TEENS NEED, WANT MORE STRUCTURE

Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: Many teen-agers take on adult-like responsibilities. They baby-sit, hold down jobs, and a few even become young entrepreneurs. At age 12 or 13, they often have their own keys to the house, followed in a few years by keys to a car.
Yes, many American youth are quite capable of doing just fine without mom, dad or other adults for extended periods. The question is just how much of that kind of time is good for them? And how much of it do they really want?
Survey says: Not as much as one might think, according to a recent YMCA national survey of teen-agers aged 14 to 17. It found that nearly 60 percent of all teens are left unsupervised after school at least one day a week, and that almost 40 percent are left alone three or more days in a typical week. Consistent with other studies about after-school hours, the YMCA survey found a link between unsupervised time and trouble -- risky behaviors like drinking, smoking, using drugs, committing or being victimized by crime or having sex.
Compared to teens engaged in supervised activities, those without oversight were nearly twice as likely to skip school. Three quarters of teen-agers in after-school programs are A and B students. Students with a lot of time on their hands are four times more likely to be D students than those who keep busy.
Some surprise findings: Most important, the students surveyed understand their circumstances and want change. More than half said they would like more organized, supervised options after school -- and they said they want to spend more time with adults. Nearly two-thirds agreed that they could improve their relationships with their parents if they had more time together.
YMCA centers offer programs for 10 percent or about 2.4 million teens around the nation. Many other organizations, including schools, city recreation centers, churches, businesses and nonprofits offer helpful activities to keep young people productively occupied. But when surveys demonstrate that so many teens still have so much idle time, it is obvious that more programs are needed.
Constructive outlets: Though they may grumble about privacy, or behave at times as if parents are the enemy, at heart young people need to know that adults care. One of the best ways to do that is to provide a wide range of constructive outlets for all that adolescent energy.