Teeenage Issues
There are many social problems that teenagers go through. The most recognised problems are teenage drinking and driving, and teen suicide.
These two social behaviours teenagers go through are the leading causes of teenage death. Alcohol, the most widely used and abused drug among youth, causes serious and potentially life-threatening problems for this population.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Society faces several questions, like why do teens drink, what are the results of teen drinking and driving, and how can society change this pattern.
Every year hundreds of teens die. Apart from drinking and driving, teen suicide is the fastest growing killer of youth and if left unaddressed it will affect are future generations.
Why do teenagers drink alcohol? Peers play the major role in shaping attitudes about alcohol use. Prior to this time, television and movies played the most influential role. The attitudes of parents toward alcohol correlated strongly with the attitudes of their children.
Teenagers problems Today in the modern society, there a lot of problems, especially problems related with teenagers. A lot of factors influenced in this situation. For example some teenagers felt lack of love from their parents. Another factor is the lack of education because of poverty. In most of the cases the problems deal with drugs, alcohol, prostitution, teen pregnancy, depression, etc. Drugs between teenagers is the most serious problem, because it causes a change in the behavior of any person and a physical change too. Most of the teenagers used them as an escape from their problems or sometimes they used them because of their friend 's influence. Poor children used it too, to forget their cold and hunger. Alcoholism is a society 's sickness that affects all people, from teenagers to older ones. It is consider as a modern way to have fun and if you drink alcohol you are accepted between your friends. People who drink alcohol think that they can forget their problems and go out from reality if they do that. I think it is very bad to drink alcohol because it can turn in an addiction and when a person drinks, he or she isn 't in their 5 felts to take any decision. Another problem is the prostitution. Most teenagers have to do this because they don 't find a good job and they need money. With this problem they can became sick with Aids and other diseases. Another consequence can be teen pregnancy because they don 't have a good education and they don 't know way to carry themselves.
Introduction
Teenagers problems Today in the modern society, there a lot of problems, especially problems related with teenagers. A lot of factors influenced in this situation. For example some teenagers felt lack of love from their parents. Another factor is the lack of education because of poverty. In most of the cases the problems deal with drugs, alcohol, prostitution, teen pregnancy, depression, etc. Drugs between teenagers is the most serious problem, because it causes a change in the behavior of any person and a physical change too. Most of the teenagers used them as an escape from their problems or sometimes they used them because of their friend 's influence. Poor children used it too, to forget their cold and hunger. Alcoholism is a society 's sickness that affects all people, from teenagers to older ones. It is consider as a modern way to have fun and if you drink alcohol you are accepted between your friends. People who drink alcohol think that they can forget their problems and go out from reality if they do that. I think it is very bad to drink alcohol because it can turn in an addiction and when a person drinks, he or she isn 't in their 5 felts to take any decision. Another problem is the prostitution. Most teenagers have to do this because they don 't find a good job and they need money. With this problem they can became sick with Aids and other diseases. Another consequence can be teen pregnancy because they don 't have a good education and they don 't know way to carry themselves.
Teenage fatherhood can also be a challenge. Many feel obliged to support their child, but due to the low levels of state benefits awarded to such couples, in addition to the low quantity of money that they often earn due to their age, are unable to do so fully. Another addition is that being a teenage father is sometimes looked down upon by society and peers. Teen abortion is a decision that will impact your life dramatically, whether you decide to abort or decide to give birth. People you know will choose to support your decision or condemn your decision, but this is your decision and you will live with the choice you make for the rest of your life.
Teen abortion has many risks. Studies have proven that abortion may lead to an increased chance of breast cancer, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, depression, and the contraction of Viral Hepatitis, not to mention death due to excessive bleeding or other complications. Whether you choose to keep your baby, put it up for adoption or have an abortion, hormones run crazy when you are pregnant. Hormones are to blame for the drastic mood swings pregnant women have during pregnancy. As you feel the life inside you start to grow, you will become attached to, or perhaps even angry at, this new life.
Teenagers are on the precipice of adulthood. Their bodies and brains are changing. Teenagers are often risk-takers. They tend not to pay attention to the long-term consequences of short-term events, even though they intellectually know what those consequences might be. They want to learn from their peers rather than from their family members, so they often miss important generational information because they do not pay close attention to what adults and children say and do. They often react emotionally and quickly rather than in a measured and intellectual way.
While these characteristics are sometimes problems, they are sometimes useful attributes. These characteristics also make teenagers passionate campaigners for ideas they believe in. They make them willing to take risks for their friends and make innovations in old systems. They give them the motivation and energy to venture out and make important discoveries and work hard for their convictions.
In this age of teenage pregnancy, widespread drug addiction and the increasing spread of AIDS, it is difficult to pick the biggest problem facing teenagers today. It is even harder to find solutions. Yet a common denominator in most teenage problems is a lack of self respect and self discipline, along with an absence of morals and principles. We as teenagers must learn to care about ourselves and feel the responsibilities of being a part of the community before many of our teenage problems can be eradicated.
In high schools, teenagers learn facts and figures, often cramming for exams. It is rare for a teenager to dig down deep to find out who they really are. It is important that teenagers honestly evaluate themselves, finding their likes and dislikes, making note of their assets and also weaknesses. Self-respect is made easier when one really knows who one is. Once we have self-respect, respecting others is a natural transition.
Another major problem facing teenagers today is a lack of self-discipline. Whether it is through religion, athletics, or some other avenue, teens must realize that every basic desire cannot be gratified immediately. Part of being human is having the capacity to think into the future and reject basic drives because of future consequences. If a teen is accustomed to sacrificing wants for the sake of a team, or because religion demands it, it will be easier to discipline oneself in a potentially hazardous situation. That one more drink, cigarette, or hour of late night fun will be much easier to pass up if we have made a habit of controlling ourselves.
While self-respect and self-control are two important qualities, perhaps it is most important to look outside oneself to contemplate one 's role. Everyone has the capacity to better the world, and we all have a stake in this. Whether through a kind word or involvement in community, we as teens should use our creativity and high energy to make a positive impact. While often stressed for time, we must not neglect our responsibility. It is our ability to show concern and compassion that distinguishes us as human.
Teenagers face many problems, and lack of self-respect and self-discipline, and sense of community are at the heart of many of them. Teenagers must be helped and help themselves to acquire these character traits that will help to end many teenage problems in the world today. ?
Conceptual Framework
About teen pregnancy
fig. 1- Teen Pregnancy
There wasn 't an author listed for this article but it has a lot of good stats and facts. The worst part of being pregnant will probaby be the cost, which in the US would be atleast $7 billion annually. About 34% of women get pregnant before they reach the age of 20 and thats about 820,000 a year. Eight out of 10 were unintended and 79% were just unmarried. Back in the day before the 1980s teens would most likely have been married before they had gotten pregnant and today most of them are just unmarried. Four out of 10 girls who had a first intercourse at the age of 13 or 14 were reported to be non-voluntary or unwanted. About one-third of pregnant teens receive their high school diploma and 1.5% of them have a college degree by the age of 30. Studies show that 13% of sons end up in prison and 22% of daughters also become teenage mothers. The girls who don 't get pregnant as teens are the ones who say its agains their religious or moral values, to avoid pregnancy, fear of STDs, and not having the appropriate partner. On the other hand 3 out of 4 girls have sex because their boyfriends want them to.
About the causes
fig. 2- Depressed teen
Statement of the Problem
Problems come in two categories: Problems that you have no control over, and problems that come as a consequence of something you have done. Examples of the first category include things like cancer and the death of a parent. You deal with them as they occur as best you can. Examples of the second category include drugs and pregnancy. You prevent these in your own life by being smart and learning the facts ahead of time so you can avoid them. The book The Teenager 's Guide to the Real World is a great place to start learning the facts.
What if you, personally, have a problem? Or one of your friends? It matters, and it is real. It doesn 't matter what the problem is: as soon as it affects you personally in some way, it becomes important.
The first step in solving or coping with a problem (or in helping a friend with a problem) is recognizing that the problem exists. For example, if you have "a problem with drugs," nothing will happen until you recognize that you have the problem. Only you can fix it. That is what makes recognition so important.
Once you recognize that the problem is there, you can begin to understand it and your options. One of the best things you can do is find someone to talk to. That someone might be one of your parents, an adult you trust, a teacher or counselor at school, a minister or priest, or a person on a 1-800 help line (see below). Talking really helps, no matter what your problem is.
Another thing you can do is educate yourself. There is information all over the web to help you learn and understand, as well as all kinds of books. There are also people across the country who want to help. Here are some links to help you get started:
Confusion
Smoking
Understanding Smoking
Sex and Love Addictions
Understanding relationships
Dating Problems
Marijuana: Facts for Teens
Rape, Abuse, Incest
Diseases
Your Journey through Juvenile Hall
ADOL
Love Lines
Teen Advice Online
Teenage is a fundamental stage of life that each human being passes through. Some people face this period of their life strongly and positively, while others face many problems and difficulties. This depends on the environment these young adults live in, their parents, their friends, their living conditions, their education, and many other factors. Teenagers face many problems such as becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, being influenced negatively by their peers, self-image and weight, or even arguments with their parents
Drugs between teenagers is one of the most serious problems, because it causes a change in the behavior of any teenager and a physical change too. Most of the teenagers use alcoholic drinks as a way to escape from their problems. Teenagers might also use them because of their friend 's influence. Poor teenagers might use them too, to forget their cold body and hunger. Alcoholism is a society 's sickness that affects all people, including teenagers and adults. It is considered as a modern way to have fun. Some teens drink alcohol so they can become popular and well-known in their school. People who drink alcohol think that they can forget their problems and travel far away from reality. I think that drinking alcohol is extremely dreadful because it can turn into a long lasting addiction that can harm you psychologically and physically. In other words, when a person drinks, he/she may lose his/her 5 senses, and won’t be able to think.
Teenage is a fundamental stage of life that each human being passes through. Some people face this period of their life strongly and positively, while others face many problems and difficulties. This depends on the environment these young adults live in, their parents, their friends, their living conditions, their education, and many other factors. Teenagers face many problems such as becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, being influenced negatively by their peers, self-image and weight, or even arguments with their parentsDrugs between teenagers is one of the most serious problems, because it causes a change in the behavior of any teenager and a physical change too. Most of the teenagers use alcoholic drinks as a way to escape from their problems. Teenagers might also use them because of their friend 's influence.
Poor teenagers might use them too, to forget their cold body and hunger. Alcoholism is a society 's sickness that affects all people, including teenagers and adults. It is considered as a modern way to have fun. Some teens drink alcohol so they can become popular and well-known in their school. People who drink alcohol think that they can forget their problems and travel far away from reality
I think that drinking alcohol is extremely dreadful because it can turn into a long lasting addiction that can harm you psychologically and physically. In other words, when a person drinks, he/she may lose his/her 5 senses, and won 't be able to think.Most teenagers agree that they will follow a peer 's decision rather than their parents '. Peers are more influential in a teen 's life and tend to have more power than parents. Peer pressure has always been present and will also always be present. It is not a disease or a crime, it is an influence; either a negative or a positive one.
Negative peer pressure is an influence put on a person to do something wrong, or something the person doesn 't want to do. This may be stealing, taking drugs, or other dangerous actions. If someone influences you into doing something like this it is considered a negative peer pressure. This is a major problem in most schools all around the world. Teenagers usually feel peer pressure when they feel unpopular between their friends, or when they want to be accepted in a group of other teenagers. The group is a place where one feels accepted, where he can feel good about himself, where he feels secure.
It increases his self esteem, and it also enhances his self-image. Unfortunately, teenagers who want to be part of these groups, need to follow certain unpleasant routines, such as stealing, smoking, taking drugs, or drinking alcohol. Many times they do things that they would never have imagined themselves doing before meeting a new group of people. Some teens try to make the 'right ' decision so others will admire them. Having parents or other responsible adults they can turn to for help or advice is crucial at this point in a teen 's life.Teenagers might also face self-image or weight problems.
One of the main illnesses that comes from these problems is an illness called anorexia. Anorexia is a sickness that happens most commonly with girls. Girls with anorexia dislike food because they think it makes them obese. Some girls exercise a lot to become skinny when they don 't need to because they are already extremely thin. One reason that makes teens become anorexic is the jealousy of other beautiful and fit girls.
They compare themselves with other thin girls in their classes and wish to become like them. Another reason that makes teens anorexic is watching attractive people on advertisements, TV programs, and movies. Also a teenager might become anorexic because their friends might repeatedly tell them that they are becoming overweight. This illness isn 't a physical illness but a psychological one. The parents should try their best to guide their children to balanced healthy food diets, including some daily exercise.
They should also tell them that anorexia might lead to dangerous results, and might even result in their death.Parenting is a mixture of love and frustration. Surely most parents are, at times, angry and conquered by this annoying emotion. Most mothers and fathers have some time, become furious at her/his child. There are times when there is an urge to physically hurt the child (to spank, hit, or shake him/her). It is hard for the parents to know if their urge to hurt is harmless or dangerous.
However, harming the child physically takes a huge part in the way the children think of life and their own parents. Their teen children might use drugs or alcohol as a method to forget thinking about the problems caused by their parents. This can also lead the child to a lack of self-confidence and depression. The parents must be very careful in treating their children. Hurting their children physically, should be the last punishment any parent would ever think of. Parents must use sensible ways to punish their children, such as forbidding them from their favorite hobby for a certain duration. The parents can also listen and discuss the problems their children are facing.In conclusion, I think that the teenagers are not the only ones who are responsible for all their problems. The responsible people may also be their friends or even their parents.
I also believe that the teenage period of a person 's life is the most important one. It is the time when he receives his education, and learns the right from the wrong. In addition to this, if the teenager collects his bad habits as a teenager, these bad habits might stick to him through his whole life.
As the word 'teenagers ' are mentioned, we will think that it is the most joyous part of our lives. It is true and cannot be denied. However, some of us, teenagers, never have a great moment during high school. Some may have peer problems or probably some stress. Basically teenager’s life in high school is like a self survival in the Amazon forest.
The teenagers in high school usually scared of the first day of school because it is that day that will decide your life throughout high school for the upcoming five years. It is whether you will be famous or anonymous, bullied or praised and happy or stressful. This sort of things is familiar to most teenagers. According to that, teenagers love to take their stress away through eating sweets or heavy food, exercises, meditation and forcing ourselves to laugh. You may wonder why laughing is included. Laughing has been the best medicine for stress overtime. Scientifically, when we laugh or scream, alpha waves from our brain is released, hence relieving our minds free of stress. Don’t you think it is somehow familiar? It’s true; ‘Monster.inc.’ by Disney also uses this concept.
Some of the huge problems with teenagers nowadays are how they handle their social life, social bonding with opposite sex, their health and achievements. I’ll pick one of these topics. Guess health do matters. So I’ll talk about it. Teenagers and health are strongly related. The most famous health problems among teenagers are obesity and diabetes. Teenagers in this era have cause a great deal of concern towards the Ministry of Health of Malaysia as the number of student who are obese is increasing at a fast rate. If these obese students are active and have a healthy routine, the obesity would not give such a huge impact on them. However, for those who are not active and only serve as a bench warmer is the group which have the most concern. They will surprise with their self when every once in awhile they will have a hard time breathing, legs which always cramping and easily catches cold or any other disease. Once you get fat and not having a healthy routine, your antibodies will get weaker.
The obese usually tried to maintain a balance diet to lower their weight. But they never consider their small amount of snack during leisure time or watching television. These little things usually are the cause of obese. Do you know that one cheeseburger takes one hour of simple exercise to burn all of its calories? We should always try to avoid late night snacks, chicken more than once a day, sweets, ice-cream and too much intake of fats or oil in food.
If you usually cook chicken and fish by frying, why don’t you try steaming it? The taste is not such a big difference and it is beneficial for you as it lowers your oil or fats intake. Next try to make eating fruit or vegetables, especially apple and broccoli as a habit. It will make our digestive system cleared. An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. You can also take a tablespoon of honey per day for a clean digestive system and to avoid constipation. Honey actually cleans our intestine. There is an old tip from way back when. If you drink a glass of water mixed with honey and cinnamon powder, you will get thinner.
Besides that you can always try to exercise. Do you what is the best form of exercise to lose huge amount of weight? Let me tell you then. It is by skipping rope. Rumor have it that if you skip for 3 hours in a day for 3 months, you will able to loss 30 kg. By the way, do not ever forget that jogging is also a good form of exercise because when you jog, all your body parts moves. It is the same with skipping. If you don’t have much time to exercise because you are always busy, try some jumping jacks, hasten the pace of your walking, try to take stairs instead of elevator and squat. Exercise has always been the best remedy for obese to be normal weight again and to avoid from easily being sick.
Psychologically, parents needs to always support their children and encourage them to have a healthy routine and life. This motivation will lead the students to care about their health. To lose weight, it needs a strong will and determination plus a set goal for students who are obese to pursuit. How to develop this so called iron will? It is for us to achieve by ourselves.
I didn’t mean that being fat is bad thing because I am quite big myself. But don’t we always have desire to wear cute clothes but they didn’t come in our size, have to squeeze into clothes, not having a wide choices for wardrobe, shoes that is so stylish but too small to fit our feet and for best dress or clothes, it need be tailored. These experiences have always been nightmare for obese and make them sad just by thinking about it. Besides that, their confidence level will be easily compromise except for those who have always been optimistic with everything.
Everyone in this world wants to look their best. No one wants to look ugly. Big people also looks good in certain clothes if you get the proportion correct such as Queen Latifah has always look her best on red carpet at US. Basically teenagers need to be healthy and develop a healthy routine to avoid any problems. For those who is fat, it is important and to just simply stay active to avoid any effects. Who will love ourselves the most if it is not us. Won’t you agree?
We all go through the fire. For teens and college students, the formative years of growing into adulthood often bring stresses and pressures from lots of angles...
Problems at home
Issues at school
Pressure from friends
Lack of confidence from within
Etc.
Hundreds of students shared a personal story in which they faced an obstacle, challenge, issue or problem (big or small) during the school year and shared how they dealt with it when they answered our writing contest prompt...
"I Overcame: What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?"
Scope and Limitations
A growing gap between puberty and adulthood is to blame for high rates of pregnancy, binge drinking, smoking and sexually-transmitted infections among teenagers, experts said yesterday.
Researchers said many problems facing today 's young people were caused by the age at which they reached physical maturity falling while the ages at which they finished education, married and had children increased.
Dr Russell Viner, a consultant in adolescent medicine at the Institute of Child Health, University College, London, said the weakening of the family, community and religion made the difficulties worse.
He and others called for adolescents to be treated more like adults through measures such as lowering the age at which they can vote to 16.
Dr Viner, whose work is published today in The Lancet medical journal, said: "A prolonged adolescence, shaped by powerful socioeconomic forces, has seen new health problems emerge.
"We now have more difficulty in defining the end of adolescence than in the past. It used to be marriage, children and financial independence. These days people are getting married later and the average age of the end of education is getting higher.
"As house prices increase many young people are living with their parents for longer and are financially dependent into their twenties. We have reproductively capable kids but a long period in which they are not psycho-socially aware. We have a society in which the connections between young people and parents, school and other social institutions have become more tenuous."
The age of girls getting their first periods when humans were hunter gatherers - about 20,000 years ago - has been estimated at 12-13.
Changes such as agricultural settlement and then the industrial revolution led to rises in the ages of puberty and when society considered children to be adults.
While the latter continued to increase, the age of puberty dropped in developed countries during the 20th century, as diets improved and poverty rates fell. In the UK girls now have their first period on average in the six months after turning 13.
Since 1970 the proportion of adolescents suffering a range of health problems and engaging in behaviours associated with health dangers has increased dramatically.
Britain has among the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe and while the proportion of smokers has fallen in the general population, it has increased among the young.
The latest Government statistics show almost 7,500 girls under the age of 16 and 39,600 under 18s became pregnant in England in 2005.
Dr Viner said: "We need to re-think all of our age limits for young people. The age of 18 is graven in stone for doing many things but there is little biological validity for this."
Teen suicide has become a major issue in society today. Technology has transformed the world in which we live. Many people consider these developments a gigantic step to help make our lives easier. In reality, the increase in business and production is directly related to the increase in importance of money. People are exposed to a higher stress level in the workplace, in public, and at their own homes then they had been accustomed to previously. Peer pressure from other teens and the expectations of adults and other members of authority continue to cause teens to feel overwhelmed. The pressure to become a financial or political success has been largely placed on today 's generation of youth. These issues might actually drive some adolescents to consider suicide. Other causes of suicide thoughts may include severe depression, recent divorce or family issues, moving to a new community, financial uncertainty, or simply the fear of growing up. In every suicide or suicide attempt case, the reasons vary drastically. However, the increase in teen suicide has made it a main topic for church communities and other groups to speak out against and hopefully find some solutions to the growing problem. I believe that
1. Behavior Problems
Some teenagers ' problems go beyond normal teenager behavior. Some children deal with intense behavior problems, such as refusing to go to school, violent behavior, alcohol and drug abuse or unbearable attitude problems. While these problems can stem from many different sources, parents will need to identify the behavior and create a plan of action to alleviate the behavior issue. Parents can seek the help of a counselor or mental health professional, but if money is a concern, parents can seek help from public programs in their area. In addition, increase parental supervision and involvement can improve a teen 's behavior.
Social Pressure
Teenagers will automatically bond with other teens, and they often seek these teens ' advice on their problems. When a child is a teenager, he seeks independence from his parents, and this can cause a rift in the household. While parents used to hold influence over what a child thought, the teen 's social circle now has a bigger influence.
The Child Development Institute suggests setting boundaries early on and letting teens know what behavior is appropriate and what isn 't OK. That way, when teens are with their influential peer groups, they will know what the consequences for inappropriate behavior are. This allows them to make their own choices and to decide whether or not they want to engage in a behavior that is against the rules. In addition, setting a strict curfew helps parents know that their child will be home at a reasonable time. Breaking the curfew should result in consequences as well, the Child Development Institute says.
Conflict
According to the Child Development Institute, many teenagers no longer respond to a parent 's traditional way of discipline. Because of this, the Institute says that teens and parents often experience conflict. Reducing the dependence on parents and increasing a teen 's independence can alleviate some of this conflict. Once a teen feels that she 's being given some leeway and trust to make her own decisions, she 's less likely to be as prone to conflict.
Significance of the Study
The media have been saturated, in recent years, with articles on the troubles of today 's teens: drugs, drinking, dropping out, pregnancy, gangs, violence in the schools, sexually transmitted diseases, poverty, racism, running away, suicide, AIDS, illiteracy, truancy ... Filled with facts and figures, most articles have addressed these issues from an adult perspective. But what do young people say is their greatest concern? What solutions do they suggest? When teens are truant, is it because they 're tired from working? Or are the classes boring, the teachers indifferent? When they skip school, where do they go, and what do they do? Years ago, students dropped out because of external causes: illness, employment, or the need to help at home. Today, personal frustration, failure, and fear are more likely to be contributing factors. "Nobody is listening, and nobody really cares," says Angie, 18. (Names have been changed to conceal identities. Without anonymity, teens felt they could not give honest answers on the issues without facing possible negative repercussions from parents and teachers), a senior at Newton High School.
Violence and fear Overwhelmingly, students at Newton High point to violence and racism in school as their primary concerns. Their fears closely parallel the concerns expressed by teens nationwide. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, teens are more than twice as likely as adults to be victims of violent crimes. Still, teenagers are most commonly perceived by the public as perpetrators of crime, according to an Oct. 1993 Gallup/CNN poll. Adults actually commit more crimes, statistics show; but criminal activity by youth, increasingly armed and more violent, invokes more fear, the poll showed. Young people are sensitive to the public 's perception of their age group, they say. They resent generalizations suggesting all teens cause trouble. However, teens themselves are subject to fear of their peers. Many admit being afraid, at times, of even going to school. (A 1993 survey of 65,000 teens showed that 37 percent feel unsafe in school -- up from 22 percent in 1989.) "When someone makes a threat against you, you don 't want to go back the next day," says Mark, 15. "The teachers and authorities don 't do anything about it." School authorities are afraid of those who stir up trouble, says Ginger, 19, and are generally unresponsive to students ' complaints. Female students describe incidents in which they have been subjected to uncomfortable intimidation by other students. They get "stared down," they say, while walking down the middle of a crowded hall lined with students making derogatory comments. Two of her friends express similar concerns.
No one 's afraid of the authorities, Ginger says, adding that some students deliberately bring knives or come to school drunk, with the hope of being sent home and having three days off. 'No place to go ' Outside of school, young people say, the biggest problem is that there 's no place for them to go. "Senior citizens have their places to meet" in most communities, one student said. "Kids go to daycare. But there 's no place around here for teenagers to get together." So on Friday and Saturday nights, the dark, vacant parking lot on Highway 278, location of the former Kmart, informally converts to a youth hangout. ... "We don 't have any where else to go, so we hang out here," says Anthony, a former student of Newton County High. "Right here is what we 've got to do," says Rod, pointing to the dark, empty lot. "Anywhere else, you get run off." "The bowling alley closed down. The pool hall closed down. We can 't go to bars. This is all we have," he says. "We used to love to bowl." "The cops come through here and tell us to turn our music down," he says, as a patrol car pulls onto the lot. "We 're a bunch of drunks, drug addicts, that 's how they perceive us. But we 're not hurting anybody." "If the police come up here, they 'll give him (the driver of the car playing loud music) a ticket," says Anthony. "But you can go to a bar and play music as loud as you want," Rod says. "They should give us something to do," says Ginger. "They don 't want us drinking and driving, but we have to go to Athens or Milledgeville for something to do." Teens wish the community would just provide them with a place to go, they say. "They don 't have to serve alcohol. Just a place for music, getting together." Their desire for socialization is both healthy and harmless. Covington police report no recent acts of violence or trouble in the parking lot where local youth gather. A squad patrols the area only when called upon by concerned members of the public, police say. Occasionally an under-age drinker is instructed to pour out an alcoholic beverage, they say, but no arrests have been made. "We understand they have no place to go, and they 're not hurting anyone," one officer says.
At home and in school Young people often don 't want to entertain their friends at home. It is the home to which many teens ' troubles can be traced. Some "parents are like the teachers at school," says Anthony. "They don 't want to listen. If you do something wrong, you get in trouble. If you do something good," they don 't say anything. Nevertheless, some of teens ' troubles are often brought on by themselves. A study published in the Journal of Social Issues found that 90 percent of incidents involving family violence toward teens were preceded by disobedience or arguments with parents. Teens would argue, however -- and justifiably in many a case -- that their behavior is often the result of other contributing factors over which they have no control. According to the American Psychological Commission on Violence and Youth, a history of child abuse, parental indifference or neglect, poverty, family violence, and drug use, among other factors, directly contribute to teens ' violent tendencies. In fact, more than 208,000 teens aged 12 to 17 were reported as victims of family violence in 1990, according to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. Twenty-eight percent of youths in runaway shelters say they were physically or sexually abused before leaving home, according to a 1991 study. However, incidents involving the victimization of teens are severely underreported to child protective agencies, as indicated by a 1993 study of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Statistics show that the rate at which teens were physically abused almost doubled between 1980 and 1986 -- although it is uncertain whether this rise is the result of an actual increase in abuse or simply an increased awareness of the problem on the part of the public. Although poverty undoubtedly is a factor in many a case (financial difficulties lead to stress, to which many respond with violence), statistics show it is not always to blame. According to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, 42 percent of families in which teens were abused earned over $11,000 (1978 dollars) per year. No wonder many teens look to school as an escape from family life. Unfortunately, the violence they flee at home often follows them to the classroom, as well. 'Like going to prison ' "Going to school is like going to prison," Anthony says. "The kids are afraid to go to school because the teachers won 't protect them. They 're afraid they 're going to get killed or hurt. There are guns, knives, racial fights." Schools have already taken on the task of feeding, transporting, counseling, medicating, babysitting, teaching sex education, and performing other responsibilities previously assumed by parents. Is it also the school 's job to patrol and protect? A look at the statistics might suggest the need:
37 percent of teens feel unsafe in school, a 1993 USA Today survey shows;
58 percent said they knew where to get a gun, if they wanted one;
44.2 percent of teenage students had been involved in a physical fight during the previous year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. Daily in the U.S., 15 percent of students carry a gun to school, according to a 1993 Harris survey of sixth through twelfth graders. Homicides committed by 15- through 19-year-olds using firearms rose 61 percent between 1979 and 1989, the American Psychological Association Commission on Violence and Youth reports. According to FBI reports, juvenile firearm-murders rose 79 percent in the past 10 years. The effects of fear and stress of life in today 's society upon teens is evident in the increase of psychiatric admissions among U.S. youth. Teen admissions to psychiatric centers in the U.S. have nearly quadrupled since 1980, writes Lynette Lamb in the March/April 1992 issue of Utne Reader. It would be unrealistic to presume that such fear does not interfere with their education.
School 'frustrating ' School is "frustrating," says Anthony. "Elementary school is supposed to prepare you for high school, and high school is supposed to prepare you for college." But sometimes teachers assume students already know the basics, Anthony says, and aren 't patient enough to explain what they don 't understand. "Copy this, write this, and this is your homework." That 's how Rod describes some of his teachers ' instruction format. "Either everybody understands, or no one does," he says. Many students just "sit there and go to sleep," says Anthony. "The teachers care," he adds, "but don 't want to help. If you get caught doing something, they just want to send you home for there days. They don 't want to keep you in school." Anthony relates an incident in which he asked an Algebra teacher to explain what "a" and "b" represent. "You 'll have to figure that out yourself," the teacher replied. Some teachers are better, the students admit, but too many "don 't care if you understand" the lesson or not, Rod says. "They get paid either way," another says.
"But you get no respect when you confront the school with a problem," another complains, especially if it relates to race.
Fear of their peers With all the troubles teens face today, and the fear of their own peers, is it any wonder they want to skip school? What reasons do they give for being truant? Where do they go? What do they do? "We just don 't want to be there," says Ginger. "We go to somebody 's house and get drunk." "I 'd go to work, or go fishing," says Anthony. "If it 's raining, I 'd go home, go to sleep, go to the malls. I 've skipped school before and they didn 't do anything." "Kids stay out of school because they know they can 't drink in school," he says. "They bring it (alcohol to school) ... or drink so they 'll be sent home. They know they 'll be sent home. They start drinking at 8 a.m." "Others skip because they 're afraid, if someone threatened them," another explains. "I go to school to get away from fighting at home," says Mark. "I get to school, and there 's just more of the same."
Bibliography
-http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/teen-behavior-and-discipline
-http://www.helpguide.org/mental/troubled-teens.htm
-Justine M. de Castro and Company
Teenage Social Issue
Justine M. de Castro
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements in English IV
High School Department
Talisay High School
August, 2013
Approval Sheet
This Research entitled “TEENAGE SOCIAL ISSUE”, prepared and submitted by JUSTINE M. DE CASTRO in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the understanding about the TEENAGE SOCIAL ISSUE has been examined and hereby recommended for approval and acceptance.
Mr. Dennis B. Mangubat
TEACHER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHEET
I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my guide Mr. Dennis B. Mangubat for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this thesis. The blessing, help and guidance given by him time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark. I also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to friends and family, for his/her cordial support, valuable information and guidance, which helped me in completing this task through various stages. I am obliged to staff members of my family, cousins and friends, for the valuable information provided by them in their respective fields. I am grateful for their cooperation during the period of my assignment. Lastly, I thank almighty, my parents, sister, cousins and friends for their constant encouragement without which this assignment would not be possible.
Justine M. de Castro
Table of contents
Chapter 1------------------------------------------------
Problem and its Background
(Teenage Issues)--------------------------------------
Introduction--------------------------------------------
Conceptual Framework------------------------------
(About the Teen Pregnancy)-----------------------
(About the Causes)-----------------------------------
Statement of the Problem----------------------------
Scope and Limitations----------------------------------
Significance of the Study-------------------------------
Bibliography----------------------------------------------
Abstract
An abstract of the thesis of Justine M. de Castro for the knowing about the teens current Issues presented October 20 , 2013 [defense date].
Title: Teenage Social Issue
There are problems in a teenager 's life, but I think they are basically a part of evolution and becoming adult. That actually means that these things are not real problems, but it is just the way of managing them.
Often teachers and parents cannot handle them because they don 't understand and know teenagers, especially their wishes, problems or different moods in a short time. Parents don 't understand that getting adult and more responsible is often pretty hard, so teenagers have to solve their problems first. That 's why they are impolite, unsocial or crazy. They are not selfconfident any more and have to hide that by attacking others.
I think I was or even am a good example of that kind of people. My parents and I argued a lot because the teachers didn 't want me to interrupt their lessons or have fun with other things while the were teaching. But I got useed to these situations so I did hardly improve. Teachers hated me and I hated them, but my parents always helped me getting out of these bad situations. When I went too far they punished me. I was not allowed to use my computer any more, for example, or to go out on weekends.I think both sides, teachers (parents) and teenagers have to find together frequently to talk about their problems, their relationship and what they have to keep alive.
Parents should have a basic understanding for teenagers even when they exaggerate. But teenagers also have to learn to improve and work hard.
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1- Teen Pregnancy Causes---------
Table 2-Causes of Teen Problems--------
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1- Teen Pregnancy------------------
Figure 2- Depressed teen------------------
Bibliography: An abstract of the thesis of Justine M. de Castro for the knowing about the teens current Issues presented October 20 , 2013 [defense date].
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