The Problem with Juveniles - Essay Example

After 5:00 pm, at the corner market, you will find large masses of adolescents and teenagers congregating outside of the building. Until well after midnight, outside of the community convenience store, youths are simply standing in front of the doors dissuading shoppers from entering the building with rather intimidating and unusual behaviors. Are these youths involved in charitable activities or even socializing for lack of a more appropriate social venue? No. Each individual juvenile apparently seems to be unaware of the presence of their peers, simply leaning against the commercial centers staring off into space or tossing copper pennies against the concrete.

There is a serious problem with the psychological well-being of community juveniles who are illustrating both anti-social behavior and disinterest in typical youth socialization. During this development period, it is normal for youths who are seeking identity through peer associations to engage in a variety of social recreation activities ranging from skateboarding to sleepovers. In most communities, youths can be witnessed riding bicycles, playing sports, and maintaining close-knit cliques as they form typical peer networks of support and friendship.

In this community, youths are much like zombies, expressing very little desire for seeking peer support and generally illustrating very little emotion normal for a well-adjusted youth. It leaves adults in the community wondering where local support for adolescent and teen recreation has been in recent years. Are there little league teams available for membership? Do school officials advocate and promote the importance of extra-curricular activity for better social adjustment? Are parents encouraging juveniles to seek regular peer activities?

Where is the business sponsorship of sporting events for adolescents and teens that are common in other communities across the nation? It is not my intention to point my proverbial finger at the adults in this community, however there is clearly disengagement between grown-ups and youths occurring and it is creating a generation of young people without the collective and social mentality needed for successful transition as leaders of tomorrow’s community. Sports and peer networking are critical aspects as they create a sense of belonging which, ultimately, leads to self-confidence and self-esteem under many trusted and respected models of psychology and sociology.

Think backwards to your own youth experience and count the volume of times that you were able to rely on peer networks during periods of emotional confusion and depression. If these youths are unable to engage one another in the here-and-now, what legacy do you think this will leave ten years from now? Twenty? Maladjusted teens and adolescents have very long-term implications for all of us in the community. It is high time that adult citizens, businesspersons, school governance, and community governance assemble to discuss this very serious problem with juvenile disconnection.

Most communities maintain recreational centers with special activities targeted at juvenile-aged youths to promote more effective socialization and establish networks of supports with same-aged juveniles and respected adult community figures. I know it is quite easy to simply purchase a television and gaming system as a means of entertaining youths, however they are clearly abandoning these options since they are ever-present standing outside of commercial businesses like mindless and automated robots, seemingly desperate for someone in the community to notice they are greatly in need.

Well, fortunately for these youths I recognize their troubling situation and strongly propose that all of us adults come together to provide adequate solutions before it is too late.