As we grow up, we all go through the troubled years in our lives where everything seems like the end of the world. While this exaggeration at times may be due to our changing hormones, more often than none, it is a real problem. Troubled youth are difficult to deal with and can prove to be hostile, over emotional and sensitive to the core.

With troubled youth, the cause for their troubles could range from family problems like parental divorce to low self esteem due to changing bodies and peer pressure. In such situations, it is vital that they have someone to talk to and share their problems with. More than just sharing their problems, there should also be someone to help them and guide them when needed. They need a mentor.

Most of the time, this mentor may not be the youth’s own parents. At times, it could be a friend, family member or well wisher. They have the responsibility of seeing the troubled youth in question through tough times. A troubled youth will suffer both mentally and physically. It could be self inflicted or a reaction to something or someone.

Today’s youth especially have so much more to deal with than their parents or grandparents had to deal with. Peer pressure is at an all time high now and stress levels are soaring, thanks to the fast life that adolescents are living these days. The mentor is usually the person who takes notice of certain symptoms the troubled youth will be showing and intervenes. This intervention may have been long overdue, but when it comes, it may face initial struggle or objection. To get past the struggle is the real challenge. As a mentor, one has to know when to say without pushing the trouble youth even further into harm.

The idea is to give stable and secure support that the youth concerned may or may not be able to find other wise. A teacher is probably the best choice to be a mentor because other than a parent, he or she is the next closest thing to a stable adult in a child’s life. However, a child may not be open to talking to the teacher since it may be "uncool". A teacher should usually be able to see the signs of trouble in a youth’s behavior if it changes drastically. At this point, he or she can take action or choose to inform the parents. In times of serious consequence, the teacher can ask for professional intervention from social services.

Older siblings or friends can also prove to be very influential in a child’s life. If they intervene and help out a troubled youth, the positive effects can last for a good deal of time. They may be easier to get through to the troubled youth since they could probably relate to what the child is going to more than the parents. They would also know where to draw the line and also how to treat the situation. It would be easier for them to put them in their shoes.

Ultimately, troubles are a part of life and our youth in specific. However, the journey to get over these troubles can truly be life altering. Mentors come in all shapes and sizes. With a little perseverance and concern, a mentor can help change a troubled youth into a healthy adolescent.

Jonathan Pitts

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