Youth’s problems

The young of today have a lot of problems. Although teenagers look and act like adults, they lack experience and so often make mistakes which people don’t understand and tolerate. Nowadays young people are considered adults long before their parents were. The family is not such a strong and supportive unit as it was. One-parent families are common and mothers often work, either because they have to or because they wish to have a “career”. It means that children and teenagers receive less care and time, and this lack of parental input leads to many teenagers’ problems. “Mothering” is no longer recognized as the most important and difficult job and this in turn devalues children and teenagers.

Young people start to dress and look like adults at an early age and come into contact with drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and sex earlier. The number of sexually active teenagers has increased. Early sex leads to pregnancy among young women. Many community programmes help to cut down the number of teenage pregnancies, providing contraceptive councelling.

A lot of young people run away from home each year. Most return after a few days or a few weeks, but some of them turn to a crime and become juvenile delinquents. Among the causes of committing crimes are poor family relationships, bad neighbourhood conditions, peer pressure and drug addiction.

The permissive society that we live in now is very contradictory and difficult to contend with. It has also so changed that parents have no idea of the pressures put on the young by their peers and so cannot help them. Parents should take an interest in what their teenage children do because young people get into situations that are more difficult for them than for teenagers a generation ago.

The most important job for a family is to give young people emotional support and security. The lack of parental input leads to many problems, which were mentioned above.

Ex 1 Give the English equivalents from the text to the following Russian ones:

Семьи с одним родителем; не иметь опыта; поддерживающий элемент; выглядеть по-взрослому; желать сделать карьеру; недополучать внимания и времени; начать одеваться и выглядеть по-взрослому; в раннем возрасте; сексуально активные подростки; беременность среди молодых женщин; сокращение численности беременных подростков; консультирование по применению противозачаточных средств; убегать из дома; становиться малолетними преступниками; плохие семейные отношения; плохое соседство; давление ровни; склонность к употреблению наркотиков; спорить с; интересоваться; эмоционально поддерживать; недостаток родительской поддержки.

Ex 2. True or False:

2. Teenagers look and act like adults.

3. Nowadays the family is a strong and supportive unit.

4. One-parent families are common.

5. Children and teenagers receive enough care and time from their parents.

6. Young people don’t come into contact with drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.

7. The number of sexually active teenagers has increased.

8. A lot of young people run away from home each year.

9. The most important job for a family is to have a “career”.

Ex 3. Answer the questions:

1. What are the youth’s problems?

2. Why do teenagers make mistakes?

3. Is the family a strong and supportive unit as it was?

4. Why do mothers work?

5. Where does the lack of parental input lead to?

6. When do people come into contact with drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and sex?

7. Where does early sex lead to?

8. Why do young people commit crimes?

9. Do parents have an idea of the pressures put on the young by their peers?

10. The most important job for a family is to give young people emotional support and security, isn’t it?

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Text 8 Family Matters