NCJ Number
115911
Date Published
1988
Length
59 pages
Annotation
This guidebook provides activities to help adolescents make helpful and constructive decisions about the transition to young adulthood and independent living.
Abstract
The decisions that young adults are faced with are discussed, and types of decisionmaking styles are differentiated. A five-step guide to making good decisions is explained and illustrated. These steps include asking what decision must be made, listing options, thinking about consequences, choosing a workable solution, and evaluating the decision. The role of values and goals in decisionmaking is elucidated, and exercises are provided to help the adolescents examine their goals, decide on some personal goals, consider how to reach these, and anticipate consequences. Seeking adult support in making decisions then is discussed in terms of family, work, community, school, and social service resources; and roadblocks to getting adult support are identified. The ways in which peers can help in preparation for adulthood are evaluated, and means for distinguishing between helpful and harmful peer influence are discussed. Finally, the adolescents' possible role in the community is addressed. Community agencies that can offer support to young adults are discussed, and exercises provide practice in finding and using community resources. Each chapter includes exercises, a review, and an evaluation.