Thumbs-up for the family

by Tharuka Dissanaike

It is not the easiest of times to be a young person. The gruesome murder that took place in a posh Colombo residence a few weeks ago put horrific emphasis on the many social evils that young people of today are open and exposed to.

The murder and the subsequent media blitz that surrounded the sensational case of this killing of a young woman by a friend and a schoolmate belied the fact that so many youth of this country are exposed to similar and even more gruesome situations- not necessarily the wealthy living in Colombo either, but many young people living in the city suburbs, in rural villages, in the estate sector and in the war-torn areas are all subject to different types of stress, harassment and social evils.

This incident opened many eyes especially those of parents-on the level of drug and alcohol abuse that happens inside even the best of Colombo's nightclubs.

Until recently, Sri Lanka had a very high incidence of suicide. Many of the cases were young people- especially young, teenage males- who become suicidal with the most minimal trigger. Rape and sexual abuse is a frighteningly real threat to many teenage and even pre-teen young women who are at rare times abused inside the confines of their own homes or their community.

A recent report on adolescence in Sri Lanka however found that despite these threats to their youth and well-being, many of the surveyed teenagers declared that their lives were generally happy.

This is a remarkable statement coming from the adolescent group who undergo so much stress during this transitional phase of life, that even in the most normal of times there would be some perceived discontent or unhappiness. But we must consider that the report, which is based on interviews with over 40,000 young people between 10-19, must be accurate in reflecting the mood of the country's youth.

UNICEF which sponsored the study came up with an upbeat message at the launch- The fact that so many young people feel confident in the future and that they can rely on their friends and family is a wonderful starting point, said Ted Chaiban of UNICEF.

In fact one of the strongest messages that came out of the study was that a majority of school-going adolescents perceived their families as being close and intimate and even as a refuge for their problems.

This is an encouraging view of the Sri Lankan family and traditional support systems at a time when there is so much social disintegration. Seventy five per cent of the surveyed adolescents said that they could depend on their families and that they want to spend more time with thir family members.

Strong family support would be a wonderful asset to any child battling through the haze of teenage transition- through the overburden of educational demands, through the many temptations of the outside world, through the challenges and expectations of parents, teachers and the community and through other evils like war, displacement, delinquency, abuse and alcohol/drugs.

Children of broken families and those who do not have the support and parental love and acceptance very often can fall prey to destructive forces like tobacco and drug abuse, alcohol, delinquent activity with local gangs, prostitution and sexual abuse, and even become brainwashed to be used in war.