Transcript Slide 1

Rural youth are:
• Up to 4 times more likely to commit suicide
• Up to 5 times more likely to be involved in a motor
vehicle accident
• Up to 4 times more likely to commit an alcohol
related crime
• Up to 3 times more likely to die from external
causes and injury
• Up to 7 times more likely to become pregnant
• Up to 11 times more likely to experience physical
abuse if female (as compared to males) living in a
rural community
• 1 in 3 rural youth aged 14-19 have been victims of
alcohol related verbal and/or physical abuse
• More likely to use illicit substances
Resilience
 Rather than focusing on the
shortcomings of young people who
are at risk of academic failure, drug
use, or other at-risk behaviors, the
resilience idea attempts to identify
factors that account for success
(Gonzalez, R. & Padilla, M, 1997).
“Resilient children have a positive
attitude toward their environment,
hold a strong sense of purpose,
develop a strong internal strength
enabling them to see life’s
obstacles as challenges that can be
overcome.”
Herbert 1996
Stanley Coopersmith observed
that four basic components of
self-esteem are:
* significance/identity
* competence/achievement
* power, and
* virtue/purpose
Generosity
Independence
Belonging
Mastery
Belonging
Child rearing was not just the province of
biological parents, but children were nurtured
within a larger circle of significant others.
Dr Karl Menninger, observes that today’s children
are desperately pursuing “artificial belongings”
because this need is not being fulfilled by
families, schools and neighbourhoods. Living
with and loving other human beings who return
that love is the most strengthening and
salubrious emotional experience in the world.
The International Youth Foundation put it this way;
" Every young person needs at least one adult who is
irrationally committed to their well-being. Millions of
children grow up virtually alone - disconnected from
adults. No love. No supervision. No positive role
models. Yet these people must still find their way –
they still grow up to become adults. Children can
endure the most miserable conditions - even thrive
in the midst of then when - if they have at least one
loving adult committed to their success.”
New Directions p66
Mentoring happens when adults commit themselves to
young people, not because they have to, but because
they want to.
Urie Boronfenbrenner of Cornell University describes
this as having an "irrational emotional attachment" to a
young person... It is, in Boronfenbrenner's words, "the
illusion that comes with love."
New Directions p66
Emmy E Werner's landmark conclusions were:
“The strongest predictor of resilience (of children who
grow up in abusive situations and then go on to live
productive lives) was an adult mentor outside the
immediate family -- grandmother, a minister for
example -who gave them a sense of being loved and
important.”
Starting Right p147
Research shows that young
people seek help only from
adults that they see as caring
and nurturing.
“The systems in the human brain that allows
us to form and maintain emotional
relationships develop during infancy and the
first years of life. Experiences during this
early vulnerable period of life are critical to
shaping the capacity to form intimate and
emotionally healthy relationships.”
Dr. Bruce Perry
If we wait until a young person is
around 14 or 15 years of age to
address the potential hazards that
face him, that is wait until he has
experimented with drugs, sex or
been severely influenced by many
different media exposures we are
starting much too late.
Social Support
 Lack of social support is associated
with problem behaviors (drug and
alcohol use, delinquent acts) among
youth. Strong social support attenuates
this adverse effect. (McCreary, & Slavine, 1996).
 Social support is often less present in
the lives of youths at risk of school
failure.
(Rickman & Rosenfled, 1998).
Roberts et al., 1995, defined “school
as a community” as a place where
students and teachers care about and
support each other, actively
participate in activities and decisions
relating to school, feel a sense of
belonging and identification within
the school group, and have common
goals and values.
“When students had a high perception of their
school as a community, they tended to read more
outside of school, enjoy reading more, enjoy
class more, like school more, avoid work less,
and were more academically motivated. They
trusted and respected school more, enjoyed
helping others learn more, had higher educational
aspirations, and higher educational expectations.
Academically, they achieved higher on reading
and math achievement tests. In the area of
personal attitudes and behaviours, they had more
concern for others, higher self esteem, and
resolved conflicts better.”
It Takes a Church, p 54
“When teachers had a high perception of their
school as a community they had higher
expectations for student learning, trusted
students more, enjoyed teaching more, were
more satisfied with teaching, and had a higher
overall satisfaction with their job. When the
school climate was rated as having a high
sense of community, the principal was more
competent and supportive, parents were
more supportive, and there were more
positive student-teacher relations.”
It Takes a Church, p54.
Mastery
When the child’s need to be competent is
satisfied, motivation for further
achievement is enhanced; deprived of
opportunities for success, young people
express their frustration through troubled
behaviour or by retreating in helplessness
and inferiority.
A child’s self value is based upon their
perception of how you value them.
Independence
In contrast to “obedience” models of
discipline, Native child rearing is
strongly influenced by the principle of
guidance without interference. Elders
teach values and provide models, but
the child is given increasing
opportunities to learn to make choices
without coercion.
“Well-regulated freedom” was
designed to give the child abundant
opportunity to learn from experience
and natural consequences In this
manner, the child who has been given
responsibility to make his own
decisions in childhood would become
a responsible, disciplined adult.
“Adolescents need oases
- places where they can go and make mistakes
and be imperfect
- places where they can test themselves in the
presence of safe, caring, and accepting adults
and peers.
An adolescent who is given the zip-it silencing treatment,
learns quickly not to experiment or trust himself.”
Starting Right p308
“It is clear that young people grow to maturity by
being around those people who have such maturity
themselves. Margaret Mead, the renowned
anthropologist, warned of the dangers of what she
called a co-figurative culture a culture in which all
learning is horizontal, and little or no learning
comes from an older and wiser generation.”
Starting Right p144
Anthropologist Ruth Benedict,
criticised our culture for
excluding youth from
responsibility only to blame them
for their irresponsibility
Generosity
Long before he could participate in
the hunt, a boy would look forward
to that day when he would bring
home his first game and give it to
persons in need.
Today, little is asked of young people except
that they be consumers. A vast industry
serves youth with schooling, entertainment
and goods of all kinds, but there are limited
opportunities for the young themselves to
produce goods and services for others.
Deprived opportunities for genuine
productivity, lured into consumptive roles,
young people come to believe that their lives
make little difference to the world.
More and more people today have
the means to live but no meaning
to their existence.
Belonging
Normal
Attached
Loving
Friendly
Intimate
Gregarious
Cooperative
Trusting
Belonging
Distorted
Gang Loyalty
Craves Affection
Craves Acceptance
Promiscuous
Clinging
Cult Vulnerable
Overly Dependent
Absent
Unattached
Guarded
Rejected
Lonely
Aloof
Isolated
Distrustful
Mastery
Normal
Achiever
Successful
Creative
Problem-Solver
Motivate
Persistent
Competent
Mastery
Distorted
Overachiever
Arrogant
Risk-Seeker
Cheater
Workaholic
Delinquent Skill
Absent
Nonachiever
Failure Oriented
Avoid Risks
Fears Challenges
Unmotivated
Gives Up Easily
Inadequate
Independence
Normal
Autonomous
Confident
Assertive
Responsible
Inner Control
Self-discipline
Leadership
Independence
Distorted
Dictatorial
Reckless/Macho
Bullies Others
Sexual Prowess
Manipulative
Rebellious
Defies Authority
Absent
Submissive
Lacks Confidence
Inferiority
Irresponsible
Helplessness
Undisciplined
Easily Led
Generosity
Normal
Altruistic
Caring
Sharing
Loyal
Empathetic
Pro-social
Supportive
Generosity
Distorted
Noblesse Oblige
Plays Martyr
Co-Dependent
Over involvement
Servitude
Bondage
Absent
Selfishness
Affectionless
Narcissistic
Disloyal
Hardened
Antisocial
Exploitative
Mending the Broken Circle
One may need to answer questions like these:
Is this revenge by a child who feels rejection?
Is this frustration in response to failure?
Is this rebellion to counter powerlessness?
Is this exploitation in pursuit of selfish goals?
One cannot mend the circle of courage
without understanding where it is broken.
In a conversation with his aging
grandfather, Belleroe posed the
question, “Grandfather, what is the
purpose of life?” After a long time
in thought, the old man looked up
and said, “Grandson, children are
the purpose of life. We were once
children and someone cared for
us, and now it is our time to care.”
“We don’t teach a kid how to
become resilient. We surround
them with social support and a
loving and caring environment, we
learn their names and greet them
personally taking a few moments to
talk one on one, and we develop
enduring relationships with them”
It Takes a Church, page 4
“But suppose that they look at the model and find a
person with whom they can truly identify.
Suppose they find a warm, loving, accepting,
compassionate heart. Suppose they find high
personal standards coupled with a great
understanding of human weakness in others.
Suppose they find one who has purpose in life, who
knows where they are going, and who journeys on
their way with a song on their lips and a radiance on
their face.
Will they not say, " That's what I want let me follow
you. Teach me how to find the richness of life that
you have found.”
Do you know the names of the children who live next
door to you, who live in your street?
Do you regularly engage them in conversation?
Do you do most of the talking or most of the
listening?
Are you a significant adult in the lives of the children
within your circle of social contact?
You may be the single most important factor within a
child’s life that protects them from risk.
“Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has.”
Anthropologist Margaret Mead