2003-2005 Shanghai Community Youth Work

Author: Chen Yingjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features:
2. Reliance on the Internet to a certain extent
When encountering problems, they often need support from family, peer groups, and other social support networks. The weakening of the social support network means that they receive less service or help when facing problems. In other words, when encountering problems or difficulties, they often have only two choices: either overcome the difficulties and solve the problems by themselves, or avoid the problems or difficulties. Unemployed and dropout youth have a poor living situation themselves and weaker problem-solving abilities. Therefore, they often choose to avoid problems and seek other forms of spiritual dependence and emotional support. With the emergence of the Internet as a new medium and communication method, many youth facing problems or difficulties often transform their disappointment with real life into dependence on virtual networks, even developing internet addiction, which further negatively impacts their interpersonal interactions.
3. Increased likelihood of engaging in criminal activities
Adolescence is a critical period for psychological and social development, characterized by immaturity and plasticity. When lacking proper guidance or exposed to negative influences, they are highly prone to engaging in illegal and criminal activities. Currently, the crime rate among adolescents aged 16-18 in Shanghai is on the rise, with most cases involving serious crimes such as theft, robbery, murder, and rape, showing trends of intelligence and group formation. Among Shanghai's 26,000 drug users, 70.9% are adolescents who abuse new drugs like methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, and "happy little pills," posing a potential risk of gradually sinking into deviant behavior and becoming a high-risk group that affects social stability.
Currently, the problems faced by "unemployed, dropout, and unmanaged" youth are no longer limited to issues related to their education, employment, and rights protection. In recent years, new problems have emerged, influenced by various factors that intertwine and become increasingly complex. For example, the current educational methods in poor families, family relationships, and especially the communication between parents and children are not very good. Adding to this, the influence of the Internet (including online games) on adolescents makes it easy for them to develop interpersonal difficulties, tense family relationships, internet dependence, and even drug abuse. These problems, in turn, further affect communication between parents and children. What is even more concerning is that these problems have formed a vicious cycle, mutually influencing and reinforcing each other. The division among the youth group, especially the changes and issues within the "unemployed, dropout, and unmanaged" youth group, have had a significant negative impact on their growth and development, even affecting social stability and progress. Therefore, this special group of youth has gradually drawn the high attention of the Party, government, and society. The "Community Youth Work" in Shanghai was proposed and developed against this backdrop.