As we look at the many crime rates and death rates of our city, as it relates to youth and young adults, we continue to see the obvious. Kids are dying and being locked up in such a hurry. We know there are many kids out here stealing cars and lashing out.
The question is always, what can we do to save our youth from this reckless behavior. We look at these statistics and hear about these stories of young people throwing their lives away and we are saddened. But what if saddened isn’t enough.
Granted we might not know many kids that are making bad decisions, but guess what, someone does. We know that these kids are our cousins, nieces, and nephews. And if they aren’t they are our cousins, nieces, and nephews’ friends.
Now, of course walking up to the youth and yelling down their neck is not effective. Telling kids to pull their pants up and straighten up cannot be the initial motive. It’s clear that these kids need leaders. They need someone they can look up to, confide in, and trust.
In one way or another, we, as millennials and gen x, need to step it up. We should begin to be more intentional about spending time with the youth. We should develop programs and activities for kids to participate in.
It’s clear that we need to find a way to help them to tap into their creative side. It sucks to know so many are fighting against forces that stem from their households. Some kids think they have to provide for their family. And if that be the case, we need them to find positive ways to make money.
As leaders, we need to show the youth that they are special and equipped to win. They need to know the sky is the limit. If they need money or they need something to do, we need to find ways to help.
Some simple ways to make an impact on a kid is consistent appointments to kick it, whether it be to grab a bite or go to an amusement park. Spending time builds relationship. Building relationship builds trust. It’s trust that grabs their attention. When they feel the trust is built, that’s where the impact will be made.
There’s no limits to the ways we can make an impact on the youth. I just think it’s up to us to be consistent and intentional.
What are your thoughts? How can we save our youth?