The Analysis of Adolescent Issues - Coursework Example

Book Critique 24 October 2009 Introduction There are many ways by which a society can be judged. A society can be said to be benevolent, advanced or primitive based on its laws, culture and the way it treats its most vulnerable members – the young children. Society’s youth has been ascribed so many names before but one label seems to stick out very frequently – our hope for the future. In several ways, that is an apt description as the younger generation will someday take over from the present generation. The ways by which societies treat its children had changed over time from ancient Greece’s dictum that children should serve the larger interests of society. In the old Roman Empire, that was the view too. Children were seen in a utilitarian manner as someday serving the empire as soldiers, again emphasizing that individuals are subordinate to the higher interest of the State. We have gone a long way since then and today, there are many programs designed to improve the circumstances of children and young people in our midst. Governments have gone to great lengths to institutionalize this concern for the young by passing legislation designed to protect children, nurture, educate and mold them later into responsible adults. Laws that were enacted emphasized the supremacy of a child’s welfare over and above everything else, such that the State today is considered the ultimate custodian of children when things go awry, either in society in general or in the family in particular. The most potent of these tools is the educational system but sometimes there are failings too in this area. Modern society is dysfunctional in the view of most children, with values geared to accumulation of wealth, status, prestige and power. Personal relationships often exist in a very discontinuous manner and many youths rightly or wrongly feel lost, alienated and devalued. Discussion The book’s authors have put many readers on the spot by forcing these readers to focus on the shortcomings of society with regards to the upbringing of today’s youth. Our society today has deteriorated to the point that important values have been eroded and the youth feel they do not belong in it anymore. In specific ways, Brendtro, Brokenleg and van Bockern had wanted everyone to re-examine our institutions that care for the young and re-evaluate all the strategies and policy decisions made in their behalf if we are doing the right thing or not. This is because in their book, they postulate that modern society puts greater emphasis on success and individualism which resulted in the youth feeling lost in an environment hardly conducive to their well-being. The three authors challenge everyone who had read the book to do more to combat these feelings of hopelessness and being adrift by giving the youth what they had wanted the most in their lives – the feeling of belonging. Today’s youth institutions seem to have failed them in this regard. The educational system in particular, failed to inculcate the values that youth need the most and this resulted in most young people getting lost in illegal drugs, alcoholism and teen pregnancies. Even legal systems have not addressed their needs adequately and this is illustrated in inappropriate juvenile laws that often puts offenders together with hardened adult criminals or sentencing these juvenile delinquents to long and harsh terms. In a retrospective way, it is society’s fault when the young goes astray and not the other way around although the authors concede that discipline is needed when trying to control some of these destructive youthful behaviors. It is not enough to put up foster homes and juvenile centers for delinquents as these measures will not address the underlying causes. This was the case of Richard Cardinal who was shunted from home to home to distance him from his alcoholic parents but the net effect was the reverse, in the sense the poor youngster does not feel to belong anywhere. The authors likened it to pulling a tape off the wall and re-sticking it again somewhere (Brendtro et al., 2001). Book Contents This book is divided into three parts. The first deals with the wholesale alienation of children today in the context of modern society. It is within this polity that the authors claim to provide a solution for this angst – provide a nurturing environment that will reclaim these children and let them belong once more. They recommended changes for this to happen but they caution that such an environment, while conducive to the growth of the young, must also balance the interests of society as a whole against the needs of the young. There are four general ways of doing this and these are the following: let youth again experience what is the true meaning of belonging in a genuinely supportive community so they will not feel lost and dehumanized, let the youth achieve their full potentials instead of them trying to satisfy the whims and wishes of adults, involving the youth in their own future by consulting and getting their commitment to matters affecting them and finally, letting the youth know they can make their own positive contributions themselves by expecting them to be caregivers instead of them just being always the recipients of society’s benevolence. The second part suggests an alternative philosophy of child development that in the three authors’ view is relatively successful in the upbringing of youth. They examined how the Native American way of life is more holistic with regards to caring for the young and this is the way the authors advocate because in one way it teaches adult responsibility effectively. Lifelong instruction and training among Native Americans include many things like “correct” interpersonal relationships; for example, promote feelings of belongingness and individual’s responsibility towards society. The last section of the book highlights the principles and suggests ways of creating a reclaiming society. Other items discussed are the right moral values, increasing motivation, moral and emotional development, encourage self-esteem and foster social values. A focus was also made on how to have positive relationships especially for the at-risk youth groups. Critical Evaluation There is no doubt new approaches are needed in dealing with the problem of youth delinquency today. The pervasiveness of this problem can be gleaned from most police reports and on other printed material that cover it such as those dealing with youth detention, the juvenile courts, correctional institutions and other youth-related authorities. In particular, one can glean from literature material about reformatories and training schools that the problem cuts across all sectors but is primarily prevalent among disadvantaged groups. In other words, some youth groups are particularly vulnerable owing perhaps to some economic, social and other factors. Experts on youth problems point out the crucial role that the school system can do in delinquency control. The authors of this book assert that it is Western society in general that is primarily causing all these problems because of its environment, an ecology based on individualistic values. Instead of emphasizing the overall community, today’s society is more concerned with material things attached to individual achievements such as power and money. There are mountains of data regarding youth offenders and these are broken down by age, sex, gender, race and ethnicity. However, many authorities charged to solve the problem sometimes do not know how to respond adequately. This inadequacy could be due to the fact that the juvenile justice system in the country is relatively young (less than a hundred years). It is therefore safe to say that this ad hoc response is often contributory to finding the real solutions to delinquency. The last 30 or 40 years has seen the maze of laws and statutes that derive from the federal government’s powers and many Supreme Court decisions become a confusing tangle often complicated by the states’ residual powers that differ from each other. This country’s juvenile justice system was the result of earlier educational reforms which was based on concepts of rehabilitation and reform through individualized justice (Snyder, 1995). It is surprising before reforms took root, children as young as 7 years old could stand trial and if found guilty, sent to prison. The country later adopted the legal concept of “parens patriae.” Authors Brendtro, Brokenleg and van Bockern suggested a novel solution and that is to use ancient cultural ways similar to what Native Americans and Native Canadians use in nurturing and upbringing of adolescents. This is sometimes called as the “circle of caring” in these native societies that emphasizes four critical formative values: belongingness, mastery, personal power and generosity (Day, 2008). This is the type of environment that honors and supports all children by looking at their inner lives while staying within the system. Author Day also suggested using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to supplement the values which these native societies have managed to hang unto for a long time even to this modern age. The top three elements of this hierarchy are belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization which are all contained also within the natives’ themes in their circle of caring. These informal and formal mentoring programs are the keys to their success (Buckley, 2006). However, Native American societies today are also under stress from the advances in Western culture. Most native Indian youths face the dilemma of living in two cultures which are more often than not at variance with each other in terms of values. The American Indian youth is also facing problems (sometimes very similar to Western societies) such as poverty, poor self-image, lack of education, endemic alcoholism, racial stereotyping and absence of a true identity (Ashabranner & Conklin, 1984). These problems are sometimes very evident among urban Indians who struggle to preserve their ethnic heritage amid the onslaught of modern Western life. This is not to say that those living in the reservations are spared from these problems. In some studies, illegal drug use among Indian youth inside reservations is more prevalent compared to those living outside (Kopstein, 1998). Some of the principles advocated by Brendtro et al. may no longer be applicable today taking into account the newer problems existing within native communities. Perhaps a closer re-examination is needed to determine which principles are still applicable and which are now superseded by recent societal developments that had undermined the assumptions they made. Application to Career The insights gained from reading this book are very applicable to those planning to pursue a career in adolescent-related education and psychology. This book is a good resource when looking for preventive measures to contain the epidemic of juvenile delinquency that pervades all sectors of society. It is a must-read for school guidance counselors who are the ones most exposed to juveniles and can be recommended to law enforcement authorities too. The book details some concrete actions to create and maintain a youth-friendly environment where young adults can flourish. Many topics discussed in the book are very helpful to any adult when confronted with problems like destructive and violent behaviors, suicide, stress, depression, weirdness or queerness, eating disorders, bullying, teen pregnancies and gang memberships. Most youth problems usually start at home as a result of dysfunctional family dynamics and then spread to manifest in other social settings, primarily the school system. Knowledge of these causative factors will be helpful in prevention rather than solution as the problem of delinquency can be nipped in the bud when detected in its early stages. Conclusion Juvenile delinquency is a relatively modern phenomenon brought about by changed values in our societies as people sought more material wealth in favor of traditional values. This problem has been exacerbated by the stress of modern living, the pressure to compete and to achieve, the erosion of close inter-personal and community relationships, devaluation of the youth and the new polities in our society caused by modern technological advances and changing lifestyles. Authors Brendtro et al. focused their discussions on the environments by defining youths at risk as those exposed to destructive relationships, a climate of futility, loss of purpose and learned irresponsibility. Factors like anti-social behavior, oppression, racism and rebellious or defiant behavior are usually results of alienation at home, so public policies should be directed towards improving the young child’s home environment (Becker, 1994). Reference List Ashabranner, B. K. & Conklin, P. (1984). To Live in Two Worlds: American Indian Youth Today. New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company. Becker, J. M. (1994). Mentoring High-Risk Kids. Center City, MN: Hazelden Publishing. Brendtro, L. K., Brokenleg, M. & van Bockern, S. (2001). Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service. Buckley, M. & Zimmermann, S. (2006). Mentoring Children and Adolescents. A Guide to the Issues. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Day, J. (2008). Being What You Want to See: Bringing Emotional Mastery into Everyday Life. Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing. Kopstein, A. (1998). Drug Use Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities. Darby, PA: Diane Publishing Company. Snyder, H. N. (1995). Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report. Darby, PA: Diane Publishing Company. Read More