Scout's Study Concludes Youth are Doing Well

A study released by Scout Association in the United Kingdom concludes that young people: Just want to have fun and family and friends… and make a difference Regard family members as the most positive influences in their lives Feel that members of youth/sports clubs are better citizens Want to be listened to Who are members of clubs feel valued and valuable Generally feel good about themselves Feel they are in control of their lives and feel resilient Trust their intuition and instincts to decide right from wrong The study reports: We do not pretend that the results of this research demonstrate anything revolutionary.

Indeed they only show what the average young person already knows.

Parents and families matter.

Friends and a loving home matter.

Young people have strong beliefs and a desire to make the world a better place – but that does not stop them wanting to have fun.

Indeed, what this research shows above all else is the massive injustice that we do when we portray young people using negative stereotypes: as violent, drunk, delinquent, or uncaring. Our research also gives us clues about how we can make young people an even more powerful force for good. If we want to work on making the tiny minority of troubled young people more like the vast majority then we must put as much focus on parents as on police, as much investment in clubs as in communities and as much interest in siblings as in schools. Link to an article announcing the results of the study. All too often we focus on the negative things we hear about youth, it shouldn’t surprise us that things are actually different than they seem.