The Minneapolis Star Tribune featured an article this week by Columnist Katherine Kersten entitled We're Losing Kids Who Crave Connections. Kersten used two national studies on adolescents in her article. One of the studies entitled Hardwired to Connect was a 2003 study released by the "Commission on Children at Risk, a joint project of the Dartmouth Medical School, the YMCA of the USA and the New York-based Institute for American Values."
The article was interesting in that it spoke of the report attempting to look at moral and values development in adolescents considered brain development research in the study. "According to the report, recent brain research indicates that children require two kinds of connections to flourish. First, they need strong, stable bonds with family and adults in the larger community. Second, they need a vision of life that offers meaning and purpose."
Kersten concludes the article by declaring, "To rescue our youth, we need to strengthen the groups and institutions -- from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to churches and synagogues -- that 'live out the types of connectedness' that today's children increasingly lack. The most important of these is the family -- the foundational human institution. If we are serious about saving our children, we will start there.
Read the article here.
Mike
Not reading the actual article, and just reading your comments I have a quick reflection. As my wife and I have ministered with our students who ride our bus to church each week for nearly four years now and as a former youth pastor I would say that the one-two punch of strong bonds with family and community and a vision of life purpose are indeed what lack in the lives of kids in the margins.
I've noticed that if one or the other or both lacks, a fair amount of dysfunction is likely in a students life. I may be stating the obvious, but all that to say that a students sense of vision and identity does begin with stable family relationships and when that one area is lacking the rescuing of youth takes on a much greater sense of urgency.
Posted by: Matt Zimmer | December 17, 2008 at 01:38 PM
Mike,
I've done some reading on this. Twenty plus years of youth ministry, several friends who are counselors, and having served on the board of a local non profit counseling center will open one's eyes to the ugly consequences of unconnectedness. Kerner's last statement (what can be done to correct the decline) falls short of being an adequate solution putting an ordinary ending on an otherwise sound article. Her statement is basically; the most important venue for connectedness is family. Duh! But this is just the beginning. Lots "experts" acknowledge the reality of family's failing to "do their job" but far too few are readily rolling up their sleeves and addressing the roots of the problem.
Posted by: Ray | December 17, 2008 at 09:57 PM
This is one of the reasons why Emma and I are shifting a lot of our energies towards working with married couples. There are no easy formulas here since it's an ecological/cultural dilemma, but a strong parental/marital hierarchy sure goes a long way towards giving children the best shot at healthy development. Single parents can certainly provide this as well, especially if they are able to develop an active village around them.
I really feel strongly that many churches and parachurch ministries could expand their range of effectiveness with families and children if they could volunteer more effectively with community organizations, clinics and resource providers (ex. big brothers/big sisters, Crittenton Center) that are already hard at work on a roots level in the community. No original ideas here, just a lot of gut level conviction that American Christians still have a tough time expanding our ideas about what "village" really means. It's hard for us to embrace things we can't own or put our name on.
James 1:27
Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.
Posted by: Grant W. | December 18, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Grant. Well said! True, you've given no original (or easy answers) here yet it is this clear, consistent call for all Christians (parents, youth workers, professionals, et al.) to immerse themselves into the hard work of owning up to the responsibilities we have to raise, guard, protect, disciple, and love the emerging generation. Thanks for your great work at RRC. As always, I will keep sending referrals.
Posted by: Ray | December 18, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Hey guys, thanks for your good comments. Grant's statement, "...American Christians still have a tough time expanding our ideas about what "village" really means. It's hard for us to embrace things we can't own or put our name on" is strong but true.
Posted by: Mike King | December 20, 2008 at 08:27 AM