Dr. Val FarmerDr.Val | |||
Rural Mental Health & Family Relationships | |||
Top Teens Look At Their PeersJune 23, 1997 "What is the biggest issue facing teens today?" This question was posed to 49 high school seniors with the top grade point averages from 33 high schools in western South Dakota and two in Wyoming. The Rapid City Journal published their responses in a special 1997 graduation edition of the Rapid City Journal. These aren't adults judging teens. These are bright teens sharing their observations of what is going on around them. So what do these students think about the challenges teenagers face today? Some teens mentioned more than one issue. These 49 students raised a total of 72 issues. I lumped their responses into broad categories. Alcohol and drugs problems - 25 Peer pressure - 12 Lack of motivation, purpose or direction in life - 10 Lack of guidance, moral standards, example and direction from families and adults - 10 Sexual issues - STD's, pregnancy, teen sex, AIDS - 7 Violence - 4 Insecure about future and stress of a complex world - 3 Racism and prejudice - 2 Here are some of their ideas on what their peers are facing: On family life and lack of guidance:
On peer pressure:
On moral values and standards:
My summary. My characterization of this is that teens fully understand the extent and negative consequences of drug and alcohol problems among their peers. Teen alcohol abuse is by far and away the biggest issue they see facing their peers. Teen sex and violence were also frequently mentioned issues. These top teenagers make the connection between negative peer pressure and poor family guidance that contribute directly to these problems. They sense that their peers struggle with a lack of purpose, direction and strong moral values, leaving them vulnerable to peer pressure and apathy regarding their lives. The students lay this at the doorstep of parents and the lack of adult guidance and example in their lives. What they perhaps don't fully recognize is that the desire to fit in is so powerful that even children with good backgrounds and families give in to peer pressure - usually in the form of teen drinking, and as one student mentioned, underachieving. Hope for the future. I feel great hope when I read the thoughts of youth of this caliber who have risen above these pressures. They will be among the future leaders and strength of society. They understand who they are and what they are about. They have purpose and values in their lives. They have been courageous enough to stand apart and above the negative influences that drag down some of their peers. Who inspired them to be successful? Among the sources of information, thirtynine mentioned their parents' influence, one mentioned a grandparents, eight mentioned teachers, five attributed their inspiration to God, three mentioned a friend and two quoted a wise saying. Is there any doubt where their strength and dedication come from? The solution for the influence of negative peer pressure lies in good parenting and family life, along with the influence of other good adult role models. Astute teens see what is happening around them. The answers are in the home. |
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