Of course, a lot of this experimenting with drugs begins with alcohol. We've seen a rapid rise in teenage binge drinking in Europe and it's left many people wondering why, in an age of unprecedented prosperity, young people are turning to the bottle in a way that puts their health, and even their lives, at risk.
For some alcohol is used as a coping mechanism, especially where there is a family history of child abuse, or emotional disturbance. But for others, consuming huge amounts of alcohol seems to have become a form of personal expression. It's almost as if they feel they can't be truly alive, or express themselves, until they've had more than a few stiff drinks.
Many young people drink too much only because they're bored. Not bored as in having nothing to do; bored as in having no long-term sense of creative or spiritual purpose.
There are many other factors to consider when it comes to youth violence - including the links between gang culture and drugs, and the lack of government support for measures that would strengthen the traditional family unit. (At present, some governments have fostered a 'handout' culture which often seems to make the breakup of a marriage seem almost as practically viable as holding it together.)
Surely it's time for some real soul-searching in our communities. Young people are not just our future; how we treat them is a representation of the kinds of people we are. It's time for us to re-evaluate how young people - especially in our poorest suburbs - see the world in which they live.
Surely it's time for those of us who are educators, business, media and community leaders and certainly politicians to involve ourselves more closely in solving the problems that work against a positive youth culture.
But most of all, it's important that those of us who are blessed to be parents try to engage with the world in which our young people move. There's no denying that, at the end of the day, we as parents must accept a large part of the responsibility for how our kids behave. And studies have shown that one of the early reasons kids get involved with gangs is that they feel disengaged at home.
I've spoken to parents' groups for more than 25 years and it's very hard to find parents who actually want to raise troubled kids. Everybody wants to do their best, and it is a very tough job.
Engagement with teenagers always sounds easier than it is in practice. But it begins with simply remembering what it was like to be young - and trying to see the world through the eyes of our kids.
On its own, that won't turn society's youth violence problem around, but it may just help to keep a few more kids from feeling that violence is the only way to deal with frustration, or that the world at large cares little about the challenges they face.
About Mal Fletcher:
Mal Fletcher (www.malfletcher.net) is a Christian author, business and media consultant, global speaker and broadcaster currently based in London. He was formerly National Director of the faith-based organisation Youth Alive Australia before going on to found the forward-looking communications company Next Wave International (www.nextwaveonline.com) and the annual European summit for community and church leaders, the Strategic Leadership Consultation.
Copyright: Mal Fletcher, printed with permission
