IYD: Congressional Testimony - The Non-School Hours

Congressional Testimony

Testimony: U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee Hearing on "The Non-School Hours: Mobilizing School and Community Resources"

Shepherd Smith, February 25, 1998

"Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of this esteemed committee. It is an honor to be here and share our perspective on fundamental aspects of youth development and the importance of nurturing young Americans at every possible juncture. The latest emerging scientific data serves as a basis for my comments, as well as some tried and true knowledge of young people that has remained constant over the ages.

The Congress in 1993 had the wisdom and foresight to fund the most significant study yet of youth risk behavior. This National Longitudinal Adolescent Health Survey (often referred to as Add Health) was first reported on this past September in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Its results are exciting to all of us who seek to understand and implement the best methods of maximizing the potential value of America's youth. This combined with the emerging data concerning early brain development and childcare is helping us paint a much clearer picture of what is in the best interest of youth today. It is from this perspective that we are able to discuss aspects of the measure you are considering in this hearing.

The Institute for Youth Development also conducts its own independent research which is presently ongoing. Our findings are consistent with those being published in peer review journals. We approach youth development from the perspective of there being an inter-relationship between all risk behaviors--there are protective and risk factors--common to all youth behavior. Our study of children and their parents, both those at risk and those not at risk, reveals a common theme among young people today. They seek clear direction--a moral compass if you will--as well as both a need and desire to have strong parental and/or adult mentor bonds. I must underscore the fact that as much as we study youth, they study us. All adults are role models. We can't ever forget that, or get away from that fact.

Generally American youth are healthy and happy. Generally they are well cared for and have a positive outlook for the future. Generally they avoid risk behaviors as a group and understand what is in their best interest. There are exceptions to this, of course, and it is these exceptions that we have a responsibility to also pursue so that they may have better lifetime outcomes.

We have given each member of the committee our "Measuring the Risk" book on America's youth. It is a compilation of data that supports the premise of the statements made in this hearing today. I would encourage you to look at what interests kids today, what the main influences in their lives are, and what comprises their attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions. The Institute for Youth Development seeks to accentuate the positive aspects of youth rather than focus on just the negative.

It is important to be as objective as possible in understanding where young people are today. For example, we see in this booklet that "most teenagers believe that getting an education is important to their lives. Contrary to popular belief they would like to do well in school. Youngsters across the board--white, African-American, and Hispanic--say they admire, rather than look down on, classmates who make good grades." We also know that those who have high aspirations are those who develop well and mostly avoid risk. Why is that?

We are learning how the main influences on youth affect their behavior. What affects them first and foremost are their parents. A number of other factors such as peer attitudes and beliefs, school and other adult mentors, the media, their own religious practices, their experiences in school, and their view of their own future also affect their behavior. In this context, legislation that is developed regarding the nurturing of children in any environment needs to encourage parental involvement. Yes, after school programs are developed because parents can't be there, but it does not mean that is always the case or their influence can't be felt by their children. It is parent connectedness that the recent Add Health study lays out as the greatest protective factor for children today.

The outcome of research regarding early brain development tells us that young people, particularly at an early age, learn far more through directive instruction than abstract instruction. We err when we believe that children should be given great latitude at early ages for self-determination. This is a very difficult task for them without good direction. Consequently, we are supportive of character education in nurturing programs and would encourage the inclusion as often as possible in after school programs or pre-school programs in this sort of direction for young people. Character education not only helps develop higher self-respect and self-esteem, but also helps insulate children from harm by reinforcing resiliency factors. Principles such as worth and potential, rights and responsibilities, fairness and justice, effort and excellence, care and consideration, personal integrity, and social responsibility should be taught.

Clear, concise messages connect with youth. When we look at the often-maligned message of "just say no" used by Nancy Reagan in the '80s, we may want to re-evaluate our skepticism in light of what we now know. This message, in fact, resonates with young people. It is unambiguous and gives clear direction. We can see the effect of that consistent message given in the '80s: a significant decrease in drug usage. Yes, there are many other factors that contributed to that decline, but certainly it had a major impact while it was used. The demarcation from that message showed a reduction in the perceived risk of harmfulness of drugs by youth and an increase in drug use after its discontinuance.

The lesson here is that we have to be open to what the science tells us today and look carefully at what programs have value and which ones don't. In that vein, we have recently seen research that analyzed the 1991 and 1993 Household Survey data of over 28,000 young people questioned. It showed a pattern of risk behavior that we might not otherwise understand or accept since so much of our focus now is on tobacco as a "gateway" drug. That study published in The Journal of Adolescent Health last year showed that young people first began drinking alcohol followed 17 or 18 months later by cigarette smoking followed 10 or 11 months later by initiation of sexual intercourse. Researchers found no set pattern of marijuana use, though that is critically important to understand in light of the dramatic increases we have seen in that substance over the last 5 or 6 years.

Protective factors for young people identified in the Add Health study include: having spirituality or religious views, a desire to achieve good grades, looking one's age or younger, a pledge of virginity, high self-esteem, school connectedness and parent/family connectedness. Other conforming data shows that those who drink the least, smoke the least, and use drugs the least are African-American young people followed by whites then Hispanics. Unfortunately those that put themselves most at risk for sex and violence are in the African-American community. But our stereotype of youth needs to be tempered by reality. Only a small percentage of young people participate in most of these risk-taking behaviors. We must look at those who avoid these behaviors and promote those characteristics for all young people today.

What is very germane to your consideration regarding after school care for all school-age children is the benefits of nurturing by concerned adult mentors and sharing positive character development traits as a means of avoiding youth violence. Delinquent activities occur during school days most often between the hours of 3:00 to 6:00 PM. For those children whose parents are unable to be with them during this time period it is critical that they have adult supervision and involvement. We see from the Add Health study that parental presence reduces alcohol, drug and cigarette usage as well. This should also be true for youth involved in programs that have good adult supervision.

I would like to point out that the parent-child bond is the most important of all protective factors. Government should always work to support, not supplant, that bond. We also must accept that children cannot always be with their parents. For most, a large portion of their day they will be in school. Between that time and when most parents return home from work it is imperative that they receive care and support from trained adult mentors.

Programs that not only occupy their time and gain their attention, but also have character education qualities and give sound direction are the ones that are going to help our youth maximize their potential. Such programs, combined with flex time for workers and other creative business practices that enhance parent/child relationships will give America its brightest future. Consequently, program setting, type, focus and purpose should be given as much flexibility under this legislation as possible. Lastly, the best implementation of any program is decided at the local or community level--getting resources to these efforts as directly as possible should be a major objective in order to best help America's youth.

Thank you Mr. Chairman and committee members for hearing this perspective."