Adolescent Issues in Human Relations - Sexual Abuse - Essay Example

Topic: Adolescent Issues in Human Relations: Sexual Abuse Adolescent issues like sexual abuse, drug abuse, and gang membership are quite demanding in nature. Adolescent being part of the society at large, they feel crippled and an unimportant part of the society when sexually abused. Some symptoms common in sexually abused adolescent are addiction, depression, anxiety, obesity, eating disorders, chronic physical pain, and self injury (INFOCUS). Healing is very crucial to reclaiming the sexually abused adolescent back to the community and society where they belong to. There are numerous means to provide the healing touch so that the abused feel themselves a part of the community. Counselors need to search talent and things of interests among the abused for them to reclaim their self identity. Some skill sets inherent in the abused, which could be strength-based or some positive features of their youth building can bring them back to the normal path of life. According to Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Van Bockern, 2002, the Circle of Courage is the key to reclaiming the young through the resilience code. There are four crucial elements of the Circle of Courage, namely Belonging, Mastery, Generosity, and Independence but the U-turn is obstructed by anger, loneliness, and doubt (Seita, 2006). It is seen that sexually abused adolescent even if talented feel and exhibit a sense of wariness, defiance, and distrust to the counselor, as in the movie Good Will Hunting, the character of the movie, Will Hunting exhibits. He feels enraged by the early abuse and rejection. He always remains fearful of the advances of love so that he may not get cheated. When sent to the psychologist Sean, Will shows enmity towards him but Sean remains unaffected by the temper of Will and keeps on finding the hidden talent in the abused Will (Seita, 2006). Seita (2006) has shared his own experiences of defiant behavior in a treatment camp for troubled kids in Hell, Michigan. Initially he never participating in camp activities, once tried to ski in water but failed miserably. Then the person by the name of Mr. Lambert talked to him and didn’t mind Seita’s insulting behavior and kept on talking about different sport activities without any interest and participation from Seita. Then as the topic changed to baseball, hot discussion started between the two on the future of the teams, baseball being the most favorite game was the weak point of Seita. Thus, change happened to Seita due to keen interest shown by Mr. Lambert. Later Seita became a major league baseball player and is currently a college professor the credit of which Seita gives to Mr. Lambert for his keen interest and talent search in the sexually abused Seita who had cut off from the mainstream society and was qualified as troubled after failing in at least 15 foster care homes. It shows that sexually abused adolescent if counseled can be brought back in the mainstream when their hidden talents get explored. The abused should be counseled with positive outlook, not with pessimism. Negative attitude will blur the positive virtues but the searching of talent and letting it grow and flourish can miraculously bring positive change in the personality of the abused, as Goethe said, “We must search for the kernel of virtue hidden in every flaw” (Seita, 2006). Real alternatives to the adolescent issues need to be searched as discussed in “Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future,” by Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Van Bockern in 2002. For that Brendtro et al. have stressed on the testing of prevalent theories, models, and methods followed in programs on alternative education of the sexually abused adolescent, as mostly they backfire wasting the resources put in to reclaim the abused (Olive, 2003). There is need to investigate the strength based strategies that can derive value from the inherent traits of the abused youth. It is of utmost importance that we apply such strategies that enable the abused to mingle with the community around, get ample caring and healing opportunities and get back to the family fold where they belong to, as described in Reclaiming Youth at Risk by Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Van Bockem, in 2002. This way they will grow, get education, and cured of the stigma that becomes a part of their personality. One may question the effect of alternative education in the midst of practices based on strength based strategies. Such programs and settings need to be developed that attend positively to the needs of the sexually abused youth (Olive, 2003). The number of sexually abused youth has been on the increase to the extent of multiplying. Before putting them into alternative settings, it is very important to segregate them on their academic and behavioral indicators. Their experiences in alternative settings must be such, as Seita (2006) had undergone, that result in life changing positive gain. If alternative programs provide inner strength and add to the experiences of the counselors and professionals for further adding value in such programs, the challenges are worth to be taken for providing actually meaningful and life changing alternatives (Olive, 2003). We need to see outside the limited range of programs’ current point and level systems. Just as in life it happens that we repair broken things; we don’t throw them away. By introducing changes in the therapies and programs, we can work wonders to these suffering souls. The very basis of the circle of courage is change for the better. Quoting examples of others provides a mirror through which one can see how change is crucial for living a new life full of positive attitude, as in the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the movie Star Trek: Nemesis, to his clone that being a human is “the potential to make yourself a better man ... to make yourself more than you are.” Thus, change in the treatment programs for better results is very crucial (Pike, Millspaugh, DeSalvatore, 2005). There is another angle of the adolescent issues related to the role of the law maintaining agency and the judiciary. It creates difficult situations for the victims. According to the report, “Law enforcement needs more education, awareness, and attitude change. What the victims ‘were doing that night’ is called into question—which makes it difficult for the victims to go through the system.” Coming to the stats, take a view of the report sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety on sexual abuse. On an average out of 100 rapes committed, only 39% are reported to the police, only 51% of the reported rapes result in the arrest of the accused persons, only 80% of the arrested are prosecuted, felony conviction happens to only 58% of the prosecuted cases, and only 69% of the convicted defendants are put in jail. According to the National Center of Policy Analysis done in 1999, there is only a 16% chance that the rapists will be imprisoned. Including the number of unreported rape cases, the percentage of rapists serving prison comes to 6 out of 100. Conclusion: Reclaiming the sexually abused youth who are at the risk of living with the abuse throughout their lives is vital not only for their cause but also for the society and the humanity sake. There is need to practice new strategies, making new experiments, which happen to be the real alternative therapies for changing the directions of their lives for their better. Counselors need to be more tactical, patient, engaging, non-offensive, and caring to identify the virtues and values dear to the abused to bring change in the abused person, as Mr. Lambert happened to bring in Seita by discussing baseball, Seita’s favorite game. References: Infocus. (2009). Focus Adolescent Services. Abuse: Sexual. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from http://www.focusas.com/Abuse-Sexual.html. Minnesota Department of Public Safety. A Wilder Research Report. (July, 2007). Critical issues in sexual assault. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from http://www.ojp.state.mn.us/publications/2007-07_SexualAssault_WilderReseach.pdf Olive, Edna. (2003). Real Alternatives. The International Child and Youth Care Network, 12(2). Retrieved September 23, 2009, from http://www.cyc-net.org/journals/rcy-12-2.html#edits Pike, D.R., Millspaugh, C.M., Desalvatore, G. (2005). Controlling Behavior or Reclaiming Youth? Creating a Behavior Management System Based on the Circle of Courage. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 13. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=K5SJqGNyzHTL1QJKrykTvQJ875cVLlmGWpbKxG6JK2hF2sTLGvGh!-1166003761!-1951582640?docId=5009370181 Seita, John R. (2006). Troubled but Talented: Finding Hidden Strengths. The International Child and Youth Care Network, 14(4). Retrieved September 23, 2009, from http://www.cyc-net.org/Journals/rcy-14-4.html Read More