YOUTHS AND THE PROBLEM OF “ADJUSTMENT" – Chief (Mrs.) Solomon Bolanle
Societies all over the world are a minor or major way the pressure emanating from their young people. Our nation is concerned about involvement of youths in cultism, student protest, smoking sexual behavior, drug addiction, youth revolts and other criminal practices. The young man as an individual has to pass through many problems, starting from those created by himself, some imposed by the home and his immediate environment and others that are purely developmental and psychological. The youth would not be pleased to be addressed as a child or as an adult and he constantly reminds us elders of his ability to take care of himself
It would be of interest to mention the issue of youth acting collectively to protest against “adult society” and its system. This youth react in a way they have not done before, they have been forced through stresses and pressures of live to seek support from one another and assert themselves as an independent section of the society whose wants, ideals and aspirations are largely neglected.
After puberty, there are many situations where young people find difficulties in coping with biological maturity. Within this consideration comes the problem of the young girl having unwanted pregnancy and unprepared parenthood. This in turn brings about the need to survive “means” that is a job as a result of incomplete schooling. This often leads to constant change of partners especially the “sugar daddies” as she wants to meet her needs. Unless care is taken such a girl may end up as an accomplice to armed robbery or as a prostitute.
To make the youth have a change of attitude and behavior, their training must be followed by discipline, diligence, endurance, precision, steadiness in respective work, responsibility taking, flexibility and mobility, truthfulness and concentration in technical process.
Unless the youth are properly equipped, the rate of developing the feeling of failure’ increases and this in turn generates unhappiness, discontentment frustration social unsets and other signs maladjustment.
To revert to youth adjustment as a world universal problem, adults (parents’ guardians, teacher e.t.c) must give serious attention to youth inability to adjust to the value of the modern society. Is it their fault? Or is it inherent fault of the system?
The clock can not be turned, however sad we may feel about the fact of this revolution. The responsibility of adults with regards to their youths should therefore, not be reduced but increased, as negligence or shirking of such responsibilities will only lead chaos and downfall for the youth. The most matured among the youths often still looks to adults for guidance and adult should begin to understand this, respect the youth and welcome their participation.
WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE YOUTH
According to Ronan (1976) there are many areas where adults and youths can participate in shaping the world of tomorrow. It is in this participation and the developing of the ability to face responsibilities and accept the reality, that the youth get the armor necessary to adjust, this provides their greatest contribution to the development of the society.
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