Youth
at Risk Behaviour
by
Corinna Stevenson
Looking
back on my life as a teenager with the experience and
perspective of an adult, I had it pretty good. I had wonderful
parents who worked hard to provide me with opportunities
and supported my goals, athletic and academic. I was healthy,
I had fun, and in general my teenage memories are more
positive than not. I have come to realize that my childhood
was very privileged.
Since then, I've always had a very strong belief in the
good of humanity and the vast potential of young people.
My experience in working with youth, and youth at risk,
from all walks of life has taught me that kids, even the
most difficult behavioural cases, are simply kids. They
all share the same hopes, dreams, desires, and fears.
So what is it that causes one young person to thrive and
make good decisions while the other takes a different
path?
Despite
the adult perspective that youth is the best time of life
and teenagers should consider themselves lucky, all teens
experience stress. Everyday they worry about big issues.
They worry about death or illness of loved ones, divorce,
getting hurt, rejection, peer pressure, decisions about
drug use, getting a driver's license, unemployment, poverty,
moving to a different town, relationships with family,
conflicts with authority figures, achievement, sex, school,
the future, and so many other worries that would even
cause adults to cry under the pressure. Teenagers, like
adults, have a lot of big issues and, like adults, they
all deal with stress differently. The difference between
adults and teens is that the younger set hasn't gained
the coping mechanisms or the life experience to truly
comprehend the long-term consequences of their behaviour.
Youth
at risk behaviour can manifest itself in many ways. Some
troubled teens will display major changes in image and
personality or will gravitate to a negative peer group.
Others will become defiant or rebellious. Some youth at
risk will process their stress through displays of anger,
frustration, and dishonesty. Others might begin experimenting
with drugs, alcohol, or illegal activities. Youth at risk
can appear unmotivated and unreasonable. It is not uncommon
for them to simply opt out, seemingly not to care. Youth
at risk behaviour is often extremely selfish and risk-oriented.
To those who care, it's hard to understand why youth at
risk would engage in behaviour that is so clearly self-destructive.
They
are simply struggling to find a way to cope.
Youth
at risk are generally young people who do not have the
coping mechanisms to deal with their life stresses in
a positive manner. They are simply good kids making bad
decisions that can eventually spiral out of control.
Wilderness
adventure programs provide youth at risk with a positive
way of coping with teenage stress. They bring kids to
some of the most beautiful wilderness areas of North America
and present them with a different perspective; one that
is based on respect for oneself and for all living things.
They provide youth at risk with an opportunity to slow
down and appreciate the small things in life - the beautiful
song of a bird or the view of a star-filled night sky
can have the power to release every day stresses. The
wilderness experience makes youth at risk part of a team
and gives them a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
It empowers them and provides them with positive strategies
for dealing with the stresses that they will face when
they return home.
I
look forward to a future of helping youth at risk find
their coping mechanisms through wilderness adventure,
and sharing my belief in the potential that exists within
them.
