Nurturing Pillars of Society: Understanding and Working with the Young Generation in Hong Kong

5 - Working with Young People in Families, at School, and among Peers

5 Working with Young People in Families, at School, and among Peers ■ Family As mentioned in Chapter Three, the family is responsible for nurturing personalities, teaching rules, norms, and problem-solving skills, and fulfilling the need of intimacy prior to a young person’s entry into school (Noller and Callan, 1991; Lee, 2002b and Rose and Fatout, 2003). Family (Sameroff et al., 1998) and the attributes of parents (Georgious, 1999) have been identified as keys to achievement for children. In this chapter we will first highlight the common problems young people will encounter in the family context. Some working strategies to work with young people in the family context will then be introduced. Problems in families The generation gap The significant role of the family in the growing process of young people is well recognised (Lewis and Feiring, 1998) . It is not uncommon to hear that parents and children in the family fail to understand each other due to a generation gap. In a rapidly changing world, it is generally believed that a gap will exist for people with an age difference of three years. That is, two people’s social environments will be quite different with a difference in age of just three years. Thus, in the case of parents with a child who is 18 years younger than they are, six gaps will exist. The term “generation gap”, which means “a discrepancy or divergence of viewpoint between adults and teenagers” (Coleman and Hendry, 1990:85), encompasses the difference in social environments, realities, and experiences between two 46 Nurturing Pillars of Society generations—parents and children. It also implies that two generations might have different views and opinions on various matters and that these differences may result in conflicts. If each generation holds to its own views without trying to understand and accept those of the other, blockages that hinder genuine communication may result (Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, 3.1996). Even though parents might have a caring attitude, without the skills to communicate their care and concern to their children, this attitude is still useless. Single-parent families For various reasons, single-parent families have become common. One of the leading causes is divorce (Conger and Galambos, 1997). We must be aware that young people growing up in single-parent families—whether this may result from divorce, the death of one parent, a runaway of one parent, or from other reasons—may experience various problems and difficulties. Among many possibilities, these may involve role and gender identification, the understanding of self, role learning, relationships with adults, or moral development. Sameroff et al. (1998) recognised the singleparent household as a risk factor in the development of resilience among young people. Parents, especially single parents, need to understand how family situations affect the development of their children. If appropriate care and supervision are not offered to young people growing up in singleparent families, various youth problems, e.g., suicide, depression, truancy, running away, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, gang affiliation, may result (Allen-Meares and Fraser, 2004). Inadequate parental care and supervision Inadequate parental care and supervision have been identified as common problems in most families (Grose, 1996). Studies indicate that inadequate parental care and supervision is one of the main causes of various youth problems (Gesell , 1956; Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, 6.1994, & 7.1997; Conger and Galambos, 1997; Georgious, 1999; Choi , 2003). It may not be that parents do not want to care for or supervise their children. In the present economic situation and societal reality, if parents have the abilities, they would prefer to work so as to contribute to the family income rather than to stay at home to supervise their children. Even for parents who may wish to stay at home, the communication problems noted above may frustrate them. Thus, in the end, they, too, may prefer working to staying at home. In the case of working parents, the lack of attention, understanding, and time spent with their children further widens Working with Young People in Families, at School, and among Peers 47 the generation gap (Grose, 1996). Misunderstanding between parents and children becomes a vicious circle. Working strategies Some working strategies for parents, as caring adults, are suggested below. If they are applied appropriately, positive development and growth of young people through the family can be facilitated. A genuine will to understand and accept Acquiring the right attitude toward caring for...