NCJ Number
81294
Date Published
1980
Length
38 pages
Annotation
Based upon conversations with residents of five representative neighborhoods in Chesterfield County, Va., problems of youth and related family problems are identified, and a strategy for dealing with them is proposed.
Abstract
County residents interviewed included parents and children, school principals, mental health and recreation staff, social service caseworkers, public health nurses, day care center directors, county planners, librarians, ministers, judges, and police. Three general problem areas bearing upon youth development in the county were identified: the disorganization and deterioration of the family, the individual child or parent who has difficulty coping with his/her environment, and relationships between parents and children and between children and their peers which do not provide proper guidance and nurturance. Specific problems found were children's failure to learn responsibility and the value of property, pressures on youth to mature rapidly, children's lack of respect for authority, inadequate guidance in the experiences of love and intimacy, broken homes, poor communication between parents and children, and the negative influence of the peer culture. A significant underlying problem was family members' difficulty in meeting ideals set for themselves because of constraints in their daily lives, such as patterns of time-consuming commutes to and from work and the segregation of youth and adults for educational and productive purposes. The general strategy proposed is to help parents and children become aware of what is happening in their lives; provide alternatives or catalysts to family closeness; and encourage other agencies, both public and private, to become more involved in youth development. Particular programs within this general strategy are suggested. Three references are listed.