Joanne Spence-baptiste

Mentoring Troubled Youth Joanne Spence-baptiste

Parenting and the home environment are normally blamed for the troubles experienced by young people. This is an over simplification. The record demonstrates that good parents can have troubled children, and it is obvious that good children often come from less than perfect parenting and schooling. The community, the school, the 24/7 media, the Internet, drugs and the criminal element share blame with the environment. The issue is not whom society will blame, but how can the circumstances be altered that put young people at risk? An increase in single parenting, a decrease in extended family networks, and the technological innovations available to young people today make it difficult for the family and the community, normally the providers of social capital, to provide necessary support. This book is part of the solution - a mentoring program.