Help for Today’s Youths

YOUTHS today are growing up in a world that can at times seem frightening. Some of them watch helplessly as their parents separate or divorce. Others see their schoolmates succumb to the perils of drugs and crime. Many face pressure from peers of both genders to get involved in sex. And nearly all adolescents suffer occasional periods of feeling misunderstood, lonely, and depressed.

What do youths need if they are to cope with the challenges that face them? “Children need a firm moral center,” writes Dr. Robert Shaw, “the kind of anchoring that helps them pick appropriate friends, make the right decisions, and view others empathetically.” The Bible provides the best moral center possible, for it contains the thoughts of the Creator. Who could know more than Jehovah God about what we need in order to cope with the troubled times that we live in?

A Realistic, Practical Guide

The principles of the Bible are realistic and practical. They are invaluable to parents and other adults who want to help youths navigate the course to adulthood.

For example, the Bible realistically acknowledges that “foolishness is tied up with the heart of a boy,” or, as rendered in Today’s English Version, “children just naturally do silly, careless things.” (Proverbs 22:15) Some adolescents seem mature for their age, but they are still inexperienced youths. As such, they are susceptible to the insecurities, desires,  and troubled feelings that are part of growing up. (2 Timothy 2:22) How can these youths be helped?

The Bible encourages ongoing communication between parents and children. It urges parents: “Speak of [God’s standards] when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7) Such conversation has two benefits. First, it instructs the young one in God’s ways. (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Second, it keeps parents and children talking. This is especially vital as young ones pass through adolescence, when they can become withdrawn and lonely.

Of course, most adolescents go through temporary bouts of feeling isolated. Some, though, become chronically lonely. “These kids say that it is hard for them to make friends at school, that they have no one to talk to, that they feel alone, that it is hard for them to get other children to like them, and that they feel there is no one they can go to when they need help,” says one reference work on adolescence. *

Parents and concerned adults can reach out to teens and help them to cope with their struggles. How? “The only way to find out what’s going on in teenagers’ minds is to ask them,” writes the executive editor of a magazine for teens. Obviously, it takes time and patience to help young ones reveal the concerns of their heart. But the rewards are worth the effort.​—Proverbs 20:5.

 The Need for Reasonable Boundaries

In addition to communication, young ones need​—and, deep down, want—​reasonable boundaries. The Bible states that “a boy let on the loose will be causing his mother shame.” (Proverbs 29:15) Experts believe that a lack of clear limits can be at the root of juvenile delinquency. “If a child is endlessly indulged and never hears the word ‘no’ or experiences limits,” says Shaw, quoted earlier, “he never has a chance to learn that other people have lives, emotions, needs, and wills of their own. Without a well-developed sense of empathy, the child will not be able to love.”

Dr. Stanton Samenow, who has worked for many years with troubled youths, expresses a similar thought. “Some parents believe that children should be free spirits,” he writes. “Naïvely, they believe that to impose obligations or requirements will place an unfair burden on their offspring and deprive him of his childhood. But their failure to set limits may have disastrous results. These parents do not realize that a boy or girl who receives little discipline may find it difficult to become self-disciplined.”

Does this mean that parents simply need to be strict? By no means. Setting limits is just one aspect of effective parenting. If taken to an extreme, the setting of rigid rules can result in a harsh atmosphere in the home. The Bible says: “You fathers, do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted.”​—Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6:4.

Hence, from time to time, parents need to review their methods of instruction and discipline, especially as their children grow older and begin showing signs of maturity. Perhaps certain rules or restrictions could be relaxed or adjusted, in keeping with the young one’s ability to act responsibly.​—Philippians 4:5.

Building Bridges

As pointed out in our preceding article, the Bible foretold that before God steps in to rid the world of badness, the world would face “critical times hard to deal with.” Evidence shows that we are living in that very period​—“the last days” of this ungodly system of things. Like adults, young ones must endure life in a world that is characterized by people who are “lovers of themselves, . . . having no natural affection, . . . without self-control.”​—2 Timothy 3:1-5. *

Parents who feel that they have lost touch with their adolescent son or daughter can take steps to build bridges, one conversation at a time. Commendably, many parents are striving hard to be a positive force and a real presence in the lives of their children.

The Bible is a most valuable tool in this regard. It has helped many parents to fulfill their role and has helped youths to avoid disastrous pitfalls. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 119:9) Since the Bible is from the Creator, Jehovah God, we can be confident that it provides the best help for today’s youths. *

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Talk out your concerns with a caring adult