very interesting press release about the 1200 delegates of the boys and girls club summit who identified adult perceptions of teenagers as the number one issue they would like to address. the first paragraph:
Young people from around the nation have chosen adults’ perception of teens as their top issue and as their national service project for 2007. The new project was recently announced as more than 1,200 teens gathered at Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 40th Annual National Keystone Conference in Minneapolis.
another significant bit:
BGCA’s Youth Report to America, 2006 (survey of more than 146,000 teens nationwide, independently tabulated), reported…
— More than one-third (36%) of respondents believe that to improve their
relationships, adults should listen more.
— Close to half of teens surveyed (48%) said that parents significantly
influence their decisions.
— One-fourth (27%) said adults should be more open-minded.
(ht to anastasia)
i am reading a book that i am sure many of you have read already; “they like jesus, but they dont like the church”. we can argue that peoples perceptions are right or wrong, but really, we have to model the difference. i am a youth pastor and most of the kids i know are unintentionally and intentionally trying to change perception. thoughtful kids.
Very interesting observation. I find this to be true in my work with youth as well.