Under-age girls and boys, alcohol, dancehall music and of course the adults who facilitate this unholy marriage! We have work to do and it’s not enough to say the girls are out of control or the parents aren’t paying attention.
But we cant’ resist so right now…today…we make room. We allow John Public to raise the roof with shouts and screams of “protect the children”, “save our future” and ” where are the parents?” We point fingers and frown at the truants in uniform who have so shamed their school. We do nothing but rant and rave on social media tonight so that tomorrow may resume life as we know it with a misplaced sense of moral superiority. We pass them by the corner and write them off as worthless and idle. Never stopping to offer guidance or kind words.
But instead of joining the gang of naysayers let me offer some solutions and challenge you as a reader to practice one…just one…any one you choose, and witness how that can positively impact the life of a young person and encourage positive and socially responsible behaviour:
1. Allow youth to speak, then listen when they speak. When youth lack means of expressing themselves they find ways to exercise power over what little they own which, in most cases is just their body. They use their body to get attention, pleasure, presents/presence and love because many feel they have no other asset. How about we talk the time talk with and listen to them? Maybe help them to find their true value?
2. Do not be hypocrites! We cannot expect to engage in certain types of behaviour and restrict our teens simply because they are not old enough. They watch us keenly and what you do affirms to them that it is ‘do-able”. Never discount the impact your actions have on the life choices of these impressionable minds.
3. Affirm their self worth. We very quickly bash a ‘deviant’ school boy or girl and yet we’re not as quick to affirm the positive behaviours they engage in. Simple things like getting up from their seat to allow an elderly person to sit on the bus, wearing their uniform correctly, getting home on time, doing well in school, engaging in extra-curricula activities. We are far to willing to lambaste and abhor than to praise and reward our youth. They notice that you notice only when they do wrong and that’s NOT-NICE.
4. Speak to our young adults as simply that – young ADULTS. We assume that they can’t understand and simply give commands as if they were pets bound to sit, sleep and eat as we tell them. Maybe at 4, 5 or 6 years but certainly not at 14, 15, 16 years. They are exposed to information at all levels. They can call your bluff by simply ‘googling’ the facts so speak with them as you would someone you respect. When you respect someone your goal is not to manipulate power you have over them or to keep them in the dark. Instead you give credence to their good judgement and their ability to make rational decisions.
Only then can youth trust themselves. Only then will they have the confidence to stand up to peer pressure. To avoid socially irresponsible behaviour. Only then are we “empowering [them] to contribute meaningfully to building and strengthening the communities to which they belong” as stated in Vision 2030; communities which include their peer groups.
So ladies and gentlemen of the Maggotty High School, I speak positively about the life you will lead, one marked by responsible and civil conduct; one inspired by the will to improve your character, achieve success in all your endeavours and build the social and economic fabric of this country. I refuse to write you off; I refuse to put you down because you will get more than enough of that in the coming weeks.
I choose to build you up and encourage you to do more to make yourself, your siblings and your parents proud the next time your face is caught on camera. It’s not impossible to do, so I refuse to say that you can’t.
God bless you all!
If you have not seen the video you may view it here: Maggotty High School “Girls Gone Wild”
Feel free to post your comments below or send me a tweet @kryticalmind.
Blessings.
kryticalmind 