Parenting the New Generation

1
Parenting the New Generation

• Organised by Young Sikh Association (Singapore)
• 24th July 2004

2
Profile of YouthPopulation of youth (15-24)
501,000 as at 2000

• Education
• illiterate rate 3.8 11.7 (1995)
• Health
• life expectancy 74yrs 79yrs (1995)
• Economic activity
• 15-19 age group 21 22 (2000)
• 20-24 age group 82 80 (2000)
• Leading cause of death (1995)
• - accidents (mostly traffic accidents)
• - suicide
• - cancer
• http//esa.un.org/socdev/unyin/cou
  ntry3d.asp?countrycodesg

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Challengers in parenting

• Developmental needs of the adolescents
• Peer culture and peer pressure
• Sexual preference of adolescents
• Internet age
• Youth crime/drug and substance abuse
• Suicide
• Health issues

4
Divorce Rates - 2003

• 12.6 increase from 2002 5,825 divorces to 6,561
  divorces in 2003
• Young persons age 20-24 years registered the
  highest divorce rate in 2003
• Half of these non-Muslim marriages, lasted less
  than 10 years
• Department of Statistics, Singapore, 2003

5
SOS Reports

• Types of problems presented by youth under 20
  years
• Psychological 154 calls
• Material 33 calls
• Physical 41 calls
• Sexual 39 calls
• Relationship 294 calls
• SOS annual report 02/03
• Based on a sample size of 5,666 calls

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What are the challengers in parenting? MOE study
IMYC Seminar 2003

• MOE Study IMYC Seminar 2003
• Profile of the adolescent at risk
• Likely to come from a family from lower socio
  economic strata
• Probably have parents experiencing severe marital
  problems
• Likely to have a negative relationship with
  his/her father
• More inclined towards fun-seeking activities than
  academic pursuits
• Likely to have lower tolerance for frustration,
  less control over their temper and have a
  tendency to keep problems to him/herself.

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What the professional community profess

• Keep communication lines with the adolescents
  open.
• Understand and respond to the developmental needs
  of the adolescents.
• Develop a democratic approach to parenting
• Set and renegotiate age-appropriate and
  achievable boundaries
• Manage change in times of crises or family
  transitions
• Focus on the positive
• Model effective ways of resolving conflicts
• Identify significant adults and ask for
  appropriate help and support
• Refer for professional help .

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• For youths, it is crucial that they have at least
  one stable relationship. This could be a parent,
  a mentor, a friend or a relative. This helps in
  the transitions they face in life.
• .Cher Meng
• Student Care Service

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What else needs to be done.

• What parenting approaches build resilience in our
  youth?
• How can parents be sufficiently equipped to read
  or assessed the signs and symptoms of at-risk
  behaviour in our youth?
• Is there sufficient integration/partnership among
  families, community and helping organisations to
  respond to the needs of our youth. How can we
  facilitate further integration?