Gene Stephens

Gene Stephens, in the following viewpoint, suggests that community programs can positively affect the lives of at-risk youths. For example, Stephens claims that programs that teach young people the skills to solve conflicts peacefully ameliorate the problem of youth violence. In addition, he contends that programs that help build self-esteem through positive feedback and counseling prevent juvenile delinquency. Stephens is a professor at the College of Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In Stephens’s opinion, what factors compound youths’ social problems"
2. What is positive reinforcement, as described by Stephens"
3. Describe three of the eight suggestions in the author’s plan for reaching out to troubled youths.

Growing numbers of children are being neglected, abused, and ignored. Without change, the...