GPIssues: Youth

GP Issues
TOPIC 8:
YOUTH
180
Statistics
181
Convention on the
Rights of a Child
182
Baby Boomers and

Generation XYZ
184
Teenage Marriage
and Pregnancy
186
Youth Crime
187
Peer Pressure
188
Youth (Un)Employment
189
Influence of
190
Famous Youths
191
UN Initiatives
193
Opinion Articles
195
Keywords
196
Youth is defined as the period between childhood and adulthood.

The qualities of vitality, freshness or immaturity are associated
with being young. The United Nations (UN) defines youth as
persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. The word teenager
may be used synonymously to mean youth, although it specifically
refers to a young person between the ages of 13 and 19. The term
adolescent refers to the physical and mental state of development
of a young person. It is most closely associated with teenage years.
There are many international bodies involved in youth affairs
such as the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). International
Youth Day was first observed on 12 Aug 2000, and is celebrated
annually. The UN sees it as an event to draw worldwide attention
to youth issues through concerts, workshops and other events. The
theme for 2013 was Youth Migration, and in 2014, the focus is on
mental health, with the slogan, Mental Health Matters. The themes
of the past two years drew attention to the neglect over the issues
youths face.
One area of growing concern is obesity among youth. Studies
reported in the Journal of American Medical Association state that
children that are obese between the ages of 10 and 15 are likely
to be obese as adults as well. The 2012 study found that nearly a
third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Poor
eating habits, particularly indulging in fatty or fried foods, are
general factors that affect youths. Other studies stated that watching
television while eating led to uncontrolled calorie consumption.
Essays
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Educational Publishing House Pte Ltd
Other health-related issues that ate linked to youths are substance abuse, eating
disorders and sexually transmitted diseases.
In many adolescents, feelings of stress, confusion, financial difficulty and self-doubt
are prevalent. For many teens, suicide seems to be an easy and convenient solution to
their problems. Depression and suicidal feelings are mental disorders and can be treated
with psychiatric therapy. Youths with suicidal feelings can be diagnosed by changes in
behaviour, violent actions or rebellious behaviour like running away, marked personality
changes, substance abuse, withdrawal from friends and family, unusual neglect of personal
appearance and frequent boredom. In many cases, teenage suicide occurs because someone
of significance has been lost, and more recently, online bullying has been the cause of
some cases of suicide among young people.
The perception of youths by adults creates stereotypes and outlooks that may border
on prejudice or full blown discrimination. The cause of this can be attributed to adultism.
Adultism is the domination of children and young people by adults. Adultism convinces
us as children that the young do not really amount to much. The concept extends further
by ensuring that children should have the endorsement of adults and be in their good
books. This aspect of internalised adultism leads to tattling on our siblings or being the
teachers pet. Institutional adultism creates formal restrictions or demands placed on the
young. Guidelines, laws and rules serve as means to control, maintain and instil adultism
throughout society. These limitations are often reinforced through physical force, coercion
or double standards.
Except for prisoners, and those assigned with mental afflictions, young people are
more controlled than any other group in society. Children are told what to eat, what to
wear, when to go to bed, when they can talk, which school to attend, which friends are
acceptable; many other aspects of their lives are governed by adults like what facilities at
school or the playground would suit them, what subject combinations to choose in school
or what jobs or professions they should prepare for. As they grow older, the opinions of
most young people are not valued; they are punished at the will or whim of adults; their
emotions are considered immature. Adultism is not harmful, but it can be stifling.
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Youth
TOPIC 8:
Youths of any generation have not been seen as capable by their predecessors. Many
are labelled as apathetic, lazy and uninspired. However, each generation has played its part
in establishing a name for themselves, whether they are called hippies, revolutionaries,
idealists or techies. Youths have to be given the benefit of doubt, and be allowed to entrench
themselves based on the social, political, economic and cultural factors of the times.
Statistics
1
12
13
There are 1.2 billion youths aged 15-24 around the

world. This is the largest young generation the world
has ever seen.
Around the world, many women ages 15 to 19 are
currently pregnant or have already given birth. This
scenario is especially true in rural areas, where girls are
married young and pressured to start having children
immediately. In Zimbabwe, Senegal and Colombia, more
than one in five teenagers from rural areas have begun
childbearing.
Youth are 3 times more likely to be out of work globally.

(UN World Report 2010).
A growing number are Neither in Employment nor

in Education or Training (NEETs) and are known as
disconnected youth.
There are 6 million youth dropouts worldwide.
OECD statistics from 2013 point to youth unemployment

at almost 50 per cent in Spain and Greece.
One in five youths in the European Union are out of work.
On average 16 million adolescent girls become mothers

each year. (UN World Youth Report 2012).
There are at least 100 million street children globally,

an estimated 18 million of these live in India, which has
the largest numbers of street children of any country in
the world.
10
The UN Childrens Fund reports that 40 million children

below the age of 15 suffer from abuse and neglect.
11
The International Labour Organisation estimates that

there are 255 million children, aged 5 to 17, involved
in child labour.
180
UNICEF estimates that more than 300 000 children

under 18 are currently being exploited in armed conflicts
worldwide.
Teens are sharing more information about themselves
online in 2013, compared to 2006. 71 per cent post
their school name, up from 49 per cent. 70 per cent
post the town or city they live in, up from 60 per cent.
53 per cent post their email addresses, up from
40 per cent.
14
Recent studies indicate that the average age when a

child begins regularly consuming online media is 8. Other
findings show that even though Facebooks minimum
age requirement is 13, there are about 5 million users
under the age of 10.
15
11 per cent of the worlds youth (15-24 years old) are

non-literate.
16
A 2011 Youth Behaviour Survey conducted by the Centre

for Disease Control in the United States of America
revealed that 22 per cent of youths binge drank alcohol,
8 per cent drove after drinking alcohol and 25 per cent
rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
17
Youths who drink are 8 times more likely to use other

illegal drugs. Some reports claim that alcohol kills more
teenagers than all other drugs combined.
18
The use of marijuana was on the decline in the United

States of America until recently. In 2013, it was estimated
that 7 per cent of 8th graders, 18 per cent of 10th
graders and 23 per cent of 12th graders in the US had
used marijuana in the past month. 6 per cent of 12th
graders claim to use marijuana every day.
19
UNICEF estimates that 20 per cent of the world youth

population have a mental health issue.
Sources:
United Nations
Centre for Disease Control
International Labour Organisation
UNICEF, UN World Youth Report, UNESCO,
ILO, WTO, Pew Foundation
Convention on the Rights of a Child

The aim of the Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC) is to set the standard for the
defence of children, defined in the convention as everyone below the age of 18. The rights
of the child are classified into three primary sections:
The right to possess, receive and have access

to: a name, nationality, health care, education,
rest and play.
The right to be shielded from harmful acts

and practices such as: engagement in war,
commercial exploitation, sexual exploitation,
mental and physical abuse.
Youth is happy because it has

the capacity to see beauty.
Anyone who keeps the ability
to see beauty never grows old.
~Franz Kafka
(1883-1924) German Novelist
The childs right to be heard is entrenched in the convention for decisions affecting his or
her life such as: freedom of speech and opinion, culture, religion and language.
Opponents of the CRC feel that the convention is structurally unsound, and the rights
contained therein seem more like rights of adults than rights of children. Opponents also
cite that the UN has integrated exemptions into the CRC which prevent violators of human
rights from being called out. For example, Article 21 of the CRC refers to freedom of
religion. This clause has been challenged by Middle-Eastern countries as violating Islamic
law.
TOPIC 8:
The CRC can be read at: http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx
Youth
181
Baby Boomers and Generation XYZ

The generational gap is an expression that indicates differences between people of
younger generations and their elders, especially between children and their parents. Modern
generational gaps have often been attributed to quick cultural changes in contemporary
times, particularly with regard to musical tastes, fashion, technology and politics. These
transformations are assumed to have been expanded by the unmatched size of the young
generation during the 1960s, which gave it the influence and inclination to rebel against
communal norms.
The baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1965, are seen as risk takers compared to
their parents. They were the first generation to be brought up by television and be influenced
by media. They were also the generation that received high levels of income, and boosted
consumerism with their new affluence. The baby boomers experienced the Cuban Missile
Crises, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, The Vietnam War and the landing by man
on the moon. The key characteristic of their generation was experimentation of drugs and
individualism. There was a general distrust of government among this generation due to
raging inflation, fuel shortages as well as conflicts around the world.
Those born between 1965 and 1984 were labelled Generation X or Gen-X. The
Gen-Xs have been labelled the MTV generation as well. They are characterised as being
family-oriented, educated and happy. Some sociologists have attributed qualities like the
need for stability, love, tolerance and human rights for all as part of the DNA of Gen-X.
182
The Millennial Generation, or

Generation Y, is the group that succeeds Gen-X.
Good habits formed at youth
There are no precise dates when the generation
make all the difference.
starts and ends. Researchers use birth years
ranging from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s
~Aristotle
(384-322 BC) Greek Philosopher
to denote Gen-Y. This generation is also known
as the Global Generation, the Net Generation
and Generation We. Newsweek coined the term
Generation 9/11 to refer to those who were
between the ages of 10 and 20 on September 11, 2001. The Gen-Ys are said to be confident
and tolerant, but possess a strong sense of entitlement. New research points to Gen-Y
as being optimistic about the future although this group faces many uncertainties, such
as unemployment. The counterpart of Gen-Y in the east is the Strawberry generation, a
label used to denote how the youth of this period are easily bruised, and are more inclined
towards outer appearance.
Born after the year 2000, those that belong to Generation Z are termed as digital
natives. They are viewed as the generation that is most comfortable with technology.
They feel that the world can be changed for the better by the use of technology. Roughly
one in four Generation Z-ers are involved in volunteering. They are more entrepreneurial
than millennials. They suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) more than millennials, so
being culturally and digitally connected is essential. Gen-Z is very individualised. While
millennials seek mentors, Generation Z is more about helping themselves. They worry
about the economy more than anything else, including crime, politics, their parents job
security, and the cost of goods.
Gen-Z prefer home-cooked meals. They spend more money on food and drinks. Brands
like Starbucks, Nike, Forever 21 and Polo Ralph Lauren are the brands they most strongly
associate with. Obesity has, however, shot through the roof with this generation more than
any other. One positive thing is that they are close with their families and parents have
significant amount of control over them.
TOPIC 8:
Youth
183
Teenage Marriage and Pregnancy

A number of human rights
instruments lay down norms
to be applied to marriage,
covering issues of age, consent,
equality within marriage, and the
personal and property rights of
women. The key instruments
and articles are as follows:
Article 16 of the 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) states: Marriage shall be
entered into only with the free
and full consent of the intending
parties. Similar provisions are
included in the 1966 International
Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights and the 1966
International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights.
Article 1 of the 1956
Supplementary Convention on
the Abolition of Slavery, the
Slave Trade, and Institutions and
Practices Similar to Slavery
includes in the institutions and
practices similar to slavery:
Article 1(c) Any institution or
practice whereby: (i) A woman,
without the right to refuse, is
promised or given in marriage
on payment of a consideration
in money or in kind to her
parents, guardian, family ...
Articles 1, 2, and 3 of the
1964 Convention on Consent
to Marriage, Minimum Age for
Marriage and Registration of
Marriages create restrictions
on marriages and that they
should be registered by a
competent authority.
184
What should the marriageable age be? The accepted legal

age in many countries is 18 years of age. Some allow marriage
at 16 and a few countries allow marriage of a child below 16
with the consent of the parents. Child marriages are defined by
the UN as a formal marriage occurring prior to the age of 18.
This phenomenon is experienced by boys and girls, but is mostly
prevalent amongst girls. Teen or child marriages occur mainly
in developing countries. Factors that put a child in danger of
marriage are poverty, the need to protect the child, and family
honour. It is believed that marrying of a girl while she is still
a child will help the family financially and socially and relieve
financial burdens. Also, men seek younger brides as they are
under the false impression that it will lower the chances of
contracting HIV or AIDS. Gender roles are shifting so much
within marriage that marrying young is relatively a gamble,
especially if it affects ones education. Young people may not
have the maturity and the skills needed to make a marriage work.
It is well accepted that teen marriage often ends in divorce.
The exception is in countries where there is a strong culture
of arranged marriages. In this case, parents and the extended
family work towards ensuring the conflicts are minimised and
the family name is intact.
Source:
UNFPA - UN Population Fund ,
formerly known as UN Fund
for Population Activities
Article 16.1 of the 1979

Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women
prescribes equally for
men and women:
(a) The same right to enter into
marriage; (b) The same right
freely to choose a spouse and
to enter into marriage only with
their free and full consent; Article
16.2 states: The betrothal and
the marriage of a child shall have
no legal effect, and all necessary
action, including legislation,
shall be taken to specify a
minimum age for marriage.
Teenage pregnancy figures have been dropping over the last

few years. However, it is still a social stigma. Causes of teenage
pregnancies include early marriages, drug and alcohol abuse,
sexual abuse, dating violence, lack of use of contraception
and socioeconomic factors such as high levels of poverty.
Many teenagers are unaware of the consequences of lack of
contraception, and contraception is often used improperly.
Teenagers are also unaware of the issues surrounding the
development of a child of teenage parents. In low- and middleincome countries, almost 10 per cent of girls become mothers by
age 16, with the uppermost rates in sub-Saharan Africa and southcentral and south-eastern Asia. Many girls who are expecting
have to leave school. This has long-term implications for them
as individuals, their families and communities. Miscarriages and
death in the first week of life of a baby are 50 per cent higher
among babies born to mothers younger than 20 years than among
babies born to mothers 2029 years old. Deaths during the first
month of life are 50100 per cent more frequent if the mother
is a teenager.
Source: World Health Organisation
TOPIC 8:
Youth
185
Youth Crime
Juvenile delinquency is crime committed by teenagers. It can be caused by family
problems revolving around economic, psychological, social and moral issues. Personal
reasons like social, psychological and physical concerns and drug abuse may also compel
youths to commit crimes. Another major factor is peer group influences like gangs, abusive
behaviour and rejection.
Quite a number of juvenile crimes arise from vandalism, theft, trespassing and fights.
These forms of offences are labelled as normative adolescent behaviour. To boot, males
also predominantly commit juvenile crimes. Sociologists have theorised that the ideas
of machismo and bravado make young men more likely to transgress social norms and
official rules. It has also been theorised that males are naturally more aggressive and open
to risk taking.
Surprisingly, parenting styles have also been blamed on youth crimes. Parents that
neglect their children may contribute towards behaviour that may be difficult to control
in later years. The same parents who do not keep tabs on their childs movements, friends
and schoolwork, may exacerbate the situation of delinquency. One would assume that
authoritarian-style parents may raise a more well-rounded progeny. However, that is not
true. Improper methods of discipline and refusing to understand the needs and feelings
of their child may be contributive factors towards juvenile crime in the future.
Other factors like intelligence and emotional stability are also considerations as to
why young people commit crime. Children that do badly in school are more prone to
become wayward and indulge in activities that empower them outside of school. Emotional
deficiencies and wanting to fit in within a peer group have been said to be contributing
traits as well.
As part of an investigation of bad behaviour of youth, several parliamentarians in the
United Kingdom commented that morals of children are ten-fold worse than before. The
study was held in 1843 and is often used as an example to argue that every generation
argues that the one succeeding it is much worse in their attitude and are more prone
to crime and other social infringements. One could argue that the police are now more
involved in youth crime when previously the matter was the purview of parents or schools,
or that casual violence is now seen as criminally offensive, or that the greater availability
of consumer goods are a cause, or the fact that better recording and statistical tools point
to a dark and dangerous world of youth crime.
186
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is the way people of the same social group are able to influence one
another, usually negatively. It causes a huge impact on social and emotional development
of a child since peers are a major part of their lives. Peer pressure can lead to youths
delving into drugs, alcohol, pre-marital sex, unhealthy eating habits that lead to eating
disorders, bullying and self-mutilation.
Peer pressure has been termed as the hallmark of adolescent experience. Social
psychologists have coined the term identity shift effect which seeks to explain the how
and why of peer pressure. One subscribes to a group standard for fear of rejection. In
accepting the rules of the group, internal conflict arises, since the individual has abandoned
his own rules and behaviours. To make the shift to the group easier, one abandons ones
own values, thus eliminating the internal conflict.
The largest area of peer-pressure influence is in the use and experimentation with drugs
and alcohol. The young are unaware of the consequences and how their actions will have
on their future. Substance abuse at a young age causes youths to be more easily addicted.
It also leads to poor performance in school, unsafe sexual activity, memory problems or
even death from alcohol poisoning.
TOPIC 8:
Youth
187
Youth (Un)Employment
Youth unemployment and underemployment remain stubbornly high around the
world. Unemployment among young people tends to be higher than among adults. The
global financial crisis in 2008 and the subsequent recession have further increased this
gap. Between 2000 and 2011, the youth labour force participation rate decreased globally
from 53 to 49 per cent, indicating that less than half of young people aged 15 to 24 were
actively participating in the labour markets.
In 2012, 75 million young people remained unemployed. In developed countries,
35 per cent of unemployed youths have been out of a job for six months or longer. In
Europe, 13 per cent of all young people are neither employed nor in education or training.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) expects youth unemployment to rise in the
coming years.
There are several factors that affect youth unemployment. Older workers eclipse the
youth in terms of work skill. In many countries, older workers are protected from layoffs.
The youngest are thus more likely to be laid off than older workers who have been there
longer. The term first-out last-in is often used to refer to the state of employment for
young people during recession.
Youths are expected to remain in school for lengthier periods now as compared to
in the past. Employers use qualifications as a way to assess whether youth applicants are
suitable prospective employees. This forces youths to spend more time in education and
defer admission into the workforce. Since youths devote more time getting an education,
the knock-on effect triggers a corresponding rise in the typical age when full-time
employment begins.
Young people are more likely to be involved in contractual, seasonal or temporary
work. As such, they are more prone to spending more time finding work. Extended periods
of unemployment may cause youths to leave the country in search of work elsewhere,
causing a brain drain. In extreme cases, youth unemployment may precipitate protests and
violence as was seen in the Arab Spring.
Besides decreased earnings over a period of time, an entire generation can be scarred
when many within the group cannot find work. Long-term redundancy may cause youths
to lose job skills, links to their industry, and possibly even limited desire to work in the
future. Employers will be more prone to engage those in the next generation who are just
out of school.
Some countries are starting to focus on vocational training as a means to provide
youths with skills that can assist them far into the future.
188
Influence of
The impact of technology on youth has been widely discussed, particularly since the
start of the millennium. The discussions border around how the young have become overly
dependent on technology to how adept at multitasking the new generation has been. The
digital natives have a different style of interaction and learning. They crave interactivity;
they value graphics over words; they want random access to information; all encapsulated
within a nice neat bundle. The young are seen as savvy, hungry for expression, self-reliant
and socially conscious. The differences between this generation and the past seems to have
been produced by technology, rather than being a result of social, historical or cultural
forces. Young people are seem to possess intuitive skills, and technology has seen to
have empowered this special group of young people. In effect, technology has brought
about indelible changes to how society now interacts and communicates. It has brought
about playful learning, going beyond teacher-dominated, non-authoritarian approaches
to education. Technology has created a social awakening for youths, who have become a
global oriented group that seeks a new kind of politics and governance.
The new digital romanticism has to acknowledge the lack of digital etiquette, and that
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are not the be-all and end-all of education in the
new age. The digital soup that has been so blatantly gulped down by the young is not the
elixir to a new age. The young are still unaware of the digital dangers, or are aware but
unconcerned. This may quintessentially be the unfurling of the digital generation, when deep
dark secrets surreptitiously placed on social media sites comes back to haunt the youth.
The influence of technology in media has created a new paradigm shift in media
consumption. The television is seen as a passive medium, while the Internet is an active
medium. From an interactive viewpoint, the television dumbs down its user, while the
Internet raises the intelligence bar. Television or other analog forms of media present a
singular view of the world, while the Internet is democratic and interactive. Television
isolates, while the Internet builds, communicates, exchanges and even energises. It is
little wonder that the youth today value the Internet more than conventional forms of
entertainement.
189
Youth
TOPIC 8:
The media (particularly television) creates a general experience that suggests that youth
are vulnerable and have unacceptable behaviour. Young girls are constantly pummelled with
perfect body images through various mediums. Many teenagers comment that television
shows and movies make it seem that it is normal for teens to have sex. The American
Psychological Association estimates that teenagers are exposed to several thousand sexual
cues and innuendos through the media each year.
Famous Youths
Alexander the Great:
Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military leaders in history. By the
age of 16, Alexander had founded his first colony.
Joan of Arc:
Joan was a peasant girl who led the French army to several vital successes all before the
age of 20. She was made a saint by Pope Benedict XV.
King Tutankhamun:
King Tut was only eight or nine years old when he became a pharaoh. He died before he
was 19. His tomb in the Valley of the Kings is the most complete ancient Egyptian tomb
ever found.
Lydia Ko:
A New Zealand golfer born in South Korea, 17-year-old Lydia Ko is the youngest person
ever to win a professional golf tournament. Her rise has been astronomical in the golf world.
Malala Yousafzai:
Her vocal activism led her to be shot by the Taliban, and in more recent years, to be
nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Recipient of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of
Thought and the Clinton Global Citizen award, Malala continues to champion rights of
young girls to receive education.
Justin Bieber:
Despite his many detractors, he has held his own to entrench himself as a pop star. He
featured on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as the youngest solo male artist after Stevie Wonder.
Marques Brownlee:
Dubbed the best tech reviewer on the planet by executives at Google, Brownlees upbeat
videos offer clear insight into tech products. He has 1.5 million followers on YouTube,
making him the best known personality on the Internet for IT gadget reviews.
190
UN Initiatives
International Youth Day is
celebrated on 12 August
every year. The theme for
2014 is Mental Health.
The Secretary General of the
UN suggests that mental health
should be treated at the same
level as physical health, meaning
to say that the stigma, shame
and fears associated with seeking
mental health services should
be eliminated. Allowing young
people to receive access to
mental health services such as
aggressive behaviour, suicidal
tendencies, substance abuse,
stress, hyperactivity will prevent
social exclusion and negative
impacts on society as a whole.
The World Health Organisation
has developed the Mental Health
Gap Action Programme, to
support non-specialist mentalhealth service capacities in lowand-middle income countries.
The initiatives include awareness,
imparting coping skills and
allowing friends and family to
identify mental health symptoms.
The World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) is a

UN initiative to ensure that the challenges facing young people
are tackled head-on by ensuring that member states set up
policies and processes that can ease or eliminate the issues
faced by young people in respective member countries. The
WPAY is focused on: education, employment, poverty, health,
environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time
activities, issues affecting girls and young women in developing
countries. In addition, the programme intends to ensure full and
effective participation of youths in the life of society and in
decision-making, globalisation, information and communications
technology, HIV/AIDS easement, armed conflict alleviation and
intergenerational issues.
Member states have established new youth structures
and programmes to bring the opinions of young people to
government representatives. Greece has formed local youth
councils to empower young men and women and give them the
opportunity to become active change proxies in society. In the
United Kingdom, the Positive for Youth initiative has led to
an upturn in the involvement by young people in youth councils
and youth cabinets, greater representation of young people on
steering and management committees, and greater involvement
by young people in policy development. Saudi Arabia has
developed its first national youth strategy. This strategy identifies
youth participation as a key priority for the government. In
Switzerland, a new law encourages the political participation
of young people at the federal level, with a particular focus on
those from disadvantaged sectors.
TOPIC 8:
Youth
191
Many mental-health disorders

negatively affect youths ability
to positively form supportive
and wholesome associations
and manage disagreement in
associations. This is particularly
disconcerting given that
adolescence is a critical time for
identity formation and taking
on roles, especially with peers.
The impact goes on to affect
the economy in terms of
unavailability of a productive
workforce. The vicious circle
is completed by the inability to
form families and have children.
Source: UN Report on
Social Inclusion of Youth
with Mental Illness
UN-Women has been working to increase young womens

experiences, and to strengthen their opinions and sway
decision-making processes at the national, regional and global
levels. One feature of this effort is a UN-Women programme
in Uruguay, where both women and young people who are
underrepresented in parliament are encouraged to participate in
policy and law making initiatives.
In line with its mandate to build leadership within the HIV
community, the youth programme of the secretariat of the Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) works
with youth-led and youth-serving organisations, to create broad
alliances for social change within the HIV and broader health
and development agendas.
To promote the active involvement of young people in
preserving peace and security, the Sub-Working Group on
Youth Participation in Peace building of the United Nations
Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development developed codes
on young peoples participation in peace building. The principles
offer guidance to peace building actors to enable the development
of inclusive and intergenerational peace building strategies and
programmes that systematically promote the participation of
young people.
In order to measure, monitor and manage the above and
other initiatives, member states have formed specific offices to
track youth trends and develop youth indicators to better shape
future policies.
Source: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/
wpay2010.pdf
192
Opinion Articles
This article compares the issues that young people today face in light of uncertain
employment, delayed romance and family to the plight of the 19th century youths of
America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/opinion/anxious-youth-then-and-now.html
Viewing youths as pestilence, this article outlines how the chances of young people to be
successful are diminished by negative perceptions of adults.
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/mar/17/ephebiphobia-young-people-mosquito
A reflective article on mental illness among youths, written to commemorate the

International Youth Day and the passing of Robin Williams.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/op-ed-youth-and-mental-illness-a-cohesive-strategyis-needed/article/396813
This article presents how the phenomena of affluenza, a life lived without consequences,
has warped the sense of right and wrong of youth.
TOPIC 8:
http://cfjcblog.com/2014/01/23/mlk-day-op-ed-no-justice-for-incarcerated-youth
Youth
193
The CEO of a fast food restaurant chain chimes in on youth unemployment.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101804396#
The Guardian newspaper presents an overview of youth sub-culture and its state in present
times.
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/mar/20/youth-subcultures-where-have-they-gone
The seldom discussed issue of youth homelessness is presented here.

http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2020397894_triciajeffraikesopedxml.html
194
Keywords
Adolescent:
Self-fulfilling prophecy:
Ambivalence:
Unbridled sexuality:
Deviant behaviour:
Youth subculture:
a young person developing into an adult;

those between the ages of 10 and 19
mixed feelings or being unsure
behaviour departing from the norm;

violation of formal and informal rules of
conduct
Generation gap:
a prediction that directly or indirectly

causes itself to become true
unrestrained or uncontrolled
distinctive styles, behaviours and interests

of youths. It is in effect an identity outside
of family, work, home and school. Youth
subcultures tend to exhibit antagonism to
the dominant culture and are occasionally
labelled as countercultures.
differences between young people and their

parents or elders
Juvenile:
a young person
Juvenile delinquent:
an offender below the age of 18
Patterns of behaviour:
young people presenting various types

of aggressive behaviour, now focused on
violent and non-violent behaviours
195
GP ISSUES: YOUTH
ESSAYS
The young still do not have a voice today.

Is this a fair comment?
Assess the view that young people shape the world they live in.
Young people are unable to cope with anxiety.

Is this true of the modern world?
To what extent are we underestimating youth today?
Vocabulary

196
1 Adolescent
3 Underage
5 Callow
7 Hedonistic
9 Adonis
2 Ephebiphobia
4 Juvenile
6 Narcissistic
8 Pubescent
10 Salad days
The young still do have have a voice today. Is this a fair comment?
What loves to copy others, takes on crazy mindless challenges

and is often seen as lazy? If you guessed youths aged between 15
and 25, you are absolutely correct. The perception of youth took
a negative slant in the old days. They were portrayed as unsure,
unaware and uninspired. With new media, that perception has gone
up a notch or two. It seems like youths are still crying for attention
but now it is all over YouTube, Facebook or Instagram. And just
like their contemporaries in the past, the youth of today seem to
be incapable of facilitating change. If you believe everything thus
far, you probably are a hermit that has just come down the hills
after 20 years or so.
The youth of today have been instrumental in bringing down
governments and pushing for social, economic and political change.
They are seen as a galvanising force that can spur fellow adolescents
to take charge of the situation. They have electrified social constructs,
nuclearised political inefficiencies and taken companies, large and
small, to the hallowed halls of justice. They have a voice, and they
call it social media.
The thesis is presented

in the last sentence of
the second paragraph.
A chronological view
of the voice of the
youth is presented
A play on words to
emphasise the state of
change that took place
during the Arab Spring,
e.g. using fell, leading
on to felled to show
how governments were
cut away from their
political power, and
how those involved in
the change excelled
197
Youth
The style presented

here seeks to capture
the attention of the
reader with a fairly
lengthy example and
lead the reader to a
shocking revelation.
TOPIC 8:
The voice of the youth has been seen in the lone protestor
challenging a column of tanks in 1989 in Tiananmen Square in
Beijing. That voice resonated and challenged communist doctrine
and led to the fall of the Berlin Wall some months later. The collapse
of the Soviet empire ensued two years later and a dawn of a new
era was heralded. Fast forward twenty years into the future, and the
spark of Mohammad Bouazizi ignited a revolution that changed the
dynamics of middle-east politics. His death through self-immolation
due to government harassment led to a wave of protests in Tunisia.
That wave of protests engulfed the region and brought massive
change that was never envisaged. Governments fell, dictators were
felled, and protestors excelled, a testament that youth not just have
a voice, their clarion call became a wave of change.
This is a highly unusual

essay. It does not follow
the PEEL format. It
uses direct speech for
emphasis of certain
salient points. The
thesis is not presented
in the first introductory
paragraph, but is present
in the second paragraph.
If you push us, well putsch your government!

Inspired by the Arab Spring, the voice of the youth took inequality
to the streets of the world. The goals of the disparate movement,
held in eighty plus countries and close to nine-hundred cities, was
to highlight social and economic inequalities by calling for more
equitable distribution of wealth, and to prevent the hegemony of large
companies and banks. Although largely seen as protests in New York
city, the Occupy Movement started in Spain and spread its message
through social media, tagging itself as WeAreThe99% on Twitter
and Tumblr. The protests sought to highlight that 1 per cent of the
population of the world controlled massive amount of wealth, and
that the 99 per cent were disproportionately disadvantaged. Their
protests were not based on conjecture, but on a report released by
the US Congressional Budget Office, which reported that the top
1 per cent of the population of the United States of America saw
an increase in their wages by 275 per cent between 1979 and 2007.
60 per cent of Americans in the lower-income and middle-income
bracket saw their wages increase by only 40 per cent during the same
period. The movement started with a commitment to non-violence
and brought about awareness of the deficiencies of socioeconomic
inequalities. Governments have sat up and taken notice of this wave
of change. The subdued voices of the youth of the past made a lot
of noise, but yielded only negative views and frustrated hopes. The
youth of today are unequivocal in their demands.
If you occupy our life, we will occupy the government!
The youth of the past were steeped in generational values.
They had to conform or be ostracised. Work ethic was an important
indication of the value of a young person. The tentacles of the
media were in the hands of government and in the hands of a few
private individuals, who spun a tale of discipline, conformity, and
that if young people worked hard, they too could attain the dream.
Staying motivated was the key. The way to success was to slowly
198
The technique of
direct speech echoes
the sentiments on
the ground during
the Arab Spring.
The next point presents

the outcome of the
Occupy movement.
The use of direct

speech once again
The third point allows
the reader to reflect the
conditions of the past.
climb the corporate ladder. The voices of the youth of the past,
expressed through the drug and hippie movement of the 1960-1970s,
could not do much for wars and conflicts that ravaged that period.
Make love, not war!
Direct speech is used

once again. A popular
phrase during the 1970s
There is no doubt that young people today get their culture,

gossip and attitudes from Google and Facebook. There is no doubt
that they are continually promoting themselves and constantly
connected. There is no doubt that they think filming their fellow
hipsters slapping strangers or eating spoonfuls of cinnamon powder,
and then putting the videos up on YouTube is amusing. But this
generation of digitally supported, computer-savvy youth want to end
culture wars, move government policy towards a more helpful and
bilateral approach, rebuild a strong positive role for government,
achieve universal healthcare, reform and expand educational
systems, start the transition to a clean energy economy and much
more. Khan Academy, Quora, Kickstarter and a wave of other new
technologies have firmly placed the voices of youth today into
action. The voices of the young today are strong, united and ever
ready to challenge the constructs that affect us all.
The last point highlights

how the young may be
deemed incompetent.
Viva la Vida!, a song by Coldplay, is a brief and simple

reflection of the vision and voice of the young in our world today.
The youth of today seek salvation not just for themselves, but
also for us. The youth of today is the hope for tomorrow. Let us
stop our self-fulfilling prophecy that the young are clueless and
directionless, and let us add to their voice, a voice for change, a
voice for a difference that it can make to our world. The youth of
today are not silent. They have a voice.
A popular song is
presented as reference
for the sign of times,
how the young feel and
what they aspire for.
The essay ends with

an explicit statement
to the assertion of
the question.
TOPIC 8:
Youth
199
Assess the view that young people shape the world they live in.
The Industrial Revolution and the uprising against aristocracy

brought about the period of Romanticism between 1800 and 1850.
The rejection of scientific rationalisation placed the focus on societal
development in art, music and literature. This period of liberalism
propelled a society bored with vestiges of the past. The stewards of
this movement were the young, not cane-wielding old men. Tired
of conformity, Bohemianism came into being in the late 1800s.
Its adherents undertook an eccentric lifestyle. The Bohemians saw
value in being wanderers and adventurers. Once again, it was the
young who shaped this movement. There is no doubt about the
role that young people play in structuring the world they live in.
They are a dominant force in shaping social and political affairs
that affect their lot.
The introduction
presents how the young
shaped the past.
It is generally accepted that adults shape the world. Their views,

plans and ambitions seek to profit, secure and pave the way for
their retirement. On a more technical level, the actions and attitudes
of adults can be seen as adultism. This is the attitude that only
favours adults, and in effect discriminates against the young. The
bias towards adults embracing their opinions and thoughts, actions,
and mindsets in effect creates adultcentric viewpoints and policies.
Adultcentrism acknowledges the powerlessness and inability of
young people to actually affect the systems of authority adults
have created. Despite adultism and adultcentrism, young people
invariably define the world they occupy.
The counter view

is presented first,
expanding on the
general notion of how
the consensus is that
adults shape the world.
We have to concede that adults with their voting power and

ability to pay taxes are able to goad and guide socioeconomic as
well as political action to largely suit their needs. However, the
needs of the young are best understood through the eyes of the
young. Until recently, the young had no choice but to accept the
ruling of the court in divorce proceedings on issues of custody or
The topic sentence

briefly explains why
adults have the ability
to influence policy that
shapes their world.
200
The thesis asserts

that the young are
a dominant force in
shaping the world.
Various examples are

given to show how the
young are marginalised.
visitation rights. The laws that protect the young may be deferred
when being considered to be tried as an adult for an offence
committed. In some countries, the legal age of marriage is 18, but
this same group needs to be 21 to vote. Many countries forcibly
enlist young men into the military. Prima facie evidence presents
to us that it is the adults that shape the world, with the call to war,
economic manipulation or social laws that fit the needs of adults.
This is, however, untrue. The young do play a big part in shaping
this world, and their world.
The paragraph
concludes by asserting
that the young
play a big part in
shaping the world.
It is the young who add dimension to the ever changing world,

and boring norms. The 1960s were seen as the refutation of social
norms of the 1950s. The young of the 1960s rebuffed apartheid and
racial segregation. They wanted closure on the Cold War. The theme
of peace, not war, permeated their world. In line with finding new
meaning to life, the hippie movement was born, and the young
were relegated to drug-taking hedonistic sex-crazed groupies. Their
legacy was that of a free world, free sex, free expression, free from
religion or free to chose their religion. But the hippie movement
promoted pacifism and peace and wished to shape a world with
less conflict. The 1960s were shaped by the young.
The focus of the

paragraph is on the
developments in the
1960s that shaped
music and fashion,
and how the young
called for pacifism.
The hippie movement led to the disco movement of the 1970s.

The young brought a new era of synthesised music. The psychedelic
colours of the hippie movement gave way to colourful pastel suits,
platform shoes and bell-bottoms. While fashion and music created
their own inroads into the lives of the young, the catalysing effect
of the change in music, fashion and relationships brought about a
call for change in the way women were treated. Sexy fashions of
the 1970s were denounced by conservative youths. The feminist
movement of the 1970s extended the issues to: sexuality, family,
the workplace, and reproductive rights. The movement also
highlighted marital rape, the change needed in divorce laws and
greater protection for domestic abuse. The 1970s were shaped by
the young.
Transition to the
1970s and the work
of the young in molding
societal values
TOPIC 8:
Youth
A simple link-back
closing and reinforcing
the argument
201
Each generation has collective physiognomies that give it a

specific character and traits that define them. The millennials,
those born between 1980s to 2000, exhibit traits of confidence and
tolerance. They are said to be more optimistic about the future. It is
their sense of justice and egalitarianism that has shaped the world.
Their collective energies were brought to fruition in 2011 through
the Arab Spring, a sociopolitical protest that sent waves of change
throughout the middle-east, bringing down despotic regimes and
calling for more transparency in new governments. The sense of
fairness in the collective minds of the millennials, also known as
Gen-Ys, saw a series of protests around the world, aptly named,
Occupy Movement, calling for a shift in power from the 1 per cent
who control the wealth and resources, to the 99 per cent who make
up the rest of the world. Amidst their trials and tribulations, the
young ones have faced economic crises, massive unemployment
and pandemics. The young have shaped the world to resonate with
their conscience.
Reiterating a wellthought-out example
The young have been overly criticised, for their slapstick pranks
online, challenging one another to mindless gyrations, as in the
Harlem Shake, planking, owling, batmanning, and a slew of other
gratuitous memes. But we forget that they are young. We forget that
the future belongs to them and they are the ones that will be the
leaders that will guide and goad the young. The young, without any
doubt, shape any era that they are in. Their sentiments, frustrations,
hopes, wishes and desires come together in cumulative spirit to
reveal the joie de vivre, the joy of living of that time.
Some concession to the

negativities portrayed
by the young, but
the subsequent lines
present an apologetic
stance about the young
and how we have to
rally behind them
202
The young are unable to cope with anxiety. Is this true of the
modern world?
There is always speculation about why some generations are

happier than others. While it might have something to do with the
lack of boy bands in the fastidious age range, reward for hard work
and resilience could be the more rational options. The lack of work
ethic and strong bonds to family and society may be why the young
are falling prey to anxiety. By other accounts, it is estimated that
20 per cent of all children, teenagers and adolescents are affected
by anxiety. The socioeconomic and political paradigms of the 21st
century are probably the other cause for the angst that the young face.
Other factors that exacerbate the level of anxiety among the young
are issues concerning education and availability of jobs. Overall,
the young today seem less able to deal with the pressures of life.
A fairly straightforward
introduction presenting
contemporary views on
the subject of anxiety
among the young
The youth of the past were seen as dandelions. They established

themselves in society, forming deep roots at home, in school and
at work. They did chores, spoke to their parents, took religion
seriously, never complained about homework and approached their
work with reverence. The youth today are seen as orchids. They
need significant amounts of caring and tending. They are vocal
about their inherent rights, fussy about homework and see work as
just work. Hence, when they are faced with challenges, the youth
of today are unable to cope. They lack skills to see through the
challenge without Googling or asking their several dozen friends
on social media for advice. The Pew Research Centre in the United
States of America posits that parents are going to outrageous
lengths to smooth out any kinks in the life of their children. Little
do the parents realise that their hyperconcern has the net effect
of making their children more fragile; that may be why they are
breaking down in record numbers.
Presenting an argument
by analogy, comparing
the youth of the past
with dandelions to
show resilience
Strongly asserting
the stand
Youth
The youths of today have never experienced tumultuous

events that their predecessors felt and are thus unable to cope
with anxiety. The Cuban Missile Crises, the energy crises of the
TOPIC 8:
Suggesting that absence

of major events in
the lives of the young
may be the cause for
them to be soft in
their perception of
things around them
203
1970s and invasions are memories for history books. The sheltered
life that they have led thanks to their parents has made them soft,
unstable and highly emotional. This issue is further aggravated by
the digital veil that the young hide behind. They no longer play
ball, run through fields, play the games that were hallmarks of the
past: hide-and-seek, hopscotch and marbles. Lacking social skills
from the playground, the fortitude of the young today are shaped
by their digital world. A world full of virtual realities, unreal vistas
and situations, trapping them in a world vastly different from the
real one. Thus, because of the cumulative effect of being sheltered,
and lack of significant events that shape their lives, as reported by
the American Psychological Association in 2011, the young today
are unable to cope with issues that their predecessors took in their
stride.
Teenagers today are more likely to be in education and less
likely to be in paid employment than their counterparts in the
1970s and 1980s, leading to a longer and less planned period of
adolescence. An International Labour Organisation (ILO) study in
2013 reveals that the changing dynamics of the economy requires
more commitment from the young in terms of how long they should
be in school. Specialist skills for niche industries have caused the
young to be apprehensive about future work possibilities. Although
entrepreneurship is at an all-time high among the young, the
heartaches and pains of getting top grades in school does not seem
to translate into meaningful work which the young can adopt. The
ILO hypothesises that technology will in fact require a smaller
workforce. Anyone would be anxious about their job prospects,
particularly if they have a whole life ahead of them.
Anxiety is built through the need to be financially selfsufficient. This factor is of acute importance to the young today.
Generation Y workers view financial independence as a requisite
for adulthood and before considering serious romantic relationships
or marriage. Both men and women seek to become financially
independent and struggle with gaps between earned income and
living expenses. The young are concerned about balancing a cheque
book, investing in stocks or planning for ones financial future. This
204
The next point focuses

on the fact that the
young are spending
more time in school,
preparing for a future
that requires niche skills.
A slightly unconventional
link back that presents
emotional appeal to the
state of the young
The topic sentence
clearly presents the
reasons why the young
experience anxiety.
Another reason
why the young may
experience anxiety
very aspect of financial independence is the underlying cause for

a fairly large group of young people, having just left university,
emboldened after the commencement speech, that they can be
financially independent but end up failing.
An increasing number of young people are living with their
parents even in adulthood. A study undertaken by the Canadian
government in 2009 revealed that the young adults are relying on
their parents for economic assistance and to make up for the financial
difference between earned income and expenses. This sheltered
life has an impact on how they view their future prospects for
marriage. Another study, the National Marriage Project, a survey
of marriage perception in the United States of America in 2009,
revealed that the young view marriage as an economic partnership
and not necessarily as the environment in which to bear and raise
children. Any alteration of this vision among the young seems to
be a cause of concern for them. Furthermore, young women are
distrustful of their chances of finding a suitable partner, and this
distrust increases with age. As a result, young women are more
accepting of motherhood outside of marriage without realising the
difficulty of raising a child in a society that may not be as liberal
as they think it to be.
The essay ends with two

positive contributions
of the young, but goes
on to show how their
self-centered attitudes
are the reasons
for the anxieties
TOPIC 8:
Despite the changes that the young have brought about in recent
years, such as the Arab Spring in the middle-east, and the worldwide
phenomena of the Occupy movement, the young are nonetheless a
vulnerable lot. Insidious remarks and vitriol hurled at them online
leads to them falling into depression or committing suicide. Their
vocal attitudes towards what is deemed acceptable and righteous is
saintly, but is driving them insane, particularly when the plan does
not go their way. Lack of sociocultural earthquakes have kept them
more in tune with the digital world, seeking solace in online games.
The young today are sadly ill-equipped and prepared to deal with
the challenges of today.
Youth
205
To what extent are we underestimating the youth today?
Lazy, apathetic and uninspiredthese are the labels placed upon

the youth of today. We, however, forget that these labels have been
used for each successive generation of youths. Unlike the youth of
the 1960s which were attracted to drugs and hippie culture, and those
of the 1970s bent on revolution, technology has given those aged
15 to 25 a new paradigm on how they should shape their lot. The
continuous advancement in technology in the last decade has given
the youth of today the kind of knowledge that older generations did
not have. This technology has given them access to a new world
of information that has never truly been available until now. The
affluence of their parents and low cost of production of goods and
services today has also given them the kind of luxury that older
generations did not experience. A multitude of factors has caused
the youth potential today to be underestimated.
As access to essential information becomes easier, the youth
of today have become more active in pushing for economic and
political change. Issues that affect them and their future are quickly
discussed and subsequently put down, or the clarion call for change
pushed ahead. Different financial and economic issues that greatly
put minorities at a disadvantage have made the youth realise how
important it is for them to take part in different advocacies, an
example of which is the Occupy Movement, which aims to address
socioeconomic inequality. They help spread the word about their
cause through their expertise in social media and the Internet. Youth
groups everywhere have become more aware of how these issues
affect their own families and their future as well as other factors
that affect both the majority and the minority, such as how wealth
is distributed unfairly to a very small percentage of the nation.
How the ease of

access of information
empowers youth
Another factor that shows the potential of the youth is how the
millennial generation has given way for non-violent alternatives in
raising awareness about political and social issues. The Arab Spring,
The use of social

media by youth has
enabled political and
social change.
206
for example, where there was a wave of protests and demonstrations

which spread all over the Arab nations, has displayed how the youth
has played an integral role in its progress. Although some protests
have turned violent, the evident shift from violence to non-violent
options such as the use of social media and the Internet displays a
big participation of the youth. This contribution shows how valuable
they have become in terms of finding alternatives in resolving all
kinds of conflict.
The youth has also shown considerable business acumen as they
take advantage of the technology they have mastered to perfection.
In fact, a lot of applications and online businesses have been
developed from innovative ideas of the young. Technology-based
startup companies have become solid targets for venture capitalists,
showing how outfits like Instagram and Box.net founded by
twenty-somethings have blossomed into the giant enterprises they
are today. With the kind of technology that the youth has today, they
have taken advantage of their expertise and have seen this as a way
to progress financially, as evidenced by young entrepreneurs like
Mark Zuckerberg, Blake Ross and David Hyatt who are worth several
billion at a tender age. These ventures have also shown the youths
ability to apply their creative side. The youth of past generations
have always been trained to put emphasis on logic over creativity,
but logical tasks can now be done by using technology. Because
of this, non-logical tasks that would require a more creative mind
over a logical one has given way for the youth to excel in things
that their predecessors were not trained to do.
The prowess of the

young in business
Despite the potential that the youth has, there are also a number
of reasons that make older generations underestimate their worth.
They have been tagged as the strawberry generation because of
how comparably easy life is for them and how delicate they are. This
label has brought about the belief that they are unable to withstand
pressure and have been used to getting what they need without
hard work. The focus on outer experience by the new generation is
also a cause for concern. Conservative older generations see their
Reasons why the

youth of today are
underestimated
TOPIC 8:
Youth
A comparison to the
youth of the past,
and how they were
not as equipped to
facilitate change
207
sense of fashion as narcissistic. Their extreme attention to what is

seen as the non-productive side of technology is also against their
cause, as their addiction to gaming and social media becomes even
more emphasised.
Understandably, the downside to having technology at every
turn could be seen as a hindrance for the youth to put in the hard
work that older generations swear by. Gone are the days where
the measure of ones hard work was by the sweat on ones brow.
Technology has opened up a new world of opportunities for the youth
to be productive in their own unique ways. They are developing
applications and processes that make life easier and more productive.
They are calling for more transparency and accountability from
governments. They are pushing for more egalitarian values, breaking
down prejudice and stereotypes. Underestimating youth is in one
part the fault of adultism, the favouring of ideas and policies that
benefit adults and sideline youths, and in another part, the failure
to understand how technology in the hands of the youth can be
a potent force for change. We have woefully and prodigiously
undervalued the youth of today.
208
A recap of the issues

and evaluating the
potential of the youth

GPIssues: Youth

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GP Issues

Baby Boomers and

Youth is defined as the period between childhood and adulthood.

Educational Publishing House Pte Ltd

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There are 1.2 billion youths aged 15-24 around the

Youth are 3 times more likely to be out of work globally.

A growing number are Neither in Employment nor

There are 6 million youth dropouts worldwide.

OECD statistics from 2013 point to youth unemployment

One in five youths in the European Union are out of work.

On average 16 million adolescent girls become mothers

There are at least 100 million street children globally,

The UN Childrens Fund reports that 40 million children

The International Labour Organisation estimates that

UNICEF estimates that more than 300 000 children

Recent studies indicate that the average age when a

11 per cent of the worlds youth (15-24 years old) are

A 2011 Youth Behaviour Survey conducted by the Centre

Youths who drink are 8 times more likely to use other

The use of marijuana was on the decline in the United

UNICEF estimates that 20 per cent of the world youth

Convention on the Rights of a Child

The right to possess, receive and have access

The right to be shielded from harmful acts

Youth is happy because it has

(1883-1924) German Novelist

The CRC can be read at: http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx

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Baby Boomers and Generation XYZ

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The Millennial Generation, or

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Teenage Marriage and Pregnancy

What should the marriageable age be? The accepted legal

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Article 16.1 of the 1979

Teenage pregnancy figures have been dropping over the last

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The World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) is a

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Many mental-health disorders

UN-Women has been working to increase young womens

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A reflective article on mental illness among youths, written to commemorate the

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The CEO of a fast food restaurant chain chimes in on youth unemployment.

The seldom discussed issue of youth homelessness is presented here.

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a young person developing into an adult;

mixed feelings or being unsure

behaviour departing from the norm;

a prediction that directly or indirectly

distinctive styles, behaviours and interests

differences between young people and their

an offender below the age of 18

young people presenting various types

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The young still do not have a voice today.

Young people are unable to cope with anxiety.

To what extent are we underestimating youth today?

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