The Challenges Faced by American Youth and Children

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Running Head: The Challenges Face by American Youth

The Challenges Faced by American Youth and Children

Rosalind Fisher

T&L 854

The Student in Society

May 10, 2007


The Challenges Faced by American Youth and Children

Many of our images of happiness in America are connected to youth and yet adolescence is not a particularly happy time for various kids. Children and youth have more opportunities, worldly knowledge, and exposure to broad ideas and experiences than any other generation but along with these blessings come many difficulties.

There are some general challenges to kids such as the presence of drugs, peer pressure, the need to belong, and inappropriate sexuality that have relative influence based on their exposure, family and school environment, and other psycho/social propensities.  There are also difficulties unique to certain groups of children such as racism, homelessness, poverty, violence, and abuse.  I will identify some of the trials kids face in the following pages.  

High on Life?

National data from a report called Monitoring the Future (National Institute for Drug Use, 2004) suggests that some favorable trends are emerging in some of the general challenges facing children in relationship to the incidence of drug and alcohol use by youth.  The 2003 survey used sample sizes of 17,000, 16,300, and15, 200 in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, with about 48,500 students in 392 schools participating (NIDU, 2004: 3). “Quite a number of illicit drugs showed broad declines this year—most notably marijuana and ecstasy” (NIDU, 2004:4). Cigarette and alcohol use have also shown a decline.  The decline in both of these potential hazards to children and youth can be attributed in some measure to the widespread public information, negative messages, and educational campaigns over several years on these issues.  Children and youth are very susceptible to media messages and these have been fairly consistent and accessible on the dangers of illicit drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol.  Maybe more kids will start getting high on life.

Not the Bully Pulpit

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We have actively begun to respond to the issue of bullying and violence in the school, but there are still mixed, contradictory or negative messages about harassment and sexuality.  Because of the trend in schools and the media to address violence as a threat to children and youth there is beginning to be a decline in incidences of violence in schools.  Although not a scientific survey of the three children that I interviewed two mentioned bullying as a problem in their school lives.  Mitch, a ten year old African American student, when asked what he didn’t like about school said, ...

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