment centers would be offered.
The participants agreed there was need for assessment of existing centers to evaluate their capability it reverse the situation. The assessment reports would be used to solicit for funds from the government as legislators would be more confident with the professionalism of the centers.
An inventory p0rogrma to act as guideline manual for assessing the centers would be designed to ensure uniformity of assessment. In addition, a manual for professional training would be developed so as to integrate treatment needs with professional expertise.
Education based action plans
A committee to oversee the development of a national/international curriculum to be used in schools was to be set up. An educational video package to be distributed to schools would also be developed. Some youths would also be identified to act as role models in an effort to enhance educational effort.
The parents and teachers would also be incorporated in the educational program so they can be sensitized on the dangers of youth gambling. This is because most teachers and parents considered gambling to be harmless and even encouraged it; hence the need to educate them on the dangers of youth gambling.
The participants unanimously agreed on curriculum development. A suggestion was made to iconic youth such as athletes and musicians to act as role models to pass the message of dangers of gambling.
Public awareness and Media based action plans
The findings of the task force would be publicized through the media to create public awareness.
Allies and potential partners in the media would be identified so as increase public awareness on youth gambling.
Bi-national speakers on the issue of youth gambling would be identified.
A national week on gambling would be factored where screening test on problem gambling would be televised.
Some selected members of the task force would assist stakeholders in the gambling industry to come up with advertisements that discouraged youth gambling.
Discussion
The participants agreed that publicity of the task force findings was necessary as it would help stimulate discussion of the issue in the society.
Television was identified as the best tool for creating awareness and if possible programs would be designed and allocated time on national televisions. Some media organizations had already shown interest on the issue and partnership with them should be explored to exploit the opportunity of media funded programs.
The issue of gambling advertisement was discussed at length and participants felt there was need for a ‘code of practice’ to discourage adverts that targeted young consumers. The bi-national task force would consult with the industry to come up with standards that would be applicable across the industry.
Conclusion
Having factored in all the elements necessary for enactment of desired public policy, what remained was establishment of an interim task force to oversee the implementation of the recommendations. After the establishment of the interim task force, the next key issue would be to conduct fundraising campaigns for tapping resources from both the public and private sector.
Additionally, solution to the social problem lies with personal will of everyone involved. The priority for policy makers is that they must recognize that there is a problem hence the need to allocate funds to address the problem at hand. Secondly, gambling industry should be responsible and accountable and also be in a position to acknowledge that young people have been adversely affected by gambling.
Hence, they should be part and parcel of anti-youth gambling programs and funding for preventive, training and preventive initiatives. The private sector has an equally important role to play bearing in mind that resources are needed for the recommended programs to take off.
References
Campbell, C. S. & Smith, G. J. (1998), Canadian gambling: trends and public policy issues. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Dunn, W.N. (2003). Public Policy Analysis: An Introduction (3rd ed.). New York: Prentice Hall.
Messerlian, C., Derevensky, J. & Gupta, R. (2005). Youth gambling problems: a public health perspective. Health promotion international journal, 20(1), 69-79.
It should be noted that Kuwait is a country with unique socio-demographic features since the youth represents its major population group. In that matter, it is reasonable to state that young people are the state’s valuable asset, and it should be considered the driving force in pushing the country’s development (Nee 12). Notably, many young people are active participants in the social, political, cultural, and economic life of Kuwait, and they promote the initiatives that are significant and relevant for this demographic group.
Nevertheless, there are certain negative aspects that display undesirable tendencies in the society (Terrorism, Extremism Threats to Society par. 3). The purpose of this prospectus is to outline the activities of the Kuwaiti youth, the barriers young people face, and the influence these occupations have on making a change in Kuwait’s future.
Central Question
At present, the government strives to ensure the consistent development of the youth. It promotes initiatives aimed at addressing the educational, spiritual, economic, social, and cultural needs of young people. These measures should stimulate individuals to have an active life position and perform as agents of change in the future of the country. Importantly, the state places a particular emphasis on the prevention of negative manifestations among young people, such as racism, nationalism, violence, terrorism, and fundamentalism (Al-Nakib 60). The current policies are aimed at building a democratic society (Markakis 187). However, the central question of this paper is whether the state furnishes sufficient support to the youth to address their actual needs so that individuals can seize their potential and influence the future of their country.
Importance
The importance of this research paper can be concluded to the understanding that youth constructs the future human power that has the potential to reform and boost the aggravated international space. Therefore, the state should empower people to use their intellectual, spiritual, moral, and physiological resources and capabilities to promote their progressive views and initiatives (Dickinson par. 13). To be able to perform as participants of change processes, the active cooperation of various institutions, governmental agencies, and bodies is essential. It will provide young people with the crucial resources and capabilities to engage in the political, social, and economic reconstruction of the society’s future.
Hypotheses
Given the implications and issues described above, several hypotheses can be drawn. First, it is hypothesized that the active collaboration of the Kuwaiti youth with various agencies, bodies, and organizations will empower young people to execute and implement their progressive views (Hurd par. 10). Second, it is hypothesized that the greater engagement of people in the development of the country will allow forming a harmonious society with an orientation at social, cultural, spiritual, and economic well-being.
Contributions
It is assumed that the research paper will contribute to the further development of the Kuwaiti youth and society in general. To be more precise, it will touch upon the importance of the participation of young people in the country’s political life and cover the progress made in reaching the democratic system (Creating a Community of Change in Kuwait par. 13). The paper will address the criticality of extremist and terrorist activities and the engagement of the youth in negative social manifestations to prevent the further evolvement of these phenomena (Terrorism, Extremism Threats to Society par. 3).
Apart from that, positive tendencies such as environmental activism will be reviewed to furnish the deeper comprehension of the objectives promoted by the people of the younger generation. Moreover, the research will cover the role of the government in initiating youth-oriented policies and the support needed for the comprehensive development of society (Hurd par. 10). Another significant contribution of the study will be reflected in the emphasis on women leadership, social inclusion, and equality, which are the crucial prerequisites for the harmonious life of Kuwaiti people (Al-Sabah 197).
Overall, the paper will clarify the rights, opportunities, and limitations the young population has at present and will specify the guidelines for the promotion of their engagement in the various spheres of life (Winokur 112). The research results might be disseminated further as educational or informational means.
Sources and Methodology
The qualitative study design will be applied to conducting the proposed research. It will allow understanding and eliciting the patterns in the number of processes occurring in society. In addition, it will enable the researcher to specify the qualitative indicators and factors linked directly to the human dimensions (Zain Key Supporter of Youth Innovation Initiatives par. 3). To validate the research, the theoretical construct will be built using multiple academic resources, including scientific publications, peer-reviewed articles, and governmental sources, and so on. In addition, to gain insights into the current setting, different up-to-date sources such as newspaper articles will be investigated to support the proposed domains with factual information and data. This approach will allow either validating or restating the hypotheses.
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that the research paper aims to investigate the problems and opportunities faced by the youth in Kuwait through a thorough analysis of their activities. In addition, it will enable determining the resources available to them. The importance of the study is reflected in its intention to analyze the current setting and providing guidelines for its further enhancement.
Works Cited
Al-Nakib, Farah. Kuwait Transformed. Stanford University Press, 2016.
Al-Sabah, Meshal. Gender and Politics in Kuwait. I. B. Tauris, 2013.
“Creating a Community of Change in Kuwait.” Eurasia Foundation. 2016. Web.
Winokur, Ilene. “From Centralized Education to Innovation: Cultural Shifts in Kuwait’s Education System.” International Perspectives on Education and Society, vol. 24, 2014, pp. 103-127.