Dr. Val FarmerDr.Val
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Rural Mental Health & Family Relationships

Finding Hope For America's Youth

November 11, 1996

In a previous column, I outlined some startling facts from a new book, "The State of Americans: This Generation and the Next." Uric Brofenbrenner, a developmental psychologist from Cornell University, summarized the book's main points:

  • Since 1973, the American economy has stalled for all but the wealthiest of Americans. The middle class has been hurt but the poor have been hurt the most. The percentage of children living in poverty has increased. The increase is mainly among poor single mother families, both black and white.
  • Today, children are being born to white single mothers in the same sharp rise in percentage as black single mothers families had in the early 70s. Poverty and teenage births among single parents, both black and white, form a deadly combination that takes on a dynamic of its own. It produces poverty as well as being a product of it.
  • The social problems in American society are much worse among children from single parent families and disrupted families. These include adolescent sexual activity, adolescent pregnancy, smoking, drinking, drugs, suicide, vandalism, violence and criminal acts along with a cynical attitude toward work and education. Children from these families are more likely to feel angry, alienated and uninvolved.

How a child develops. Brofenbrenner believes children grow and thrive through complex interactions between themselves and their immediate environment. These interactions need to be consistent and sustained over time.

Examples include feeding and comforting a baby, playing with a young child, child-child activities, group or solitary play, reading, learning new skills, athletic activities, problem solving, caring for others in distress, making plans, performing complex tasks and acquiring new knowledge and know-how.

Brofenbrenner cites a study which found that the quality of a mother's responsiveness to her infant prevents later problems of hyperactivity, overdependence, timidity and negativism. If a mother is responsive to her child's needs throughout childhood, the pattern of emotional and social growth increases geometrically with time.

With a good mother-child relationship, problem behaviors from social class differences are minimized. Teaching teenage mothers, especially poor single mothers, how to be good mothers would benefit their children's chances for development.

Another very important factor for single teenage mothers is a good education. Those who go on to college or specialized training have the best chance of breaking the cycle of poverty for themselves and their children.

Brofenbrenner concludes that children do best in homes where there are two biological parents and in which the mother has some education beyond high school. Interestingly enough, a good mother/child relationship has the greatest effect on middle class children, although the effect on poor families is substantial.

Building assets. The Search Institute of Minneapolis, MN takes a similar approach to addressing problems of today's youth. They have surveyed more than more than 250,000 6th to 12th graders in 450 communities across the United States. As a result, they have launched a program called, "Healthy Communities - Healthy Youth."

Psychologist Peter Benson and his associates have identified 30 "developmental assets" children and adolescents need to grow up as healthy, competent and caring human beings. The more assets teens have, the more they engage in positive behaviors such as volunteering and succeeding in school. The fewer assets they have, the more likely they are to engage in high risk behaviors such as alcohol and other drug use, antisocial behavior, violence and premarital sex.

Assets are divided into two main categories - internal and external. External assets include support, boundaries and structured time use. Internal assets are educational commitment, positive values and social competencies. Take the category of boundaries for example. The five assets include:

  • Parental standards - parent(s) have standards for appropriate conduct.
  • Parental discipline - parent(s) have discipline youth when a rule is violated.
  • Parental monitoring - parent(s) monitor where youth are going and with whom.
  • Time at home - youth goes out for "fin and recreation" three or fewer nights per week.
  • Positive peer influence - youth's best friends model responsible behavior.

In their national survey, the Search Institute found that the average youth experiences only about 16 of a possible 30 assets. This is true for virtually every town, suburb and city in America. Three out of four young people experience 20 or fewer assets. Their research shows a significant protective influence from high risk behaviors with youth with more than 20 assets and the most benefit going to youth with 26 to 30 assets.

For the complete list of 30 developmental assets and some ideas on what parents and communities can do to build assets in children, contact the Search Institute at 1-800-888-7828 or by mail at Suite 210,700 S. Third Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415.

Turning things around. Fighting symptoms doesn't work. Despite all the economic and social demands, as parents and as a society we need to take hold of the responsibilities of parenthood. Good children don't happen by accident.

We need to be available to our children, articulate our values and enforce appropriate boundaries. Parents from all walks of life can make a difference. The solution starts in the home.