On self esteem?

Question

what prgrams exist to provide support to adolescents with low self esteem and what can society due to help these kids make healthy transitions from childhood to adulthood.

Answer 1

Boys and girls clubs exist to protect and lead adolescents into making better choices. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious entities have groups to support teens. Most schools have activities and organizations to support students. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other groups can offer support for teens. Parents, friends, relatives, and neighbors can also be positive role models and guide adolescents into healthy, positive choices. The government steps in with groups that support children in foster care or in transition from foster care to self care at eighteen. There are a lot of budget cuts going on so maybe the best place to look for help is somewhere you do not have to pay to get answers . . . mom, dad, relatives, neighbors, religious leaders, teachers and so forth. In my area there is a group run by mental health that gives at risk teens a chance to vent with other teens about their individual situations. They also take them on outings, teach trust exercises, and let them relax in a non-threatening environment. The wait to get in was four months and we needed a referral from a counselor but it helped a lot.

Answer 2

There are several organizations that help build self-esteem such as "The Boys and Girls Club", "The Boy Scouts", "The Girl Scouts", " The 4-H Clubs", programs through the "YMCA" etc.  There are more resources available in urban settings than in rural settings, but the most important thing that we can do as a society to help these kids is to become a mentor. Sharing time and experience and skills with younger people lets them know their worth and self-esteem rises with the feeling of self-worth.

Hope this helps and by the way even adolescents can mentor others too !!

Tex

Answer 3

I hate to sound fatalistic, but self-esteem is hard to change by the time students hit adolescence.  I'm not a big believer in the organized youth groups (like churches, scouting, etc.) only because I was involved with them and they didn't do anything to alter my low self-esteem.

I think something that rarely occurs to people when it comes to teens is how much they long to be listened to, believed, accepted, and taken seriously.  I wish there were more resources in schools and communities for adolescents to just go and talk, relax, hang out, figure out problems.  Or hotlines to call when they are feeling depressed or anxious or upset.  

I think most adolescents just need to be validated and not dismissed about all of the very REAL problems they face today.  I think teachers, administrators, and parents need to change how they interact with teens and respect them as people.  I think we'd see self-esteem increase if that was the case.