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SNIPPETZ WEEKLY MAGAZINE - Issue 538
- February 27, 2012
Young People Engage In Increasingly
Risky Behavior
By Mattie Peltier
Youth
appear to be engaging in more and more
risky life choices throughout Tri-Lakes
and the Colorado Springs areas. Are
young people becoming indifferent in our
communities? Are they making precarious
choices that can permanently damage
their own lives and the lives of
others? Is this generation struggling
more than any other generation? These
are all questions we have asked
ourselves and each other. We should be
careful not to fall into the trap of
oversimplifying the characterization of
a single generation. Our youth not only
face difficulties typical for our older
peers, but also a new class of problems;
making growing up unique in the struggle
to become successful adults. Teens have
easily accessible illegal drugs,
electronics, internet, pornography and
an overabundance of information as
compared to previous decades. Not that
these issues can be fully blamed for
what is happening to our society, but
with these issues comes social apathy,
accessibility and a fast paced boredom
in an over stimulated and undermanaged
environment. Youth are often
oversaturated, uninspired and
unmotivated. They seek something,
anything, to fill the void. It goes to
reason, that given the options, we would
hope our children would make the right
choices.
In 2008,
the last year that the U.S. Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) did their studies,
juveniles made up more than 16% of the
arrests for violent crime and 26% of all
property crime arrests in the United
States. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey
(YRBS), developed by the CDC to track
risk behaviors in Grades 9 through 12,
indicating that nationwide 20% students
surveyed have taken weapons to school,
38.7% of students had been in a physical
fight, and more than half (53.1%) have
been sexually active. Additionally, 32%
percent of students reported heavy
drinking, 80.4% reported having had at
least one drink in their lifetime, and
71% percent had tried cigarettes.
Marijuana use was reported at 42.4%
nationally, 7% reported that they had
used some form of cocaine during their
lifetime, and 24.1% considered
attempting suicide. Equally alarming is
the age at which many youth have begun
engaging in these risk behaviors. Some
children as early as age 9 experimented
with chemical substances and sexual
activity. These statistics go on and
on.
One
solution might be to recognize the
apathy surrounding our community. It is
easy to blame the kids, parents, our
educational system and the government.
And although education starts at home,
don’t we, as a community have an
obligation to help solve these
problems? There are many strong,
wonderful people who work hard to
identify solutions. Unfortunately, they
are a minority. We should start by
acknowledging what leads young people to
apathy towards themselves and the
community. We have to reason that we
may be setting the example. When we
look into a mirror, we should be the
example that we want our youth to
reflect. Becoming part of the answer,
rather than the problem should be our
first solution. Rather than turn away,
we should embrace our community with
service. When we see a struggling
youth, reach out and inspire a change.
You have the power to motivate a life in
a new direction. One of the most
effective methods for changing an
individual’s direction is to volunteer
your time and become a mentor. If you
don’t have time, support organizations
that do; give to a local at-risk youth
organizations, such as FamilyNation or
Big Brothers Big Sisters, who provide
youth services directly to the
community. There are always
opportunities to volunteer at local
residential homes or work with other
non-profits to provide food and medical
services, such as Tri-Lake Cares or our
local churches. By taking a few minutes
a week, we can change our community and
the outlook of our youth.
As one
Colorado Springs social services
caseworker summarized, “Circumstances
and life choices can lead youth down the
wrong path and all kids have the
potential to be at-risk. It’s up to the
community and families to lead them in
the right direction. Everyone is a step
away from a bad decision and although it
is ultimately each person’s choice how
and when they succeed, individuals and
organizations such as FamilyNation can
make a difference in the lives of these
young people. There will always be
stresses and challenges for our youth,
but if they do not have caring adults
who reach out to inspire them, then they
are left to their own devices and
perceptions to make their choices;
sometimes devastating ones.”
We all have
the superpower of caring to effect
change in our at-risk youth and our
community. What will you do with yours?
If you are
interested in discussing this article,
ideas and solutions for our local
community, please go to
http://www.familynation.net/blog.
The Youth
Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), October
2008-February 2010 (http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/overall.htm)
