Практикум по культуре речевого общения (английский язык как второй иностранный) Учебное пособие
Ex. 11. Think about the following questions
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| Ex. 11. Think about the following questions.
Have you or anyone you know run away from home? What happened? Why do teens usually run away from home? What social programs or groups are there to help teens who run away or have problems? Teenage Runaways Mark Twain's book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered one of the greatest works of American literature. It is the story of a boy who runs away from home, in part because of his abusive father. In keeping with the American concept of individualism, the boy's experiences as a runaway, both good and bad, help him grow as a person and establish his independence and maturity. The modern plight of runaways, however, differs greatly from Twain's narrative. A runaway is a child or teenager who chooses to leave home without parental consent, and who is unprepared for such independence. According to the Children's Defense Fund, 3,288 young people run away every day. The result for the majority of runaways is anything but romantic, and the motivation behind the act is less the assertion of free will than the immanent need to escape. They are almost always fleeing from something or someone. At the most benign, such problems may concern marital trouble between parents. Teenagers often blame themselves for the problems their parents have. One or both parents may suffer from alcoholism or some other substance abuse problem. This can make home life extremely difficult, especially when it is combined with emotional or physical abuse. In situations such as these, 20 running away may seem reasonable. While a teenager's desire to escape an abusive home life is understandable, there are cases where the source of motivation is less evident. Teenagers occasionally run away from fairly stable households. This may be caused by a personal problem on the part of the teenager, who may be excessively sensitive, emotionally disturbed, or suffering from some shame that he or she cannot admit. The misplaced desire for self-assertion, or the need to rebel, may be behind the choice to run away. These cases are more difficult to deal with than straightforward cases of abuse, since the cause is the runner's unbalanced psychological state. The reality of life as a runaway is neither romantic nor exciting. In fact, it is against the law in the United States. Runaways who are under the age of eighteen may be sent to a facility for underage offenders or even an adult jail if they are caught by police. And if they are not caught, homeless life is filthy and dangerous. In the United States, there are few well-administered services for runaways. Homelessness means, at the very least, being almost constantly sick with a variety of diseases. It is, of course, difficult to find proper food. The problems that teenagers face in this situation would be difficult enough without the added troubles from people around them. Many runaways become either victims or members of street gangs. Violence is a constant threat. There is also the likelihood of drug addiction or alcoholism. Young girls are particularly at risk from rape, sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, and pregnancy. Since the teenage years are a time of development, the longer a teenager remains in the environment of the streets, the less likely he or she will be able to be rehabilitated and re-join mainstream society. While running away may seem to be an escape from an intolerable situation, the homeless life provides neither shelter nor relief. Social responses to runaways vary. If caught by police, runaways are often sent back to their homes after a period in detention. However, if the young person has run away because of abuse, being brought back may simply allow for more abuse, causing the youth to ran away again. An alternative is to place the teenager in a youth facility or a foster home. Though social programs for this purpose often receive inadequate funding and support, they still provide an alternative to the street. Runaways from non-abusive families are a different matter. Many such young people require psychological treatment, which the state is not obliged to provide. If the family cannot provide this sort of treatment, it is likely that teenager will run away again. While improved social programs can help in treating the problem, the source of the problem remains personal and, therefore, difficult to prevent. Although there are more questions than answers about the reasons teenagers run away, as well as appropriate treatment options, one thing is certain: runaways need more help than they are receiving. жүктеу/скачать 0,99 Mb. Достарыңызбен бөлісу:
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