TERRORIST WAR COULD CREATE SOME TERRIBLE TEENS

TERRORIST WAR COULD CREATE SOME TERRIBLE TEENS

SAVANNAH, Ga. (Wireless Flash) – The war on terrorism may eliminate bad guys like Osama bin Laden, but it could also create a whole new generation of juvenile delinquents in the U.S. That’s the prediction of Georgia-based social worker Scott Sells, who fears the war on terrorism will backfire by turning American youngsters into wild, drug-crazed hooligans. He says kids whose parents are either fighting in Afghanistan or are preoccupied with the recent attacks may feel ignored and engage in anti-social antics for attention – such as vandalizing property, stealing and brawling in the streets. Although Sells says setting strict ground rules may prevent some kids from terrorizing the neighborhood, he warns that tough love doesn’t work if parents aren’t personally involved in their kids’ lives. He’s the author of Parenting Your Out-Of-Control Teenager (St. Martin’s Press).

Fri 10-19-01