Today on Listen
Up, is juvenile delinquency, sexual activity, stealing, gang violence,
bullying and teacher victimization increasing among young people?
A new study by the Vanier Institute says yes. What are parents
and society doing to contribute to the problem?
According to a recent study by the Vanier Institute, there has been a
dramatic increase over the last few decades in the number of children
and teens with severe problematic behaviours. In Canada, the rate of
violent acts among girls more than doubled during the 90s. Juvenile
delinquency rates increased “spectacularly” from the 1960s
to the 90s. Canada’s cities have experienced a resurgence of
youth gangs. And the number of 7-to-11-year-old delinquents has
increased and the types of crimes they commit have become more
serious. On today’s program, we’ll find out some
answers.
The Vanier Institute of the Family www.vifamily.ca/library/cft/behavior.html
The Report: The Rise in the Number of Children and Adolescents
Who Exhibit Problematic Behaviors: Multiple Causes by Anne-Marie Ambert (2007)
Alan Mirabelli www.vifamily.ca
Alan Mirabelli is the Executive Associate with the Vanier Institute of the Family.
Rhonda Kimberley-Young www.osstf.on.ca
Rhonda
Kimberley-Young is president of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s
Federation, an organization that represents teachers who say students
are becoming increasingly aggressive.
Paul
Robertson is a specialist on youth culture. A father of four grown
sons, he has been working with youth for more than three decades. He
spends his days helping social workers, parents, teachers and youth
workers better understand the culture and challenges faced by today’s
youth. Listen Up asked Paul for his insights on what parents and the
community can do to help today’s troubled teens.
The
Institute of Marriage and Family Canada believes that the health and
wellbeing of our children depends on strong families. As executive
director, Dave Quist says the aim of society and government policy
should be to protect, build up and support strong families.
Listen
Up is looking at challenges facing families and their teenagers. A
Vanier Institute study showing behaviour problems in youth have
increased from 1 in 20, 30 years ago, to one in five today – which has
been keeping community development workers stretched at helping kids at
risk. Toronto City Mission has more than 125 years helping families
needing support; sports, homework clubs, and a choir that sings its way
into hearts all over the city.
What a fascinating topic we dug into this week on the
statistics of how our kids are hurting because they lack authentic
connection to boundaries and guidance from trusted adults. Raising our
children was a season of deepest examination of what was in my heart.
The selflessness that the job required was far beyond me, and I came
face to face with a truth from Proverbs 14:1 in the Bible: a foolish
woman has the power to destroy her own home.
So what do you
do with that ? Even now that my kids are grown and away from home,
there is nothing that examines my soul better than when I have to
examine how I am treating the people around me. My husband, my
colleagues, my friends; how I treat people always comes back to the
school of the soul.
We cannot change our soul until we can
submit to the creator of our soul. Until we become a student of what
God’s intends for us, we will not be able to care for ourselves, or
those we love. Matthew 6:33 started it for me; “Seek first the
Kingdom of God” ….or as The Message puts it: “…know both God and how
he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God- initiative, God
–provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your
everyday human concerns will be met.”
The concerns of
how to run our lives, interact with people, do our jobs, raise our
children, it all comes out of asking God to rule our decisions first.
Call me high maintenance, but that means deep, daily times of reading
the Bible, reflecting on it, counsel with others, prayer and
meditation. All the stuff that takes loads of time. Time you can’t
afford not to take. That kind of time changes who I am and how I react
to people, and how I parent my children. Resources for Family and Teens
Pacific 1:30
am Monday
Mountain 2:30am
Central 3:30am
Eastern 4:30am
National Religious Broadcasters (NRB)
Eastern 8pm Monday
10:30am Wednesday
DVD's of all our shows are available for sale. To place an order, please call (905) 336 9777 x27. Copies are $15.00 which includes shipping. Payment can be made by cheque (made payable to Listen Up TV); VISA or Mastercard.
Read Lorna's Globe & Mail columns by searching
our archive.
Read 'Media & The Message'. Lorna says if the church wants to impact society, we need to share our stories.
On April 30, 2005 Lorna was privileged to receive an honorary Doctorate of Christian Ministries from Canada's largest Christian university, Trinity Western University. Lorna was recognized for the witness and leadership that Listen Up TV has provided in public messaging: "a leader in the voice of evangelical life in Canada."
