NCJ Number
181863
Date Published
1999
Length
51 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings of a study of teenagers’ views regarding adults’ performances on a series of youth-related social issues.
Abstract
The Uhlich Children’s Home was interested in developing a public-relations campaign to heighten awareness of youth-related concerns in general and its organization and services specifically. The concept of the campaign was to have teens grade adults’ performances on a series of youth-related social issues. Teens perceived their parents as making an attempt to listen, understand and spend time with their teens. They often perceived their teachers as uncaring, with a lack of respect for students and an unwillingness to help. Of the 19 social issues measured, participants encouraged adults to focus their efforts on four key issues: combating prejudice and racism, listening to and understanding young people, being honest and spending quality time with families. By adults improving their efforts and performances in those four areas, many other issues, almost by default, would be favorably affected. Adults can better influence teens’ decisions on smoking, drinking and using drugs by setting good examples in their own behavior, by having open dialogues with teens and by educating their children at a very young age about the effects and consequences of drug, alcohol and tobacco use. Figures