Our youth at risk in Walla Walla County is by far the most important blog I have ever written. This topic is close to my heart, as I am single parent to a very talented, smart and sweet 15 year old boy who answers to the name, "Bennie." I am grateful that my son has a fantastic group of friends and attends one of the best schools in the Walla Walla Valley, but unfortunately that doesn't eliminate the "risks" associated with being a teenager. What do I mean by "risks"? Well, first let me list some common definitions of risk:
1. Risk is a measure of the probability* and severity of adverse effects.
2. Risk is the combination of probability* of an event and its consequences.
3. Risk is equal to the triplet (si, pi, ci), where si is the ith scenario, pi is the probability of that scenario, and ci is the consequence of the ith scenario, i=1,2,y, N. (Copied from: http://www.husdal.com/2010/04/16/not-all-risk-is-risk/#ixzz15Xpp3gHv Copyright: Jan Husdal / husdal.com).
*Probability can be either 1. a relative frequency or hypothetical occurrence of an event or action if a situation in which it may or may not occur is repeated infinitely, or 2. a subjective measure of uncertainty, based on prior knowledge and conditional circumstances Copied from: http://www.husdal.com/2010/04/16/not-all-risk-is-risk/#ixzz15XrISkGS Copyright: Jan Husdal / husdal.com
I titled this article, Our youth at risk in Walla Walla County because I fully intended to talk specifically about Alcohol and Other Drugs that put our youth at risk. In 2010, our youth have what I refer to as 'immediate access' (all thanks to the evolution of technology). . .Cell phones with texting, Internet access to social networks among other things. It is very hard to control what your child/youth is exposed to when they can access anything off the Internet. There is Youtube with movies on how to take a hit off of Ammonia Inhalants or how "Roll a sweet joint."
What can a parent do to protect their child in this day and age from all different risk factors? Well, I wish I had the magic answer.
What helps:
- Talk to your child (and remind them they are YOUR child and always will be your child no matter how old they are and that you love with all your heart no matter what!)
- STOP for at least an hour a day and spend time with them (Make dinner, exercise, help them clean and organize their room, help them with homework, it is a long list and I suggest making one)
- Tuck them in bed at night (makes them feel like you care)
- Know their friends (and control who their friends are - you have that right as a parent)
- Plan activities that involve their friends
- Enroll your child in the Friends Program (see below for more details).
Resources for parents in Walla Walla:
Childrens Home Society ~ Parent Support Group
Katherine Ketcham, local treasure and author of the book, Teens Under The Influence ~ The Truth About Kids, Alcohol, and Other Drugs - How to Recognize the Problem and What to Do About It.
Blue Mountain Counseling (located in Dayton, WA)
Fortunately, our valley is filled with "treasures." These "treasures" are adults who volunteer their precious time to mentor a local child in our community. I am told that we do need more male volunteers. . .There are so many boys that need a solid, male, role model. There are a lot of single Mothers out there doing their best to parent their children and the Father is no where to be found! We have a "first class" program in Walla Walla. The name our local program is The Friends Program. I would like to encourage you to visit the website and/or sign up to be a mentor to a youngster. You have the opportunity to positively impact a child!
This blog article is a work in progress and I plan to add more later.
Thank you for reading . . .Our youth at risk in Walla Walla County.
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