What the Kids Are Up To...
Autumn Preston, Martin County Youth Intervention and Prevention; Heather L. Hawkins, Career Corrections Agent; Nancy M. Johnson, Career Corrections Agent

It is mid-summer and school has been out for almost two months already! It seems that kids in our community slide into two different groups during this time: those that are very busy – active – involved and those kids with nothing to do. It is the second group that creates concern for us at the probation department. It is beneficial for kids to be involved with summer activities or develop work experience.

There is little benefit for teens to sleep all hours of the day, spending significant hours on video games, watching TV and staying up/out late nightly. We consider these activities to be “red flags” when we see teens that fit this description.

Some of the statistics that we found include that “every day during summer vacation an average of 6,000 youth try marijuana for the first time.” PRWeb Narconon of Oklahoma. Twenty Four percent of teens drink alcohol for the first time during summer break and unfortunately, for many, the abuse does not stop there. Boredom leads to problems that may have long term effects.

It is important for healthy self-development for young people to try new activities and learn new skills. It seems that kids who are not involved with healthy structured activity or lack connections with others, often feel poorly about themselves. As caring adults and parents, it is our responsibility to ensure that our children are active and involved.

A few tips we have for teens include getting involved in some type of healthy activity, obtain summer time employment, keep your brain working by continuing to read, hang out with kids who have and follow rules, set goals for yourself over the summer months and have some positive fun.

Tips for parents of teens and early teens include providing them with summer time chores, limit TV, computer and video gaming and supervise these activities. Get them involved in some type of structured activity through summer employment, CER activities, or athletics. Provide rules. Set an appropriate curfew and check in with your child when they arrive home at the expected time. Implement consequences when they break rules. Always check where your child is at, who they are with, and what they are going to be doing. Try to schedule some family fun this summer including a barbeque, camping, making smores, playing games, swimming, water games, or a picnic in the park.

Our department has opened 55 new juvenile cases beginning in mid-April 2007. The crimes involved include domestic and fifth degree assault violations, drug violations, criminal sexual conduct, curfew violations, traffic offenses, minor consumption violations, shoplifting, theft, and criminal damage to property offenses.

We continue to work very closely with our law enforcement officers and enjoy working the nighthawk program during the summer months. Our department has enrolled 8 kids in the Cognitive Skills Class “Thinking for a Change” and started a GLAM (Girls Learning Achieving Master Self-Confidence) group for girls with programming to address emotion management, job skills and women’s issues this summer.