| Generation why bother |
From YouthTRAIN on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 @ 1:52 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 The Dominion Post, 8 March 2008
A Wellington rugby report says pupils are passive, lack commitment and are no longer go-getters. Are those aged under 25, and dubbed Gen Y, actually Generation Why Bother? But are any of those accusations likely to get teenagers shaking in their boots? Or are they more likely to raise a cynical eyebrow from the comfort of the couch and shrug off the complaint with an apathetic "Whatever", adding fuel to the adage that youth is wasted on the young? Or is the charge, in fact, an undeserved slur against the motivations of pupils aged between 14 and 18? more...
The article provides a sporting body's perspective on the characteristics of today's young people. I doubt that the drop in numbers playing rugby necessarily justify the observations, especially given that the number of young people playing soccer is increasing. Danyon Loader, double Olympic swimming champion makes the observation ""Not only [are they] different from when I was growing up, or the generations before me were growing up, but [it is] also different for each person. In order to work with them, it is a matter of tapping into what will get them in the water and off the couch."
The article ends with an insightful quote that could equally be applied to youth ministry: ""We actually have to understand these young people before we design programmes for them. If we think we're all going to have our children play sport like we used to, then we've got another think coming." |
| Private school teens binge drink more |
From YouthTRAIN on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 @ 1:05 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 The Press, 13 March 2008
Teenagers from Christchurch's single-sex, fee-paying schools are particularly prone to binge drinking, surveys suggest. Investigations of hazardous drinking in Canterbury, South Canterbury and the West Coast have been presented to the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB). They paint what some members considered a concerning picture of youth drinking culture. more...
According to the article, "one in three Canterbury teenagers is consuming at least five alcoholic drinks at a time" with those in private schools consuming proportionately more because of greater access to money students enjoy. Presumably these figures are reflective of many areas in NZ. |
| 'Big talk' on sex is not enough |
From YouthTRAIN on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 @ 12:54 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 NZ Herald, 7 March 2008
Parents should consider having repeated discussions with their children about many aspects of sex instead of one "big talk" on impersonal topics linked to sexuality such as puberty, American researchers say. "Parents who take a checklist approach to broadening their sexual discussion with their children are unlikely to have as great an influence ... as parents who introduce new sexual topics and then develop them through repeated discussions," said their report published in the journal Pediatrics. more...
Do "broader" sexual discussions between young people and their parents lead them to be more likely or less likely to experiment? This research on which this article is based argues the latter but raises further questions for me. The article states "The more parents talked with their children, the closer their relationships." Could it not also be argued that the closer the relationship the more parents talked with their children? And the closer the relationship the less likely young people are to become involved sexually at a younger age? |
| Angst-ridden teens have different brain structures: study |
From YouthTRAIN on Monday, March 3, 2008 @ 2:03 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 Sydney Morning Herald, 26 February 2008
A study published Monday found that teens who regularly get into fights with their parents have significantly different brain structures than their more laid-back peers. Australian researchers mapped the brains of some 137 early teens and then videotaped them during "problem solving" conversations with their parents about disagreements over issues like homework, bedtimes, or Internet and mobile phone use. "What we found was there was actually a relationship between the size and the structure of the various parts of the brain and the way the kids behave in these interactions," said lead researcher Nicholas Allen of the University of Melbourne... more
In relation to adolescent development, what's particularly interesting is the belief that the emotions in these young people are developing much faster than are the parts of the brain that help them to manage those emotions. |
| Generation Y ditches TV for net |
From YouthTRAIN on Monday, March 3, 2008 @ 1:52 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 NZ Herald, 26 February 2008
Surfing the web is replacing television as the medium of choice for young adults, according to a new overseas survey. The survey, commissioned by social networking website MySpace and conducted by UK-based analyst The Future Laboratory, found a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds had reduced their television watching in favour of social networking on the web... more
As if you needed it, some hard evidence that young people are looking increasinly to the internet for entertainment, a trend that looks set to continue with more TV programmes available for download. |
| Being there for the teens in trouble |
From YouthTRAIN on Monday, March 3, 2008 @ 1:24 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 NZ Herald, 9 February 2008
When trouble breaks out on the streets of South Auckland, Dr John Newman is at the centre of the system that tries to pick up the pieces.As clinical director of Middlemore Hospital's Centre for Youth Health, he sees the kids who get referred for addictions, mental health issues and simply being in need of care and protection. Often he sees youngsters who have no effective family... more
An article that examines the value of mentoring - lots of inspiring stories to reflect on. |
| Textonyms, adaptonyms and cellodromes |
From YouthTRAIN on Monday, March 3, 2008 @ 12:58 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 NZ Herald, 7 February 2008
R U cycle? Book! Fancy an adds down the sub? There's a gr8 new carnage. It may look like gobbledegook, but the most streetwise of teenagers would have no trouble translating and responding to it in kind. A new language is being developed by mobile phone-addicted kids based on the predictive text of their treasured handsets... more
Help for those of us struggling to stay in touch with techno-lingo! |
| Oh boy - answers on teen anger |
From YouthTRAIN on Monday, March 3, 2008 @ 12:54 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 Sydney Morning Herald, 9 February 2008
After years of trial and error, a psychologist and author says he has a way to bring angry teenage boys back to civility - gently. Michael Currie was conducting a meeting for aggressive teenage boys at a Newcastle high school about two years ago when things got out of control. This fact alone was hardly unusual given Currie, who approaches school principals with the plea "give me all your problematic angry boys" and often cops a degree of suspicion in return. The episode is only memorable because of Currie's handling or, more accurately, his mishandling of it... more
Currie has a number of useful suggestions. He advocate dealing with adolescent anger "by an understanding of the nature of anger and its genesis, by taking an authoritative but not authoritarian stance, by drawing out knowledge implicit in the boy's speech, and by intervening where necessary following a set of principles rather than rigid rules" |
| Still Crazy after All These Years |
From YouthTRAIN on Monday, March 3, 2008 @ 2:13 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 by Dick Tubbs (Journal of Student Ministries)
“He’s how old?” According to one of my future “stars,” that was his reaction when his dad came home and announced my hiring to my present position. That was twelve years ago, and I was just shy of 50 at the time. Since I was a kid myself when I started working with kids, next summer will mark my 46th year, as volunteer and professional, with younger folks. And I still love it... more
Subtitled "Lessons from almost half a century of youth ministry" there is a lot of great advice from a true youth ministry veteren. Well worth a read. |
| Avoiding Burnout |
From YouthTRAIN on Monday, March 3, 2008 @ 2:04 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 by Becky Jackson (Journal of Student Ministries)
Longevity-something every rookie youth pastor strives to achieve in only one church during his or her lifetime.Our first jobs often find ourselves dreaming of seeing the toddlers graduate from high school during the time we’re there. We often look to the veterans-the Duffy Robbinses and the Walt Marcums of the world-and remain in awe of them, wanting to find out exactly what they did to maintain their longevity in youth ministry... more
This article contains a number of practical suggestions for avoiding burnout such as balance, priorities, friendships and rest. |
| Why I’m Not Going Back to that Youth Group |
From YouthTRAIN on Sunday, March 2, 2008 @ 8:49 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 by Alec McKee - 13 years old (Journal of Student Ministries)
Have you ever noticed how good memories always stick to your mind like glue? It feels like they are the strongest memories you have. But they aren’t. Bad memories are stronger. That’s why I’ll never forget my experience with that youth group...more
Take a look at this insiders look at youth ministry through the eyes of a 13 year old. How different is your youth group when it comes to making newcomers feel welcome? |
| Those teens who walk with God tend to have a big helping heart, too |
From YouthTRAIN on Sunday, March 2, 2008 @ 8:39 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 Sydney Morning Herald, 27 January 2008
Almost a third of Australian teenagers do not have any religious beliefs, new research has revealed. And academics from Monash University and the Australian Catholic University found those with serious spiritual and religious beliefs were likely to donate more money, participate more in their communities and be more concerned about their society than their non-religious counterparts... more
A telling comment at the end of the article notes that "A University of Queensland study found that moving away from traditional beliefs to "trendy", self-focused religions was not making young adults happier." |
| Heavy drinking tied to heart risks later |
From YouthTRAIN on Sunday, March 2, 2008 @ 8:17 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 2008
People who drink heavily in their youth may have a higher risk of developing a collection of risk factors for heart disease and stroke, new research suggests.In a study that examined the lifetime drinking habits of more than 2,800 adults, researchers found that those who drank heavily in their teens and young adulthood were more likely to have metabolic syndrome than those who drank more moderately throughout adulthood...more
Some interesting stats and facts about the dangers of alcohol. Worth reading and passing this information on to your young people. |
| News comment: Teen boasts five sexual partners in a night |
From YouthTRAIN on Wednesday, August 29, 2007
in the "Blog" Category.
 East And Bays Courier, 22 August 2007
"She's 15, has been sexually active since she was 13, admits to having had an abortion and to having unprotected sex with five boys in one night. Her boyfriend found out from friends she told. He wasn't one of the five. She finds it funny, saying she is young and should be able to 'be young', and also says she was drunk. Her now ex-boyfriend is worried about sexually transmitted disease. Her five other partners may never think to have a check-up. This girl is real." more...
There is a lot of valuable insights in this article for young people - youth workers may even want to use at least some of it (being age appropriate) with their young people - either to pass the information on or to use it as the basis for discussion. It not only talks about the physical dangers - sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy - but also the psychological damage that occurs when young people become sexually active. |
| News comment: Parents urged to listen to teens |
From YouthTRAIN on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 @ 11:25 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
 Eastern Courier, 20 August 2007
"School counsellors arming students with strategies to deal with teenage growing pains say parents need to get more involved. A number of teenagers lack adult mentors in their life and turn to their peers for advice only to get mixed messages, says Botany Secondary College guidance counsellor Barbara Divehall. "So many families haven't time to talk to one another," she says. "Some have lost the art of just listening." more...
Some good advice here and encouragement over the important role youth workers can play as role models for young people. The lack of such people won't stop young people seeking advice from their peers, but it may provide wisdom and balance when they receive bad advice.
But for this to happen we need to cultivate communication with our teens. The charge that many families don't have time to talk to each other may be levelled at us as youth workers too. We can be so busy planning programmes that we fail to plan "down time" - those times where we can just hang out with our young people and talk with them in non-programme settings. Often the time before or after a youth programme can be at least as valuable as the programme itself. It's at these times we are available to relate and to listen, letting young people know we are interested in them as people and not just attendees at a programme or members of a group. |
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