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Analysis of Student-Delegate Survey
by Larry LeFlore, Ph.D.
Program Center Director
Center for 4-H and Youth, Family, and Adult Development Parents and home environments have a tremendous influence on youth and their development. The data suggest that youth may have great concern for what is going on in their
homes and with their parents. However, the data do not shed light on what is going on within the home environment and with parents. In some ways these data beg the question, "What is the dynamic of
parent/child relations and the environmental state of homes/families from a youth's perspective? These are questions for another time, however, if we are serious about really including parents/family environments in a
comprehensive strategy to help youth in the educational process, we would be at an advantage if we understood this unit and the issues that describe it. With regards to families as well, the youth of this survey may be ones with good relationships with their parents. They report that parents are available to them for
discussion of issues/concerns. This researcher of family and youth development questions, "Does that availability extent to participation in the educational process?" The concern is even with this survey, "Are we
touching the youth who are most at risk?" Did those youth participate in this survey? Thus, what may be differences in their report of causes, solutions, and concerns as they relate to teen violence? These are the
questions that those working with youth should continue to ask and to do so with the sensitivity to the diversity of youth participating in our schools/educational processes.The data also suggest that youth are of
the opinion that there is a need for school persons to pay attention to them as human beings. The implications are that youth have feelings, they should be valued, they have worth, but these may not be clearly
reflected in the culture/practices of the school environment or relationships with their teachers. Punitive measures and overprotection types of strategies are not regarded as the most ideal ways to help youth and
reduce violence. Rather, strategies that are proactive and respect them as individuals are suggested, as evidenced in the suggestion for conflict resolution, after school care programs, and the provision of
safe environments where they can hangout. The data suggests that youth acknowledge that they have problems in development as evidenced in the concern that teachers, parents, and others don't intervene in lives
of at risk youth until it is too late. I different words, it appears that youth are saying parents, teachers, and others are reactive in their efforts to assist them. Recommendations School officials
and others may find it most beneficial to increase after school-care programs for elementary and junior high school youths. There are several federal and private initiatives that are addressing youth issues from
this perspective and with success. In addition, there are the Children, Youth and Families at Risk initiatives that provide many creative opportunities, among them are efforts to engage schools, families and
communities in the educational process of youth. School officials and policy makers are encouraged to examine the value of and support when appropriate the initiatives of Healthy Youth 2000 the National
Institute of Child health and Human Development's ADD Health study, Reducing the Risk: Connections that Make a Difference in the Lives of Youth. Schools need to be better connected with children. This
latter set of initiatives suggests a prescription for this. Moreover, they build on the resiliency of youth, while helping them to overcome the brunt of risk factors in their environments, families and
communities. Furthermore, schools that are connected with youth are ones where teachers and school officials are models of hope, fairness, and inspiration. They are environments in which youth sense the
security to accept their personal surfeits and deficits and to develop their potential. Some specific recommendations are: to establish policies and practices to ensure that schools and classrooms reflect the best
examples of justice and democracy in their organization and their operation and in the rules and regulations governing student conduct; establish and implement law related education programs; establish and implement
character education curricula; and improve social service, counseling, and guidance programs in the school. School officials are encouraged to examine the balance between providing atmospheres that prevent rule
violations and environments that are overly focused on controlling youth behavior. Conversely, youth seem to appreciate the value of discipline in school as suggested in their (43.9%) report that it is the fourth
best solution in addressing teen violence. It is the nature or form of the discipline that is the question. Given youth's desire to be recognized as human beings, it seems that students may benefit from
those discipline strategies that include, first, clearly defined rules and regulations, appropriate sanctions that fit the rule violation, and fairly administered and celerity of punishment. |
