The Case Against Adolescence
In other threads, I have advocated letting teenagers start work or
enter college earlier than they now do, depending on their abilities and interests. A recent book "The Case Against Adolescence" by psychologist Robert Epstein seems (I've only read an interview of him at http://psychologytoday.com/articles/...=pto-4311.html ) to agree. In the interview, Epstein says "I believe that young people should have more options-the option to work, marry, own property, sign contracts, start businesses, make decisions about health care and abortions, live on their own-every right, privilege, or responsibility an adult has. I advocate a competency-based system that focuses on the abilities of the individual. For some it will mean more time in school combined with work, for others it will mean that at age 13 or 15 they can set up an Internet business. Others will enter the workforce and become some sort of apprentice. The exploitative factories are long gone; competent young people deserve the chance to compete where it counts, and many will surprise us. It's a simple matter to develop competency tests to determine what rights a young person should be given, just as we now have competency tests for driving. When you offer significant rights for passing such a test, it's highly motivating; people who can't pass a high-school history test will never give up trying to pass the written test at the DMV, and they'll virtually always succeed. We need to offer a variety of tests, including a comprehensive test to allow someone to become emancipated without the need for court action. When we dangle significant rewards in front of our young people-including the right to be treated like an adult-many will set aside the trivia of teen culture and work hard to join the adult world." |
The Case Against Adolescence
On Mon, 04 Jun 2007 05:37:16 -0700, Beliavsky
wrote: It's a simple matter to develop competency tests to determine what rights a young person should be given, just as we now have competency tests for driving. Yeah, that works! Teenagers pass the test, then drive drunk, have more accidents and are not responsible drivers. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/teenmvh.htm Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for 36% of all deaths in this age group (CDC 2006). However, research suggests that the most strict and comprehensive graduated drivers licensing programs are associated with reductions of 38% and 40% in fatal and injury crashes, respectively, of 16-year-old drivers (Baker et al. 2007). ****************************** * Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate hazardous situations or dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations (Jonah 1987). * Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next). The presence of male teenage passengers increases the likelihood of these risky driving behaviors among teen male drivers. (Simons-Morton 2005). * Among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 38% were speeding at the time of the crash and 24% had been drinking (NHTSA 2006a, NHTSA 2006b). * Compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. In 2005, 10% of high school students reported they rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else (CDC 2006b). o Male high school students (12.5%) were more likely than female students (7.8%) to rarely or never wear seat belts (CDC 2006b). o African-American students (13.4%) and Hispanic students (10.6%) were more likely than white students (9.4%) to rarely or never wear seat belts (CDC 2006b). * At all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash is greater for teens than for older drivers (IIHS 2006). o In 2005, 23% of drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had a BAC of 0.08 g/dl or higher (NHTSA 2006b). o In a national survey conducted in 2005, nearly 30% of teens reported that within the previous month, they had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. One in ten reported having driven after drinking alcohol within the same one-month period (CDC 2006b). o In 2005, among teen drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving, 74% were unrestrained (NHTSA 2006b). * In 2005, half of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and midnight and 54% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (IIHS 2006). -- Dorothy There is no sound, no cry in all the world that can be heard unless someone listens .. The Outer Limits |
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