LITERATURE REVIEW ON RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO TEENAGERS 1

Literature Review on Resources Available to Teenagers

Kristina E. Canchola-Miranda
Arizona State University
RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO TEENAGERS 2

Literature Review on Resources Available to Resources

Resources for teenagers are extremely scarce, are lacking in accessibility, and do not

cover the full extent of teenage necessities. Teenagers are in need of better healthcare

access, mental resources, guidance, and academic resources. Without these resources, or

with difficult to access resources, teenagers may fail to obtain the help they need to thrive

and succeed both in and out of a school environment.

Literature Review

Overview of Resources Available for Teenagers

Resources for teenagers are extremely scarce and are lacking in accessibility.

Teenagers are in need of easily accessible resources for several different aspects of their

well-being. These resources should be known to teenagers, attainable, and capable of

meeting their needs.

Healthcare accessibility and increased education on the topics are key in lowering

teen pregnancy rates, drug use among teens, and health risks associated with drug use as

well as unprotected sexual activity. Research demonstrates that programs increase

knowledge, but have little direct impact on values and attitudes, actual sexual behavior,

use of birth control, and teenage pregnancy, meaning that educational programs on their

own are not adequate in prevention (Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1989, p. 4).

Drug use among teenagers has also not declined significantly because of increased

education on the subject. In fact, there are growing indications worldwide that even

countries with the most aggressive tobacco control policies, teenage smoking has stopped

declining, and alcohol consumption among teenagers is still relatively high (Reid, 1996).

With health resources that are easily accessible, these rates can significantly decrease.
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Academic resources and career guidance are also necessary for teenagers to make

informed decisions and access to the help they may be in need of in an academic sense

can help teenagers succeed. As of 2015, the dropout rate in America was 5.9% (Status

Dropout Rates, 2017), with much higher rates for hispanic students. With an increase in

resources, like easy access to affordable or even free tutors, access to childcare for teen

parents, and increased training for staff to deal with students that are at risk for dropping

out, teenagers can have gain access to the help they need to succeed academically and

pursue careers or higher education.

Mental health resources aside from healthcare providers, are a growing necessity

for teenagers as well. Suicide rates for both male and female teenagers has increased

within the past five years, with rates for males increasing to 31% and rates for females

increasing to 5.1% (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), which is more than double

for both groups. Access to counselling and support groups both in and out of school is

necessary to address these growing rates.

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is necessary for community programs, such as increasing the

availability of resources available to teenagers, to thrive. In order for a servant leader to

be effective, they need to demonstrate a fundamental appreciation for others; a desire to

serve these others; an ability to influence and, through this, shape their followers' values

and behavior; an ability to provide vision while serving others; and an ability to

communicate their vision (Gordon, 2008). With these characteristics, as well as the

functional characteristics outlined as listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion,

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foresight, conceptualization, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and

building community, community organizations can be highly successful.

Leadership Styles

Leadership styles greatly influence the success of organizations and programs

such as increasing the resources available for teenagers and their accessibility. There are

many different leadership styles that range in levels of involvement and responsibility.

One style of leadership involves seven habits that need to be adapted in order to be an

effective leader including beginning with the end in mind, being proactive, understanding

before trying to be understood, prioritizing, synergizing, and enhancing yourself (Covey,

2004). Other types of leadership focus on distributing leadership responsibilities and

putting the good of the company or organization above oneself.

My Leadership Style

My leadership is a mix of these multiple concepts. In order to be an effective

leader, those who are following need to feel like they are being encouraged to meet their

fullest potential. Some responsibilities can be distributed, and leaders should be

enthusiastic about their work. Leading by example is important, and Coveys habits help

create an environment that is constantly moving forward.

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Conclusion

There are too few resources for teenagers that are easily accessible and effective

enough to meet all the needs of the teenagers utilizing them. Without access to these

resources, teenagers may face higher risk levels for teen pregnancy, drug use, suicide,

and dropping out of high school. These risks may lead teenagers to unfulfilling lives or

several other difficulties including their health.

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References

Covey, S. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people restoring the character ethic

(Rev. ed.].. ed.). New York: Free Press.

Institute for Research and Evaluation. (1989). Current patterns and programs for teenage

pregnancy prevention: A summary for policy makers. Committee on Labor and

Human Resources United States Senate.

Gordon, R.D. (2008). Servant Leadership. In S.R. Clegg & J.R. Bailey (Ed.),

International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies. (p. 785-788).

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (2017). Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6630a6.htm.

Reid, D. (1996). Teenage drug use. BMJ, 313(7054), 375.

Status Dropout Rates. (2017). National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_coj.asp.