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March 22, 2005 Communication, Collaboration Keys to Curbing Adolescent Violence No universal solution exists for preventing the type of adolescent violence unleashed at the Red Lake (Minn.) High School, and other schools and communities in recent years. However, several strategies that adults can use are available to help teens deal with the emotional challenges they face, says Sean Brotherson, family science specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service. He cites communication and collaboration as being key components of any successful effort. "The only way parents can direct their children away from negative influences, such as the gratuitous violence portrayed in the media, is if they know what their children are doing," Brotherson says. "This is where effective two-way communication comes into play. Parents and other caring adults need to establish a warm relationship with their kids, one where the kids can open up and express their concerns and frustrations." One of the challenges facing adolescents is learning to deal with conflict -- conflict with their peers and adults. An integral part of this development involves learning to regulate emotions, especially anger. Along with discussing their children's emotions with them, parents can help teach their children to manage their emotions by sending the message that it's OK to have negative emotions, such as anger, Brotherson says. Parents also need to model appropriate behavior to teach children how to deal with their anger. This includes teaching children to work through difficult situations and develop problem-solving abilities. "There are some children who are highly challenging," Brotherson says. "Families may need professional assistance with these children. A dose of love doesn’t resolve a situation in which emotional problems or other issues may be present with a child.” Conflicts between children and parents can arise when parenting styles and children's temperaments clash. For example, in situations where parents demand too much control, children may look to their peers or other outlets for venting their frustration and anger. "Parents need to be firm, absolutely, but if that's not done in the context of a warm, caring environment, it's going to exacerbate the situation," Brotherson says. If through their monitoring, parents sense that their child needs direction, it is their responsibility to get that child involved in an activity that reflects his or her interests, Brotherson says. Parents with older children who don't respect their authority may need to rely on family counseling. Brotherson says research shows that the greatest level of violence among adolescents occurs in the seventh and eighth grades. From there, violence tends to decline because students generally become more involved in extracurricular activities, and these activities reduce the potential for their engaging in negative behaviors. Therefore, aggression and violence occurring in the later grades of high school may be a red flag. Parents should not fear speaking up if they sense potential behavioral problems in their own children or their children's peers, Brotherson says. Better communication can lead to effective collaboration. For intervention to succeed, there needs to be a general improvement in the collaboration among parents, schools, community resources and law enforcement. Brotherson concludes, "School administrators need to establish policies that allow faculty to identify behavioral concerns and work on solutions with parents and other groups such as social service agencies." ### Sources: Sean
Brotherson, (701) 231-6143, sean.brotherson@ndsu.edu |
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