Protective Factors (continued)

Somebody pointed out that the social support that church communities can give is a huge protective factor.

Humans, like sheep, are social animals.  Most of us get a little bit skittish when we don't have enough social time.  Some need less time than others but we all seem to need at least a little.

Sadly, all of the traditional support systems for adolescents seem to be under attack.  Asimov wrote that the improbable becomes inevitable when dealing with infinite numbers.  Stated another way, large populations will contain deviant members.  The miracle of the internet guarantees that we will hear about every incident in excruciating detail.

Adolescents
Adolescents are at high risk because they are pushing away from their families and joining new "tribes" at school.

Sometimes the adolescent will create a horror fiction about his family to justify their "divorce" and remarriage.

And then the adolescent learns that the new tribe is unstable and ruthlessly engages in pecking order games.

Yeah, it sucks to be an adolescent. 

That is why traditional cultures pack a lot of padding around those years.  12 year old girls are not ready to date.  14 year old boys are not ready to be men.

Our new, enlightened culture is busy deconstructing that padding.  And then they wonder why middle and high schools are war zones.

Yup, makes a lot of sense.  A "science" discipline founded on a knowledge base with a half-life of five years immolating a culture that has endured 4000 years.  Smart.  Real smart.