Sociologists fear that youngsters are isolating themselves
in a value system more akin to Lord of the Flies than to 21st Century civilization.
I'm Bill McCartney... It's 4TH and Goal!
I recently came across a disturbing article in the London Times.
It addressed the wave of teenage violence, particularly among French boys.
France is despairing over the increasing problem with gang rape of young
women by teen boys. This wave has set off a nationwide debate about
the causes of teenage alienation.
What has caused this social breakdown? One contributing factor
is lack of communication between adolescents and their parents. Distrust
between the generations has helped to make gang rape a fad and murder common.
Guys, what's happening in France is extremely distressing.
But, those same trends show themselves here. And, by those incidents,
we're reminded of what can happen when we don't communicate with our kids.
The key to stopping youth violence is not in our resilience after a violent
incident. The key is prevention. And, part of that happens
in the relationships we build with our children.
So, how can we develop strong relationships with our sons?
Let's start by giving them the gift of time. Robert Lewis,
author of "Raising a Modern Day Knight," writes, "Just watching [his father]
shave, hearing him laugh. . . invests a son with large doses of male energy."
And this emotional energy cannot be gained anywhere other than in
the presence of a father. The investment becomes even more substantial
when a father imparts not only emotional capital, but moral capital as
well."
Guys, let's make sure we spend time with our sons. Even if
we include them in the smallest of activities, whether it is working in
the yard together, washing the car, or any other special project we can
think of, we can have a strong influence on their lives. And, if
we sit down and talk with them about the lessons we've learned, we can
make a profound difference on their future.
I'm Coach Bill McCartney.
Sources: Adam Sage, "France Wrings Its Hands As Young Men Run Wild,"
London Times, December 5, 2000.
Robert Lewis, "Raising a Modern-Day Knight," (Colorado Springs, CO:
Focus on the Family Publishing, 1997).
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord" - Psalm 127:3.
Copyright (c) 2000 Promise Keepers.
4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney,
is a radio ministry of Promise Keepers.
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Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney, is a 3-minute daily radio commentary
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