Today's teen-agers, writes high school freshman Jeannette Fornadel in the Reading Eagle/Times, 'are assumed to be juvenile delinquents, shoplifters or worse.' And the media only makes things worse, she charges, portraying teen-agers 'as brainless, bubble-gum chewing, hormoneladen slobs whose concerns center only around the opposite sex.'
But recently the National League of Cities pegged growing youth crime as the top concern of 406 municipal officials polled in the organization's yearly 'State of American Cities' survey.
Indeed, city officials pinpointed youth crime as their most disturbing trend--even while they believe overall crime is abating, police/community relations are on the upswing, and that neighborhoods are becoming more vital.
A big majority (62 percent) of the city officials said youth crime was worsening. Fifty percent found gangs increasing, 45 percent pointed to mounting drug use, teen-age pregnancy and school violence, and 38 percent said family stability was deteriorating.
The mounting youth problems, said Columbus (Ohio) Mayor Greg Lashutka, president of the league, 'tell us that an indispensable future asset of our communities is at risk.'
So what to do about it? Focus on trying teen-age offenders in adult courts? Install metal detectors at school doors? Invent programs for social workers to deliver to kids who have too much time on their hands?
A mounting number of critics say such fixes won't work, in fact would make things worse. The basic problem, says Charles Bray, president of the Johnson Foundation in Racine, Wis., is Americans' 'progressive disengagement from the lives of kids.'
We live, says Bray 'in the most age-segregated society in human history.' Indeed, only one home in four has a school-age child; the vast majority of adults don't speak with a kid once in a day.
When several Wisconsin foundations surveyed both adults and teen-agers on what it's like for young people in their communities, the adults said 'dull' and suggested programs like midnight baseball. The kids said 'crashingly boring,' rejected the midnight games but said they wanted ways to get involved, in some significant way, in their communities.
When asked who are kids' role models, the adults named Michael Jordan; the teenagers tended to say 'an adult who cares about me.'
Racine, as a result, has set out to become, within five years, 'America's most youth-friendly community.' Among the leaders are the head of the United Way, the police chief and human services director. They've joined to create a pilot family and children resource center that combines a recreation center, family support services and community policing.
Ideally, high schools would long since have opened their doors to such inventive, shared activities--including health services for teens and families. But as Bray comments:
'The single most youth unfriendly institution in American society is schools. It's not very good at educating; it's a warehouse where kids are parked until they are 16, told to shut up and takes notes. It's cut off from any consequential involvement in the community.'
But what do kids want? The new Racine Community Coalition for Youth scraped up funding to engage a diverse group of young people to design and implement a community-wide survey of high school students. Among the 2,246 questionnaires returned the biggest votes were for 'more things to do,' sports, cleanup campaigns, a dance club, youth clubs, hangouts, prevention activities, curfew extensions. What the young people said they didn't want was more violence, cops, racism, pollution, bars, guns and alcohol.
Three Racine insurance agents--calling themselves 'Agents Who Care'--funded a dance that was planned and implemented by teens. Now the admission profits are going to set up a model teen court in a middle school, hearing cases that would otherwise move through the school disciplinary system.
In another outreach, the Racine Community Foundation and United Way are funding a 'Youth as Resources' program that empowers a panel of teen-agers to make small awards ($200 to $2,000) for projects they believe will make Racine a more youth-friendly community.
Major youth outreach programs have begun in recent years in communities stretching from Westchester County, N.Y., to Oakland, Calif, Columbus, Ind., Kansas City, Peoria, St. Louis to San Diego. It will be years until we know whether they impact youth crime--or strengthen youth citizenship and engagement in American life.
More vital than simply launching programs, says Bray, is 'a culture shift--providing opportunities for young people's consequential involvement in their communities.'
In some cities, the public is even getting to read about teen-agers' interests and volunteering efforts, not just the dreary litany of school disorders, drug and booze parties and teen-age crime.
One example: the Racine Journal-Times special youth page, with reporters assigned to the youth beat. Another: the Reading Eagle/Times weekly 'Voices' section, written by and for teen-agers.
If American newspapers did more of this, perhaps more of us would start shifting our attitudes, and engage teenagers in our lives and communities.
RELATED ARTICLE: Join Stand for Children on June 1
The National League of Cities is one of hundreds of national and local organizations that has endorsed Stand for Children Day on Saturday, June 1.
Convened by the Children's Defense Fund, Stand for Children will be a national day of commitment to children, a celebration, and a day of community renewal. Thousands of adults, children, and families will come to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to commit themselves to improve the quality of children's lives: their health, safety, school readiness, education, and future.
The focus on June 1 will be on concrete steps that every American can take to ensure that no child is left behind. Stand for Children encourages everyone 'to commit herself or himself to taking specific positive, personal steps.... This may mean walking a child in the neighborhood to school, reading more to your child, mentoring a child, or it may mean getting your religious congregation, community group, or organization to do more for children.'
To receive an Action Packet of information about the Stand, about organizing people to attend, and about observing the Stand in your own community, contact Stand for Children, 1832 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. The phone number is 800/233-1200; the fax number is 202/234-0217.
Copies of 'The State of America's Cities' (#3527, $5 for members, $10 for others) and NLC's just-released report on children and families, 'Critical Needs, Critical Choices' (#8011; $10/members, $15/others), can be ordered from the NLC Publications Center: phone, (301) 725-4299; fax, (301) 206-9789.
