WHY TODAYS YOUTHS ARE NOT TOMORROW’S TRUE REPRESENTATIVES

INTRODUCTION

The life of a child is like the flow of current, if it is carefully directed, it produces light for all to use. But if it is abused and neglected, it either sparks violently or destroys the things it was meant to power correctly. A man once said; “if other children around your environment are not saved it therefore means your child (ren) is not saved.

The life of a child (youth) is a boomerang for or against the parent(s)  and the society at large – some children have taken the day-light out of their parents and devoured like wolves the lives of others, reason being that they are not decently nurtured (PROVERBS 22:6). Below are more facts on the issue of youth’s violence, keep reading.

TODAY’S YOUTHS ARE PRONE TO VIOLENCE

Majority of what causes and sustains violence in youths is “attitude” attitude is the product (mother) of either positive or negative action(s) in people. According to World Health Organization WHO (2014), “youth violence is a global public health problem. It includes a range of acts from bullying and physical fighting through more severe sexual and physical assaults to homicide”. The body further gave the following facts:

Key facts:

(a) Worldwide some 250 000 homicides occur among youth 10–29 years of age each year, which is  43% of the total number of homicides globally each year. (b) For each young person killed, 20–40 more sustain injuries requiring hospital treatment. (c) In one study, from 3–24% of women report that their first sexual experience was forced. (d) Youth violence has a serious, often lifelong, impact on a person's psychological and social functioning.

Youth violence greatly increases the costs of health, welfare and criminal justice services; reduces productivity; decreases the value of property; and generally undermines the fabric of society.

Risk factors:

Factors that increase the likelihood of youth violence are complex.

Risk factors within the individual;

Hyperactivity, impulsiveness, poor behavioural control, attention problems, history of aggressive behavior, early involvement with alcohol, drugs and tobacco, antisocial beliefs and attitudes, low intelligence and educational achievement, low commitment to school and school failure, coming from a single-parent household, experiencing parental separation or divorce, exposure to violence in the family.

Prevention

Prevention programmes shown to be effective; include: life skills and social development programmes, designed to help children and adolescents manage anger, resolve conflict, and develop the necessary social skills to solve problems; schools-based anti-bullying prevention programmes.

PREVENTION OF YOUTH’S VIOLENCE GOD’S WAY

The problem of man started in GENESIS CHAPTER 3:20 when Man devalued Woman and named her Eve. Hence, the charge in MALACHI 2:16. For the Man who does not love his wife (or Woman) but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard your selves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.

The above injunction is not just a common saying, but a law everyone interested in a violence-free world should go by. It is quit unfortunate that violence has existed on the earth since the second generation of existence; When Cain killed his brother Abel (GENESIS 4:8). The lines below tells us more on prevention of violence God’s way:

Accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour and inviting in sincerity His Spirit in ours as well as living as he leads us – all the way.

If all the families on the earth will stop seeing divorce as option and start loving genuinely their wife and children, then the world will be violence-free the next minute of taking the action (COLOSSIANS 3:19). For God hates the wicked and the one who loves violence PSALMS 11:5.

Has anyone wondered the rate of the world’s population – how come the lack in everything, ranging from water, shelter, food, sustainable health, etc. this may be due to the fact that citizens of the world seriously revolted against God and the one he has sent JESUS CHRIST. Hence, this is a call for all to come to CHRIST JESUS and remain in Him always.

In Ephesians 4:29 God admonishes all to desist from corrupt talk. Such must not come out of our mouths. But that which is good to the hearing of all.

We live in a world where nearly everyone is offended in one another. Fellow road users are offended in each other’s driving. The masses are grossly offended in the government of the day. Individuals are offended in their spouses and so on so forth. Yet the Bible puts it this way; “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (COLOSSIANS 3:21). Discouragement is an essential drive for violence – behaviorists know better. Similarly, Ephesians 6:4 maintained thus: “fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the LORD” all the world deserves is peace – which literally is the absence of violence. Hence, to attain this; a sincere shift in the way we think is essential.

 CONCLUSION

To attain a violence-free world is not an easy task. For the scripture records in MATTHEW 11:12 that the Kingdom of God has been facing violence right from the days of John the Baptist, and it is forcefully advancing.

The solution at this time is not far, since the problem is identified – attitudinal. For our youths to represent well, the parents’ attitude must change for good in Christ Jesus (ROMANS 10:9-10).

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