Headline: INVESTING IN YOUTHS COULD SAVE US ALL A LOT OF TROUBLE
Reporter: By Greg Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed:  Tue. Nov. 19, 2002
Section: METRO, Page: B1, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT

Jean Neal believes in the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child. But she's worried that the village isn't paying enough attention.
   Neal is chief executive officer of the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center. She's worked with young people for years and is concerned about the youths who are committing crimes and the scarcity of resources to treat them.
   She was struck by a column that I wrote last month that referred to "Cortez, " a 13-year-old who has been arrested again for selling crack cocaine. Since March of last year, Cortez has had an arrest for another crack sale, four arrests for tampering with a motor vehicle, another arrest for possession of a controlled substance, two arrests each for car theft and for for violating probation.

His story is like those of so many other youths who often get in trouble in this city, especially late at night and early in the morning. They're the ones who often have readers scratching their heads wondering why they are even out at these times and where their parents are.
   In Cortez's case, he hasn't had contact with his father for several years. His mother, who never married his father, has an extensive record of prostitution and possession of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. He lives with his grandmother, who can't understand why he hangs out with the wrong kinds of kids. She thinks he's angry about his mother's lifestyle and hurt that his father doesn't want to be involved in his life.

Neal says Cortez's case is typical of many that she sees. "These youths have a lot of anger and hostility, " she said. "Often it comes from feelings of rejection or anger because the mother or father isn't there." These are issues that they may not even realize that they have, she noted.
   "They need both positive alternatives and interaction, " Neal said. "But they also need good therapy. Some come from family situations that are so destabilizing that unless they get serious counseling, their chances of success are tempered considerably."

Neal talked about some cases that she had seen.
   In one case, two youngsters were required to live on their front porch. They weren't permitted to enter the house even to use the bathroom. "They had to use a pot, " she said.
   In another case, a 9-year-old had never been potty trained.

Neal has researched how troubled youngsters have been dealt with over the years. "A pattern of how we treated children in the 1880s continues today, " she said. "If youngsters get in trouble, we want to lock them up and expect that that will take care of the problem. But we forget that it's a juvenile justice center that they enter, not a treatment center. We're locking them up or ignoring them but not dealing with the root cause of the problem."

Neal acknowledges that poverty may have something to do with the problem.
   But she believes that a greater cause is the family relationships that youngsters are in and how they have developed.  "Parents are doing what they know to do, and that may not be much, especially if their parents didn't know what to do, " she said. The pattern is repeated.

Neal can point to success stories where her organization has intervened and made a difference.
   She mentioned the case of some youngsters whose mother was on drugs and whose behavior was destroying the family. The children were angry and hostile until counseling enabled them to see that their mother was the cause of their problems. Those children are now grown and, having gained insight into their anger, are now leading positive lives. Now they are even taking care of their mother.

Unfortunately, these issues are off the radar screen of many politicians and others, who choose to remain silent. Meanwhile, organizations like Neal's are seeing their resources shrink.

Some real solutions are out there. Folks like Jean Neal know what they are.
But how many of those who can make a difference are willing to step forward and do what needs to be done?

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Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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