People often ask us why kids do some of the things that they do. Why are teens so aggressive? Why are teens so violent these days? Some studies even state that 1 out of 4 teens think that violence is acceptable. Well we may have an answer for them…..

Teens are reactionary, young people act before they really think things through, such as if that guy looks at me in an intimidating manner, I’m not a punk so I’ll look at him the same way, then when he puffs up to me , I’ll puff up to him, and when he punches me…..I will punch him……on and on.

New findings show that the greatest changes to the parts of the brain that are responsible for functions such as Self-control, judgment, emotions, and organization occur between puberty and adulthood. This may help to explain certain teenage behavior that adults can find mystifying, such as poor decision-making, recklessness, and emotional outbursts. (ACT for Youth Upstate Center of Excellence/Adolescent Brain development/may02)

So what can we do with kids to help them think before they react, we would all like to think that our young people would “count to 10” before they do something stupid but we all know that is not going to happen. So we suggest that as adults we talk to our teens, explain to them that we understand what is going on in their heads, and we know they will make poor decisions at times, but when it comes to recklessness, and violence, we believe that children and teens, provided with consistent and sound messages, are capable of making the choice to avoid these risky behaviors altogether, especially if they are empowered by strong parent and family connections. We must never forget the consequences that our youth face today from those poor decisions can have a tremendous effect on their futures.

T.A.R.G.E.T Programs

Anthony & Brandon Gallion

Co-Founders

Teens At Risk Get Educated Today

Contact # 702-451-TEEN(8336)

Email address: targetprograms@aol.com 

Myspace.com/targetprograms