Reducing the Risk of Violence in Young Adults through Successful Transitions

In our society, most adolescents are beginning to make the transition from secondary school to work or college between the ages of 17 and 19. However, ever-changing work and social environments with increasing demands for more education and technological competence make it difficult to adequately prepare young people for work, higher education, or long-term relationships. According to a recent longitudinal survey of adolescent health, young adults are at a greater risk for smoking, risky sexual behavior, and binge drinking (a behavior related to violence) than adolescents in high school. The results of the research suggest that the stressful transitions from home to college or a job are more disruptive for young people today than in previous generations. A new study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development will be conducted to follow up on recent research on young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 and expand on some of the protective investments that families, schools, and communities can implement to help young adults make successful transitions and achieve independence (Bachrach, 2000, p. 2).

for California

There is also growing awareness of the critical importance of the transition from secondary school to young adulthood and the relationship to violence when that transition is not successful. Data from the National Youth Survey show that violent offenses for both young men and women tend to peak at around age 17 but continue at high, albeit declining, rates until age 25 when violent incidents plateau at about 12% for men and 3% for women (Coie & Dodge, 1998, p. 792).

Gender and race differences in violent acts of adolescents and young adults are also profound. Some research shows that young men are 8 times more likely than young women to be arrested for a violent act (Coie & Dodge, 1998, p. 792), and although African American youth make up only 15% of the nation's juvenile population, they account for 52% of the youth arrested for violent crimes (p. 793). However, authors John Coie and Kenneth Dodge in their research on aggressive acts note an important finding:

There is no race disparity in continuing violence among persons employed between ages 18 and 20; nor is there a race disparity among those persons who are married or living with a partner. The evidence suggests that those persons who can establish stable work and family life careers, regardless of ethnicity, tend to end their involvement in criminal violence. ...these findings have enormous implications for the focus of intervention, which might be directed toward job training and economic opportunity. (p. 794)

Other researchers are discovering similar transition difficulties with today's young adults. Professor Reed Larson notes that today's youth, including honor students, report high rates of boredom both in and out of school. Although many youth complete their schoolwork and are generally good kids, they are "not invested in paths into the future that excite them or feel like they originate from within. A central question of youth development is how to get adolescents' fires lit, how to have them develop the complex of dispositions and skills needed to take charge of their lives" (Larson, 2000, p. 170). Larson particularly focuses on the development of initiative in young people or the intrinsic motivation where the individual directs his or her attention or energies toward a challenging goal. Initiative is noted as a core requirement for many aspects of positive youth development, including creativity, leadership, altruism, and community participation.

Unlike many other traditional societies that have progressive steps to move youth into adulthood, our society shows a distinct discontinuity between the expectations of children and adults. Children and youth are given few meaningful responsibilities, but when they turn 18, they are suddenly required to take charge of their lives to a much greater degree than in many other societies (Larson, 2000, p. 171). Youth in our society need more experiences learning how to prepare, plan, execute, and assess meaningful endeavors as well as access to successful adult role models in a variety of adult careers (Larson, 2000, pp. 171-172). Particularly, Larson notes that three requirements should interact for the development of initiative in youth:

* Intrinsic motivation-the individual wants to do an activity and is thoroughly invested in it.
* Engagement in the environment-the experience is not random but is thoughtfully directed to creating order or meaning to the project while being both challenging and complex.
* Engagement over time-the experience takes time and may include setbacks, reevaluation, and a change of strategies.

Larson has found in his research that these factors seldom converge during an adolescent's secondary school experience but may be found in extracurricular activities such as sports, the arts, drama, or other activities sponsored by schools or community organizations. It is suggested that educators and those interested in youth development should be working to integrate expertly staffed activities, offered throughout the year, where all youth can make their own choices and the activities are linked to businesses, professional arts, and civic organizations that are invested in connecting youth to adult society (Larson, 2000, pp. 180-181).

Researchers such as Barbara Schneider and David Stevenson have found that unlike teenagers in previous generations, the majority of today's youth spend longer periods of time alone, have few friendships that last longer than several months, and have more fluid social groups. There are also fewer significant adults who may know the young person well enough to offer relevant advice or mentoring. Because they are unaware of the steps they must take to achieve their goals, many young adults still need guidance to fulfill their dreams (Schneider & Stevenson, 1999, pp. 4-8). An uncertain future beyond secondary school and inadequate long-term relationships to provide a supportive cushion can put a young adult at risk for a variety of difficulties, including violence.

In addition, Schneider and Stevenson have found in their research that the majority of adolescents have a "limited knowledge about their chosen occupations and the required education and are therefore not realistic" about their long-term goals (Schneider & Stevenson, 1999, p. 7). Unrealistic expectations, which the authors have termed as "misaligned ambitions," are a major reason that students may not complete college, may lack the knowledge or work experience related to their goals, and may flounder unsuccessfully from job to job. Students with "aligned ambitions" have constructed a life plan that reflects the steps needed in their occupations, including any additional education required (Schneider & Stevenson, 1999, p. 83). Although the life plans of adolescents may vary in detail and flexibility, the life plan is nevertheless a concrete diagram that increases the possibility of the adolescent's successful transition into college, the work environment, and adulthood. Parents and other significant adults in the student's life can help guide the student by suggesting some steps and more detail to help channel the student's realistic goals.

Further complicating the transition from secondary school to adulthood is that many parents may feel disengaged from their young person's life, spending less time with their son's or daughter's friends, participating less in their school activities, and communicating infrequently with their children's teachers or the parents of other youth. Because the job market is changing so quickly, parents may feel uncertain about how to advise their teen, or they may feel that young people don't appreciate their parent's input, despite the evidence showing that youth are interested in and value their parents' viewpoint (Schneider & Stevenson, 1999, p. 8).

Successful parenting of older adolescents and young adults builds on the understanding that the parental role shifts from being the child's "manager" to a newer and less directive role (Riera, 1995, pp. 5-8). While this shift may be gradual and somewhat difficult for both parent and adolescent, it is not laissez-faire or uninvolved. The less directive role is more in line with an authoritative parenting style that recognizes the importance of the long-term goal of assisting the teen with developing successful decision-making skills for adulthood. To avoid the common mistakes of "over-managing" or the opposite extreme of "abandonment," it is important for a parent to be present in a young person's life. Parents can also help young adults recognize the other people within their community from whom they can find support. Parents can continue to help reduce the risk of violence and other risky behaviors by encouraging and helping support their child's positive long-term relationships with others who are willing to be mentors or coaches. Working with youth to develop a "life plan" during their high school years and through their transition to independence will help them align their ambitions and view their actions as having meaningful consequences.

Youth who have a variety of guided, meaningful experiences, and who also have "aligned ambitions" and a life plan, demonstrate a better understanding of institutional requirements for their chosen careers. These activities also help a young person's dream to become a reality because they "can help an adolescent bring a sense of order to their social world, focus their efforts, and highlight the consequences of making particular choices" (Schneider & Stevenson, 1999, p. 84).

For More Information

Campus security and violence education [Online]. Available: http://www.uncg.edu/edu/ericcass/violence/docs/campus.htm [NPIN Editor's note (5-9-02): this url has changed: http://ericcass.uncg.edu/virtuallib/violence/3001.html]

Laanan, Frankie Santos. (1995). Community colleges as facilitators of school-to-work. ERIC Digest. Los Angeles, CA: ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges. (ERIC Document No. ED383360). Also available: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/ERIC/digests/dig9501.html.

Robertson, Anne S. (2000). Transition to college: How parents can help. Parent News [Online], 6(3). Available: http://npin.org/pnews/2000/pnew500/int500b.html [2000, May 25].

Sources

Bachrach, Christine A. (2000). Add health: Background and overview. Pregnancy Prevention for Youth: An Interdisciplinary Newsletter, 3(2), 2.

Coie, John D., & Dodge, Kenneth A. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In William Damon (Series Ed.) & Nancy Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development (5th ed., pp. 779-862). New York: Wiley.

Larson, Reed. (2000). Toward a psychology of positive youth development. American Psychologist, 55(1), 170-183.

Riera, Michael. (1995). Uncommon sense for parents with teenagers. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts. (ERIC Document No. ED399071)

Schneider, Barbara, & Stevenson, David. (1999). The ambitious generation: America's teenagers, motivated but directionless. New Haven: Yale University Press. (ERIC Document No. ED430176)