SOCIAL PROBLEMS AMONG TEENAGERS A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable.

Everyone would agree about some social problems, such as murders and DWI traffic deaths. Other social problems may be viewed as such by certain groups of people. Teenagers who play loud music in a public park obviously do not view it as a problem, but some other people may consider it an undesirable social condition. Some nonsmokers view smoking as an undesirable social condition that should be banned or restricted in public buildings.

Every newspaper is filled with stories about undesirable social conditions. Examples include crime, violence, drug abuse, and environmental problems. Such social problems can be found at the local, state, national and international levels.

There are many social problems that teenagers go threw. Drugs and Teenagers Drug use is the increasing problem among teenagers in todays high schools. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years, these years most crucial in the maturation process. During these years adolescents are faced with difficult tasks of discovering their self identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence, learning to cope with authority and searching for goals that would give their lives meaning. Drugs are readily, adolescents are curious and venerable, and there is peer pressure to experiment, and there us a temptation to escape from conflicts. The use of drugs by teenagers is the result of a combination of factors such as peer pressure, curiosity, and availability. Drugs addiction among adolescents in turn leads to depression and suicide.

One of the most important reasons of teenage drug usage is peer pressure. Peer pressure represents social influences that effect adolescents, it can have a positive or a negative effect, depending on persons social group and one can follow one path of the other. We are greatly influenced by the people around us.

According to the lecturer from Faculty of Leadership and Management (FKP), Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM), Madam Marina Muneera Abdul Muttalib said that, in todays schools drugs are very common, peer pressure usually is the reason for their usage. If the people in the social group use drugs there will be pressure a direct or indirect pressure from them. A person may be offered to try drugs, which is direct pressure. Indirect pressure is when someone sees everyone around him using drugs and he might think that there is nothing wrong with using

drugs. Person might try drugs just to fit in the social norms, even if a person had no intentions of using drugs one might do it just to be considered cool by his friends.

Today drugs are considered to be an acceptable social phenomenon by many teenagers. Here is a personal example of drug use from a teenager, When I started using, was only on weekends, at parties. I used drugs recreationally and therefore thought I had no addiction problem. I used drugs like nicotine, marijuana or LSD to be happy or to have fun. I needed drugs. I kept using drugs, I used drugs like marijuana to fit socially. I had problems in my life, emotionally, that drugs only seemed to solve. Drugs made my problems worse. I started snorting cocaine. I injected heroin into my veins. I almost died. I was addicted.

In todays highs schools the availability and variety of drugs is widespread. There is a demand for drugs and the supply is plentiful. Since drugs are so easy accessible, a natural interest in them may develop. Many teenagers today believe that the first use of drugs is safe. However even though there is no instant addiction with the first try, youngsters tend to experiment further. Soon a person could actively seek the euphoric effects of drugs. Drug addiction is the result of intense preoccupation with the dicer to experience the mental and bodily changes with drug use. The final and the most disastrous stage are when a person needs drugs in order to function adequately. Therefore availability, curiosity and experimentation could result in drug addiction among teenagers.

According to the staff of government, Mohd Azuan Hussin, 26, said that, one of the most devastating side effects of drug addiction and abuse is depression. Depression is the result of chemical imbalance, environmental influence, or a combination of both. Using heavy and very highly addictive drugs as heroin, cocaine, opium and many others will cause sudden mood changes, deterioration of the immune system, nervous breakdowns, unusual flares of temper and many other side effects. Besides physical side effects, drug addiction can create problems in a persons social circles. The person may run into many conflicts with his family and friends, resulting in desire for isolation. This in turn will create more problems since the person will have no social support. Furthermore, drug addiction is a financial strain especially for teenagers. When a person is addicted to drugs he will do anything to obtain money to fulfill his needs. Drug addiction is the results of 3 Is. Teenagers may think of their problems as Inescapable, Interminable and Intolerable. Life may seem bleak and miserable. Seeing no way out feeling lonely and no prospects for improvement leads to depression. This can further lead to attempted suicide.

Many studies have found that drugs are a contributing factor to suicide. Using drugs may reduce inhibitions and impair judgments, suicide is a possibility. As one statistic illustrates 70% of all young people who attempted suicide used drugs. Illegal drugs, for example, weed, speed, acid, or ecstasy has always been a problem among the younger folks, the problems gets even more serious if it involves additive substances such as cocaine. The most common seen illegal drug around teens in BC is Ecstasy, or generally called E. Es are usually involved in rave parties; people take Es and dance overnight. The academic name for E is hallucinogenic stimulant, it generally affects the concentration of the brain, and it can change ones mood, sleep, sexual behavior, body temperature and appetite. The sensation sight, sound and touch are enhanced, thats why its usually used at discos and parties. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get high and about three to four hours to wear off. Side effects include heart and blood pressure problems, blurred vision, chills and sweating. The tablet changes every week and counterfeits are always around, it is not addictive. It is illegal to buy, sell, produce or posses any amount of E.

The problems of teenage drug use, depression and suicide are evident in our society. These are very real and threatening issues that have to be dealt with. Going into the 21st century we have to face to problems of our future generations. There are many non-profitable organizations that help teenagers to cope with drug use. There are help lines, community services that offer information about drugs, and individual counseling is available almost in every education institution. There is help available to those who seek it.

Unplanned pregnancy and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases continue to be prevalent problems among adolescents. These problems often result in adverse health, social, and economic consequences for teenagers and their families.

Currently, there is little practice-based information concerning interventions designed to improve communication comfort about sexually related issues within families, especially between parents and their adolescents. Adolescents often engage in a wide range of high-risk sexual behaviors that can result in adverse health, social, and economic consequences for themselves and their families. Many of the programs serving teens and their families do not utilize social learning or other similar approaches to facilitate effective communication about sex between parents and their adolescents. In addition, many programs do not emphasize effective familial communication about adolescent sexuality, specifically the prevention of

pregnancy and STIs, and this lack of attention may explain why changes in adolescents knowledge, attitudes, and skills have not always resulted in corresponding changes in their risk-taking sexual behaviors.

According to the student from Faculty of Syariah and Law (FSU), Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM), Nur Nabihah Johari,22, said that parents need accurate information and support to feel more comfortable and confident that they possess the necessary communication skills to be effective in discussing risk-taking sexual behaviors with their adolescents. Although effective familial sex communication can lead to decreased adolescent risk-taking sexual behaviors, discomfort experienced by parents and their adolescents in speaking about adolescent sexuality can prevent effective sex education from occurring.

In terms of communication an emphasis on comfort needs to be given to helping parents increase communication skills while strengthening relationships. Adolescents who are sexually active are more likely to report poor communication with their parents. Sex education that provides skills training based on sociallearning principles can be an important type of practice-based educational approach. Social-learning theory suggests that the norms and behavior of the people around teenagers, particularly parents, influence their behavior. Most sex education programs communicate that it is desirable to postpone sexual intercourse and that unprotected sex should be avoided. These programs may take place in school or community settings such as hospitals. They usually combine information on human sexuality with specific, concrete skills-building sessions on how to resist influences encouraging sexual activity. Some of these programs also work to increase parent child communication on sexuality and sexual choices. Although evaluations of these programs have not provided conclusive evidence, they do appear to be effective in postponing sexual activity among virgins. It is important to note that while they do not appear to influence the level of sexual activity of those already sexually active, these programs may help these teens use contraceptives more effectively. Teens not only need information about their sexuality, but they also need to know how to apply this information in daily life. For most people, including adolescents, there is usually a gap between what people know and what they do. Therefore, sex education programs need to place emphasis on teaching decision-making skills, life skills, and life planning.

Social workers and other helping professionals need to take leadership roles in designing, implementing, directing, and evaluating comprehensive and effective practice interventions in all areas of practice, including those that involve familial sex education approaches and programs. However, practitioners must first recognize

and then acknowledge that parents have a vital role to play in prevention efforts. Preventative sex education efforts of most programs still largely exclude parents as agents of change in agency-based interventions intended to reduce adolescent risktaking sexual behaviors. Sex education information has been shown to be more effective when combined with familial sex communication. It seems reasonable to believe that parental involvement could be successfully incorporated into existing sex education programs. Doing so may result in both reduced risk-taking sexual behaviors by adolescents and increased levels of comfort during familial sex communication.

For the conclusion, one of the most important goals is to prevent children from violating any further so they can become responsible and successful adults. The second most important goal is to protect society from the criminal acts of children. Parents need to teach children self-control by monitoring the childs behavior, recognizing the different behaviors when they occur, and punishing those which are unacceptable. Through education, treatment, and affection, prevention of criminal acts reaches juveniles and assists them into a healthier and better life. To be able to use these components at the earliest stage possible is to keep these teenagers away from ever entering the juvenile justice system in the first place. With the help of education, training, and support for the staff, probation officers can be better prepared to take on diverse cases of all types. The juvenile justice system needs improvement. Probation officers, judges, and family members need to make effective decisions about who should really be incarcerated and/or receive probation. If an offense made is not extremely serious and the client and officer can agree on a punishment, the child does not need to present himself upon a judge. If either the client or officer wants to make an appearance in court, an agreement cannot be reached, or threats have been made involving either parties or others, a court decision is most suggested. In addition, to making the correct choices, good community programs are also necessary to place delinquents in a better environment to be able to succeed. Though juveniles tend to steal, trespass, fight, drink, take drugs, use profanity, run away from home, and miss school, many solutions were being thought about to prevent these flaws. The first has already been mentioned and deals with toughening up and placing juveniles in adult courts. The removing offenders from society for longer periods of time will reduce crime. Those who have not committed a serious crime will come to the realization of the possible punishments such as life in prison, the death penalty, and others. Violent offenders would be less likely to repeat their crimes by learning from their first lesson.

7 Environmental Problems That Are Worse Than We Thought by STEPHANIE ROGERS VIEW COMMENTS With as much attention as the environment has been getting lately, youd think that wed be further along in our fight to preserve the worlds species, resources and the beautiful diversity of nature. Unfortunately, things arent nearly that rosy. In fact, many of the environmental problems that have received the most public attention are even worse than we thought from destruction in the rain forest to melting glaciers in the Arctic. Weve got a lot of work to do.

Mammal Extinction

One in four mammals is threatened with extinction. Thats 25%, a huge number that will totally change the ecology of every corner of the earth. We could see thousands of species die out in our lifetime, and the rate of habitat loss and hunting in crucial areas like Southeast Asia, Central Africa and Central and South America is growing so rapidly, these animals barely have a chance.

If you think the extinction of an animal like the beautiful Iberian Lynx is no big deal, and wouldnt have that much of an effect on the planet, think again. Not only would we be losing mostly due to our own disregard for our surroundings so much of the awe-inspiring diversity of nature, mass extinctions like this would cause a serious imbalance in the worlds food chain. When a predator disappears, the prey will multiply. When prey dies out, the predator will see its ranks decrease as well. Many people fail to realize just how interconnected all species on this planet really are.

The Ocean Dead Zones

In oceans around the world, there are eerie areas that are devoid of nearly all life. These dead zones are characterized by a lack of oxygen, and theyre caused by excess nitrogen from farm fertilizers, emissions from vehicles and factories, and sewage. The number of dead zones has been growing fast since the 1960s, the number of dead zones has doubled every 10 years. They range in size from under a square mile to 45,000 square miles, and the most infamous one of all is in the Gulf of Mexico, a product of toxic sludge that flows down the Mississippi from farms in the Midwest. These hypoxic zones now cover an area roughly the size of Oregon.

Spanish researches recently found that many species die off at oxygen levels well above the current definition of uninhabitable, suggesting that the extent of dead zones in coastal areas that support fishing is much worse than previously thought. Robert Diaz, a Virginia Institute of Marine Science biologist, said Everything is pointing towards a more desperate situation in all aquatic systems, freshwater and marine. Thats pretty clear. People should be worried, all over the world.

As if that werent bad enough, global warming will likely aggravate the problem. A rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will change rainfall patterns, which could create an increase in runoff from rivers into the seas in many areas.

Collapsing Fish Stock

Millions of people across the world depend upon fish as a major staple in their diet. As such, commercial fishermen have been pulling such a huge quantity of fish from the oceans that were heading toward a global collapse of all species currently fished possibly as soon as the year 2048. Like large-scale mammal extinction, the collapse of fish species would have a major impact on the worlds ecosystems.

Its not too late yet if overfishing and other threats to fish populations are reduced as soon as possible. Marine systems are still biologically diverse, but catastrophic loss of fish species is close at hand. 29 percent of species have been fished so heavily or have been so affected by pollution that theyre down to 10 percent of their previous population levels. If we continue the way we are fishing today, there will be a 100 percent collapse by mid-century, so weve got to turn this around fast.

Destruction of the Rain Forest

Saving the rain forest has been at the forefront of the environmental movement for decades, yet here we are facing huge losses in the Amazon all the same. You might have thought that, with all the attention the rain forest has gotten, it wouldnt need s o much saving anymore but unfortunately, global warming and deforestation mean that half of the Amazon rain forest will likely be destroyed or severely damaged by 2030.

The World Wildlife Fund concluded this summer that agriculture, drought, fire, logging and livestock ranching will cause major damage to 55 percent of the Amazon rain forest in the next 22 years. Another 4 percent will see damage due to reduced rainfall, courtesy of global warming. These factors will destroy up to 80 percent of the rain forests wildlife. Losing 60 percent of the rain forest would accelerate global warming and affect rainfall in places as far away as India. Massive destruction to the rain forest would have a domino effect on the rest of the world.

The WWF says that the point of no return, from which recovery will be impossible, is only 15 to 25 years away.

Polar Sea Ice Loss

Polar sea ice is melting at an unprecedented rate, and its not showing any signs of slowing down. Its perhaps the most dramatic, startling visual evidence of global warming, and its got scientists rushing to figure out just how big of an effect the melting is going to have on the rest of the world.

British researchers said last week that the thickness of sea ice in the Arctic decreased dramatically last winter for the first time since records began in the early 1990s. The research showed a significant loss in thickness on the northern ice cap after the record loss of ice during the summer of 2007.

Scientific American warns that human fingerprints have been detected on both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Antarctica had previously appeared to be the only continent on the planet where humanitys impact on climate change hadnt been observed. The collapse of the Larsen B and Wilkins ice shelves in the Antarctic Peninsula shows just how fast the region is warming.

CO2 Levels in the Atmosphere

The aforementioned polar sea ice loss is yet another sinister sign of carbon dioxide levels building up in the atmosphere the main force behind global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by our modern way of life vehicles, power plants, factories, giant livestock farms will bring devastating climate change within decades if they stay at todays levels.

Average temperatures could increase by as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century if emissions continue to rise, a figure that would easily make the world virtually uninhabitable for humans. A global temperature rise of just 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit would cause a catastrophic domino effect, bringing weather extremes that would result in food and water shortages and destructive floods.

The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change represents the final nail in the coffin of climate change denial, representing the most authoritative picture to date that global warming is caused by human activity. According to the panel, we must make a swift and significant switch to clean, efficient and renewable energy technologies in order to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Population Explosion

Whether we like to admit it or not, our very own rapidly multiplying presence on this planet is the biggest environmental problem there is, and its getting bigger by the minute. We voraciously consume resources, pollute the air and water, tear down natural habitats, introduce species into areas where they dont belong and destroy ecosystems to the point of causing millions of species to become endangered and, all too often, go extinct.

It took nearly all of human history from the first days of man on earth until the early 1800s to reach a global population of 1 billion. In just 200 years, weve managed to reach 6.5 billion. That means the population has grown more since 1950 than in the previous four million years. Were adding roughly 74 million people to the planet every year, a scary figure that will probably continue to increase. All of those mouths will need to be fed. All of those bodies will need clean water and a place to sleep. All of the new communities created to house those people will continue to encroach upon the natural world.

All seven environmental problems detailed above are very serious, and weve got to start treating them that way. We may not have easy solutions, but the fact is, we simply cant continue living our lives as if everything is peachy. These problems arent going to magically solve themselves. We should have begun acting generations ago, but we cant go back in time, and that means we have to step up our efforts. If we want to keep this planet a healthy place for humans to live for our grandchildren to enjoy its time to buckle down and do everything in our power to reverse the damage weve done

Singapore on the company dime

Experience a crossroad of Asian cultures By Michael Yaeger

It was a dream vacation, really. The company was setting up some equipment in Singapore and needed someone to go. I traded a first class ticket for two seats in coach so that my wife could accompany me on our first trip to Asia, and after a grueling umpteen hour flight from Denver through LAX and Tokyo, we finally touched down on the island and were whisked to the Intercontinental hotel in the dead of night. The fourteen hour time difference combined with the flight made for a serious jet lag, but after some serious sleep, we were out exploring this unique nation state.

Singapore is a cauldron of activity with throngs of people crammed into a small area, but it manages somehow to maintain a sense of order and calmness. Downtown, modern high-rises alongside aging colonial architecture frame broad leafy streets and lush parks, making this a wonderful city for walking. Ethnic neighborhoods offer fascinating glimpses, and tastes, of different cultures, and a series of quays along the river provide plenty of opportunity for al fresco dining. During the frequent torrential downpours and the heat of the day, you dont have to miss a beat, descending into a sprawling series of underground malls connected by pedestrian tunnels and an easy-to-use subway system.

One such subway line carried me out to my job site the next day in the suburbs, emerging above ground into a residential area studded with lots of technology company campuses. The work I did there over the next few days was interesting, but what I really remember is lunch. Lunch was at an open air food court and market, where technology workers sat in long tables enjoying fresh made soups, stews, meat skewers and fried things, a mix of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese. I devoured some kind of mysterious peanut soup that was fantastic and apparently significantly exotic enough to impress my hosts, who regaled stories of other foreigners who refused to eat anything questionable (which was mostly everything). Personally, this market was exactly why I was here.

Singapores diversity reflects its location near the Asian Subcontinent, with a large Chinese population, and lesser but still significant numbers of Malaysians and Indians, among others. While these groups live in naturally segregated areas, there

is also an amazing blending. Riding the subway during rush hour, you see people of all different cultures mixing and interacting seamlessly. Streets wind past traditional Chinese medicine shops, Mosque minarets and ornately adorned Hindu temples. Small microcosms of each culture offer small shops with products imported from home, as well as authentic restaurants and food stalls. Open air markets are a tropical fruit paradise, and make sure not to miss the Durian, a large spiky fruit that smells strongly like used gym socks, leading to its banishment from indoor areas, but whose flesh is really tasty, especially in a fresh fruit smoothie.

The second week of our trip, we moved hotels from the extravagantly priced, but paid for by the company, Intercontinental hotel, to the Hilton near a major commercial area called Orchard Road. We werent here for the glitzy Rodeo drive lookalike with Planet Hollywood, Saks 5th Avenue and Bloomingdales, but this is where the cheaper (and mind you I have my wife with me) hotels are. It was here that we had a most challenging and rewarding Chinese Dim Sum experience. I found a blurb in the hotel magazine about a hole-in-the-wall place called East Ocean that promised a local and authentic experience. The first challenge was finding it, which turned out to be mostly because the door was completely unlabeled, but spying a family of hungry looking Chinese heading through the unmarked door and up a stairway, we took a chance and struck pay dirt. We were indeed the only tourists in the place, which was packed and had a bit of a wait, but once we got to the table, the feast of smells, sights and tastes that define Dim Sum was unleashed upon us. We didnt know what many things were, and the servers rolling around the little metal carts filled with dumplings and sticky buns, couldnt tell us. That only made it better, as we bought plate after plate of the tasty morsels.

The other big attraction in this western side of the island is Jarong Bird Park, a large nature area with hundreds of bird species represented in a variety of aviaries and well designed enclosures. It is a spectacular and well run park, with acres of open fields, woods and water, providing habitat for tons of exotic birds. There is also the large Singapore Botanic Gardens, which includes an impressive orchid garden, among lots of other tropical flora. Days are spent meandering through these tropical nature areas, enjoying the warm nights, eating world class cuisine and street food, and experiencing a wonderful mixture of first world modern luxuries and third world markets and ambiance. Singapore really is a truly fascinating city, clean and orderly on one hand, chaotic and exotic on the other, offering something for everyone.