NCJ Number
215978
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2006 Pages: 9-16
Date Published
September 2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The author discusses his observations and lessons learned as a youth worker in two rural towns in the Western Australian Goldfields.
Abstract
The article first notes the advantages of working with youth in a small rural town. These include the existence of a close-knit community that acts as a social network of support and informal social control. Rural communities, however, can be confining in terms of their limited opportunities for employment and lack of exposure to diverse views, broad knowledge, and a variety of experiences. Working with youth in a rural community involves helping them tap into their aspirations and ambitions. It may involve helping them expand their horizons beyond those of the adult residents of the town. The author presents a model for entering a rural community as its youth worker. Advice is as follows: research the history and demographics of the town; identify the town's community service agencies and determine the features of its local government, churches, schools, and police; introduce themselves to key town leaders and explain why they are there and what they hope to accomplish; create a youth reference group to generate suggestions for your work with youth, and create a community reference group for suggestions about how the community can serve its youth; identify resources needed and potential sources of resistance; and set goals and begin action that brings short-term observable results. When specific serious problems are identified--such as drug abuse, child maltreatment, and delinquency--the youth worker should be part of a leadership team that devises strategies for how the community can address each issue. 11 references