School Age Children

Community Culture (19 Responses)

Lack of Understanding (8)

• Adults look down on children
• Adults treat “just hanging” as doing something wrong
• Adults fear kids will get into trouble if not busy
• Gap between generations widens with technology competent kids
• Kids don’t “play” anymore
• Listen to kids
• Encourage creativity rather than fear kids aren’t busy enough

Negative Behavior (7)

• Kids intimidated by richer children
• Students made fun of in school
• Bullying with fourth- and fifth-graders
• Growing anger and violence in youth
• Kids cause problems at malls
• Teach why bullying is bad

Disconnection (4)

• Youth feel disconnected at young age, have underserved needs and fall through the cracks
• Need to help kids be less elitist and more responsive to those in need

Family Life (14 Responses)

Parenting (8)

• Parents live through their children, push sports, pressure kids to overachieve
• Adults make sports too intense
• Kids need more supervision

Values (4)

• Youth lack responsibility
• Adults have less time to deal with kids’ problems
• Kids are couch potatoes and not motivated, they need fitness and should ride bikes to school

Transportation (2)

• Lack of transportation inhibits kids’ participation in activities

Services (4 Responses)

Needs (3)

• Need more activities for youth
• Identify needs for special services
• Need juvenile liaison officer

Safety (1)

• Require someone over 18 to accompany children under 12 at games
• Too dangerous and neglectful for children who are dropped off