Youth Activities

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7 Signs Your Teenager is at Risk for Violent Behavior

In the last week alone, four shootings/murders made headlines. They shared something shocking in common ? the alleged offender was a teenager.

1. A teenager was arrested and charged with attempted murder in the shooting of five people at a club.
2. Sentencing for a 16-year-old boy who admitted stabbing his mother 111 times was postponed.
3. The first of four teenagers to be tried in the killing of a Chinese restaurant deliveryman was found guilty of first-degree murder.
4. A teen in a middle school shoots two classmates, but is stopped by hero teacher.

Dr. Kathryn Seifert a youth and family violence and trauma expert who has over 30 years of experience believes that a recent study sheds light on the issue of teen violence. While some behavioral (aggressive) disorders have a biological base, they may also have roots in childhood maltreatment and in exposure to violence. The overlap between behavioral disorders and histories of childhood trauma is greater than has been previously recognized,? said Seifert. While not all traumatized children become aggressive, there are warning signs that can help parents determine if their child needs to get professional help.

Using recent studies, other scientific data, and 30 years of experience, Dr. Seifert has created 7 questions to determine if your teenager may be at risk of committing violent or aggressive behavior. The more questions to which you answer yes, the more likely it is that your child needs professional help. If the answer to 6 or 7 questions is ?yes?, then data shows that your teenager may be at risk of aggressive or violent behavior and needs immediate professional attention.

1. Has your child or teen witnessed or been a victim of violence?
2. Has the child in your care been abused, neglected or abandoned by a family member?
3. Has your child been cruel to animals?
4. Has your child had moderate to severe behavior problems (such as stealing, punching holes in walls, or staying out all night without permission) that began before the age of 13?
5. When your child hurts or injures someone does he feel sorry he/she got caught, rather than sorry for the harm caused to his/her victim.
6. In the past, has your child assaulted another person that was not in self-defense? (This is particularly important if it was a younger, weaker child or a parent, policeman, or teacher.)
7. Has you child had severe learning and/or behavior problems in school for more than a year?

Dr. Seifert warns that although these questions can be easily answered, their answers should not be taken lightly. Adults and caregivers need to take immediate action to seek help for families and teens that have experienced traumatic experiences. Without professional help, such as counseling from organizations like Dr. Seifert?s firm, Eastern Shore Psychological Services, many teens may never get the help they need. And without help, a troubled teenager could become the next headline. With the proper interventions, youth violence is preventable.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author

Dr. Kathryn Seifert has over 30 years experience in mental health, addictions, and criminal justice work. She has authored the CARE and numerous articles. Dr. Seifert has lectured internationally on youth and family violence and trauma. http://careforusall.com

Junior High Youth Church Activities

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Are you now in Junior High? If you are, then perhaps you might want to consider joining Junior High youth church activities.

A lot of youths nowadays don’t know much about Christ and God. Are you one of them? If you want to make a difference and you don’t want to end up like the teenagers who followed the wrong path, then you should join a Junior High youth group.

Youth groups are not new in the society. In fact, a lot of parents are very thankful that there are groups who are willing to help the young generation to live a healthy life. Find a church youth group which invites junior high students. Ask the needed requirements in order to become a member.

Church youth groups can help you as a teenager. Perhaps you’ve encountered some problems already and you’re somehow troubled. If you’re a member of a youth group, you can take part in the various activities exclusively for junior high students. Now, a good thing about these youth groups is that they require the active participation of parents as well. With the joint efforts of the youth group staff, the parents, and the youth members, the group can achieve success.

Religious education is also taught to the youth. During meetings, the youth leaders will lead the prayers, read scriptures from the Bible, do word reflections, conduct open discussions, and make a closing prayer. One way or another, the youth members will know God better.

Youth groups are voluntary but the youth leaders see to it that they organize challenging and fun events so that the junior high students will attend without being forced by the parents. The activities of the church youth group often include learning ethical lessons, improving socializing skills, and public service (church and community).

It can even include movies at the local church, dinner at local malls, river rafting, hiking trails, weekend trips, retreats, splashy trips, sight seeing, cave exploring, fund raising activities, and outreach programs. As you can see, these activities can help you in becoming more aware about the environment and at the same time, be closer to God.

Family and school should still be your top priority. The youth group usually meets once a month and on special activities. By taking active part in the various activities, you will have fun and you can learn a lot.

Try to find a local junior high church youth group now. You can ask the parish or you can even check out other parishes as well. There are also online websites of junior high youth groups that you can check out. Make sure that you choose a youth group that you will feel comfortable with.

You can get your parents involved so that they will know all your activities. At least now, they will not worry about your safety that much. The youth group can be considered your peers now but they are much different from others. They will not be a bad influence to you.

Junior high church youth activities vary. You can’t possibly participate in all the activities since you’re still busy with school things but try to attend the monthly meetings. If you have time, take active part in all the activities. It can help you with your every day teen life and the coming years as well.