One third of all American children 00:00:01.06\00:00:03.04 are being raised in single-parent homes 00:00:03.08\00:00:04.93 with limited or no supervision. Our guest today 00:00:04.96\00:00:07.68 is the founder of a home for troubled teens. 00:00:07.71\00:00:10.59 Stay tuned to find out the causes and cures 00:00:10.62\00:00:13.47 for our troubled youth. My name is Yvonne Lewis 00:00:13.51\00:00:16.27 and you're watching Urban Report 00:00:16.31\00:00:18.11 Hello and welcome to Urban Report 00:00:41.15\00:00:43.18 There are numerous elements that contribute 00:00:43.22\00:00:45.73 to healthy human development such as spirituality, 00:00:45.77\00:00:49.36 family dynamics, support from community adults 00:00:49.40\00:00:52.95 school effectiveness, peer influence 00:00:52.99\00:00:55.82 values development and social skills. 00:00:55.85\00:00:58.61 Many troubled youth are missing some of these elements 00:00:58.65\00:01:01.71 causing them to act out. Today our guest is 00:01:01.74\00:01:04.90 Dr. Blondel Senior, Director and Founder of the 00:01:04.94\00:01:08.31 Advent Home and Learning Center. He's going to shed some light 00:01:08.34\00:01:11.52 on troubled youth, fatherlessness and suggestions 00:01:11.56\00:01:15.20 to help these troubled youth. Welcome to Urban Report 00:01:15.24\00:01:18.85 Dr. Senior... it's so good to have you 00:01:18.88\00:01:22.26 once again... You were here another time 00:01:22.29\00:01:25.63 and you had brought a young student with you, 00:01:25.67\00:01:29.30 and so I'm glad you could come back 00:01:29.33\00:01:30.99 and shed some more light on what's going on... 00:01:31.02\00:01:34.24 with our teenagers... Tell us, first of all, 00:01:34.28\00:01:37.46 about the Advent Home. What is that? 00:01:37.50\00:01:39.97 What do you do? Advent Home is a residential 00:01:40.01\00:01:43.59 Treatment program for kids who are at-risk... 00:01:43.62\00:01:47.14 at risk of dropping out of school, running away from home, 00:01:47.17\00:01:51.31 failing, you know, just not finishing basic High School 00:01:51.34\00:01:56.69 and they get into trouble... stealing, shop-lifting, 00:01:56.73\00:02:00.55 maybe getting pregnant, but kids who are at-risk 00:02:00.59\00:02:04.38 and they run the risk of dropping out then. 00:02:04.41\00:02:06.34 Parents need to intervene before it gets out of hand. 00:02:06.38\00:02:09.19 You have boys and girls? No... boys only... 00:02:09.23\00:02:11.80 Ah... boys only... The reason for that is 00:02:11.83\00:02:14.33 what you call a minimum distraction environment. 00:02:14.37\00:02:18.14 I can understand that... 00:02:18.17\00:02:20.44 Look at what's happening to kids these days... 00:02:20.47\00:02:21.81 they are being distracted... 00:02:21.85\00:02:23.23 Yes... You know with cell phone, 00:02:23.27\00:02:24.62 baggy pants, funny hairdos, drugs, alcohol, 00:02:24.66\00:02:27.63 and various other things... they have to remove 00:02:27.66\00:02:30.56 the distraction and re-give them a minimum distraction 00:02:30.59\00:02:33.61 remove the distractions... and I tell you, 00:02:33.65\00:02:36.11 it makes a big difference... And the opposite sex... 00:02:36.14\00:02:38.31 certainly can be a distraction, especially in the teen years 00:02:38.35\00:02:41.72 when hormones are raging... Yeah... yes... 00:02:41.75\00:02:43.45 Those are distractions... Yes... 00:02:43.48\00:02:45.13 So now, what is the age range of of children or teens 00:02:45.17\00:02:50.39 that you work with We take boys 12 to 17 00:02:50.42\00:02:53.23 Grades 6 to 12 and these are... this is a high-risk area 00:02:53.26\00:02:59.38 age group and mostly boys... 9 out of 10 boys suffer ADHD 00:02:59.42\00:03:08.40 attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder 00:03:08.43\00:03:10.83 and most of the kids who come to our program 00:03:10.87\00:03:13.80 are diagnosed ADHD... many other diagnoses 00:03:13.84\00:03:16.74 Conduct disorder, Bi-Polar, Tourette's syndrome 00:03:16.78\00:03:20.31 Aspergers... and various, but they come with 00:03:20.35\00:03:23.95 depression... they come with anger 00:03:23.99\00:03:25.95 and they come with basic school problems and social problems. 00:03:25.99\00:03:29.70 So what are the family dynamics 00:03:29.74\00:03:34.50 that are taking place, with most of the young men 00:03:34.54\00:03:37.84 that come to your school? Well, most of these kids... 00:03:37.88\00:03:41.75 9 out of 10 of these kids are from broken, divorced or 00:03:41.79\00:03:45.63 adopted homes... so there's a real problem there, 00:03:45.67\00:03:48.75 and many of them are from single-parent homes... 00:03:48.79\00:03:51.84 and, of course, most single-parent homes 00:03:51.87\00:03:54.96 are headed by mothers... females only 12% of homes, 00:03:54.99\00:03:59.34 single-parent homes are headed by men... 00:03:59.37\00:04:01.48 so now you have a mother who is working... 00:04:01.51\00:04:03.55 and she has to work long hours and so.. maybe start at 6:00 00:04:03.58\00:04:07.74 and work until 8:00 or 9:00 p. m. 00:04:07.77\00:04:09.95 and so there's a long period of lack of supervision... 00:04:09.99\00:04:13.24 and that creates problems for the kids... 00:04:13.27\00:04:15.09 US News and World Report... several years ago... 00:04:15.12\00:04:19.26 reported that the highest rate of pregnancy 00:04:19.29\00:04:21.69 is from 3:00 o'clock until 5:30 Monday to Thursday... 00:04:21.73\00:04:25.21 3:00 to 5:30... Yes... 00:04:25.24\00:04:29.57 Monday through Thursday... Monday through Thursday... right 00:04:29.60\00:04:33.04 how interesting... right after school... 00:04:33.07\00:04:34.91 right after school... the kids are left unsupervised, 00:04:34.95\00:04:37.26 teenagers are alone... and they get into trouble... 00:04:37.29\00:04:39.57 Yes... yes... Unsupervised... 00:04:39.60\00:04:41.53 What... would you say... when you work with these 00:04:41.57\00:04:46.56 young men... that have... all of this anger 00:04:46.59\00:04:50.10 do you also see Depression with that? 00:04:50.14\00:04:55.09 Yes... almost every child who comes to the Advent Home 00:04:55.13\00:04:59.34 is diagnosed as depressed... now you have to understand 00:04:59.37\00:05:03.52 the dynamics of depression... you have to back up a little bit 00:05:03.55\00:05:07.74 these kids like to stay up late, play video... listen to music, 00:05:07.77\00:05:11.92 play computer games... 00:05:11.95\00:05:13.25 and so the parents are harassing them... 00:05:13.29\00:05:16.13 "Go to bed, go to bed... " and they invent... 00:05:16.16\00:05:18.92 "I can't sleep... that's why I'm not going to bed. " 00:05:18.96\00:05:21.68 which is really a make-up so they stay up late 00:05:21.72\00:05:25.61 until 2:00 a. m. in the morning, almost every night... 00:05:25.64\00:05:28.45 and then they have to get up at 5:30 or 6:00 o'clock 00:05:28.48\00:05:31.34 in the morning... to catch a bus to go to school, 00:05:31.37\00:05:33.04 OK... and then they begin to be lethargic 00:05:33.08\00:05:36.26 now they're lethargic because they didn't get enough sleep 00:05:36.29\00:05:40.04 not because they are depressed, but the symptoms of depression 00:05:40.08\00:05:43.79 and lack of sleep... mimic each other 00:05:43.83\00:05:45.98 and they look alike... so they go to the doctor 00:05:46.02\00:05:48.96 because they can't sleep and they get sleeping pills 00:05:49.00\00:05:51.22 and they go to the doctor and they're lethargic 00:05:51.25\00:05:53.14 and they get depression pills, and they are diagnosed 00:05:53.17\00:05:55.03 Depression problems and Sleeping problems 00:05:55.06\00:05:57.62 when really they're tired... So they come to the Advent Home 00:05:57.66\00:06:01.43 with medication for sleeping... medication for depression, 00:06:01.47\00:06:05.21 and other medications... and because of the 00:06:05.24\00:06:08.15 nature of the program... the program is activity oriented 00:06:08.19\00:06:11.14 the campus is very big... lots of walking... 00:06:11.18\00:06:13.32 everyday there's recreation... there are outdoor activities 00:06:13.36\00:06:18.14 chores and gardening... so the kids play... 00:06:18.18\00:06:20.48 and in two or three days... they will lose their 00:06:20.51\00:06:23.99 depression... and lose their lack of sleep 00:06:24.03\00:06:26.03 and they'll beg to go to bed... Look at what you're saying... 00:06:26.06\00:06:29.44 Doctor Senior... this is so interesting to me 00:06:29.48\00:06:31.64 because... it's like one issue is compounding another... 00:06:31.67\00:06:37.42 Yes... yes... yes... So the first issue... 00:06:37.46\00:06:40.20 the very first issue... is the sleeplessness. 00:06:40.24\00:06:42.95 Lack of sleep... right.. because they are staying up 00:06:42.98\00:06:46.26 too late at night... and Science has been saying too 00:06:46.30\00:06:49.55 that sleep is so critical even in glucose metabolism... 00:06:49.59\00:06:53.21 So... because you can become pre-diabetic 00:06:53.25\00:06:56.48 from sleep deprivation... 00:06:56.51\00:06:59.12 so, now you're saying, these young boys... 00:06:59.15\00:07:02.16 are not getting enough sleep they're playing video games... 00:07:02.19\00:07:05.44 there should be... there should be a bed time... 00:07:05.47\00:07:08.93 Right... but because of a lack of 00:07:08.96\00:07:11.46 supervision or whatever... 00:07:11.49\00:07:13.18 there isn't... So the boys are not getting 00:07:13.22\00:07:16.05 enough sleep... and so... then they are medicated 00:07:16.08\00:07:18.75 Yes... That's Problem number Two 00:07:18.79\00:07:21.36 Right... right... So then they're medicated... 00:07:21.40\00:07:23.40 and the medication can cause a kind of disconnect 00:07:23.43\00:07:28.33 metabolically... so that... chemically... with them... 00:07:28.36\00:07:32.72 so that... now you've got sleep deprivation 00:07:32.75\00:07:35.32 you've got medication that also can have its side effects 00:07:35.35\00:07:38.92 And misdiagnosis... And misdiagnosis... 00:07:38.96\00:07:41.85 False diagnosis... Wow! 00:07:41.89\00:07:43.42 Right, so these problems begin to accumulate... 00:07:43.46\00:07:45.82 Yes... yes... And now it creates a problem 00:07:45.85\00:07:48.11 where they have to send a child to the Advent Home... 00:07:48.15\00:07:50.11 It's a big expense... especially for them... 00:07:50.14\00:07:52.63 Yes... yes... And they come and in... 00:07:52.67\00:07:54.84 I'd say... two days... three days the most... 00:07:54.87\00:07:57.64 they're off their medication, those medications... 00:07:57.68\00:08:00.20 and they're sleeping... 00:08:00.23\00:08:01.81 because they're tired... 00:08:01.85\00:08:03.39 Because you're working them... I'm working them... 00:08:03.43\00:08:06.34 Good... work is good... And that's another thing 00:08:06.38\00:08:09.52 that I noticed... in many homes... 00:08:09.55\00:08:11.89 there are no chores... Right... 00:08:11.93\00:08:13.03 Like what happened to chores... what happened to kids having to 00:08:13.07\00:08:15.99 do certain things in the home... that's not happening... 00:08:16.02\00:08:19.35 but your boys have chores... What do they do? 00:08:19.39\00:08:22.35 We'd like to say food is medicine 00:08:22.39\00:08:23.89 and work is medicine... 00:08:23.92\00:08:25.31 Yes.. yes... Nature is their physician... 00:08:25.34\00:08:27.04 Yes... yes... What do they do? 00:08:27.07\00:08:28.27 Just the size of the campus... walking to campus 00:08:28.30\00:08:31.41 is exercise... How far are the... for example, 00:08:31.44\00:08:34.51 the dorm from the School? Maybe one-eighth of a mile... 00:08:34.54\00:08:38.06 Ah... And they play... 00:08:38.10\00:08:40.27 It's a schedule... we're running a very 00:08:40.31\00:08:42.29 tight schedule from 6:00 a. m. until 9:30 p. m. every day... 00:08:42.32\00:08:46.25 tight schedule... you must move from 00:08:46.29\00:08:48.43 Point A to Point B... Point A to Point B... 00:08:48.47\00:08:50.26 Because these kids get into trouble... 00:08:50.29\00:08:52.20 if they have nothing to do... Yes... 00:08:52.23\00:08:54.07 So idleness... is not good... and they work... chores... 00:08:54.10\00:08:59.67 they have chores... they can even learn skills 00:08:59.70\00:09:02.87 we call them apprentices... they can learn to cook... 00:09:02.90\00:09:05.62 and we take the kids in the kitchen and teach them 00:09:05.66\00:09:08.34 food processing... from A to Z... 00:09:08.37\00:09:11.10 Oh... that's great... We also have a program called 00:09:11.13\00:09:13.37 Youth Leadership... Those that are more mature 00:09:13.41\00:09:15.54 and more stable... you can use them 00:09:15.57\00:09:17.60 to help to tutor other kids 00:09:17.64\00:09:18.99 and we're part of the Group Leadership 00:09:19.03\00:09:21.04 So each room... has a Group Leader... 00:09:21.07\00:09:23.16 a more mature student... helping out late at night 00:09:23.19\00:09:25.84 as extra eyes and ears when staff is not around... 00:09:25.88\00:09:28.44 We have gardening... they can learn gardening... 00:09:28.47\00:09:31.15 we have a six-month, twelve-month, twenty-four-month 00:09:31.18\00:09:33.35 gardening program where a person can actually 00:09:33.39\00:09:35.50 leave being a professional gardener... 00:09:35.54\00:09:37.47 with a certificate... 00:09:37.51\00:09:39.62 We have Auto Mechanic... where the kids can learn 00:09:39.66\00:09:41.59 to service a car... ten-point service... 00:09:41.62\00:09:43.59 twenty-point service... thirty-point service.. you know. 00:09:43.63\00:09:46.30 That's tremendous... And these are just 00:09:46.34\00:09:48.38 ordinary skills that you bump into... everyday. 00:09:48.41\00:09:50.11 Everyone has to take care of their car... 00:09:50.15\00:09:52.86 Yes... yes... Lot of services involved 00:09:52.89\00:09:55.15 Yeah... This is so important because 00:09:55.18\00:09:57.16 Number one... when they leave... 00:09:57.19\00:09:59.10 they'll have a sense of accomplishment... 00:09:59.13\00:10:02.31 I have done something... I have completed something... 00:10:02.34\00:10:04.73 I've been successful at something... 00:10:04.77\00:10:07.08 Which is, I think, an element that they hadn't had previously 00:10:07.11\00:10:11.70 Right... right... That feeling of being able to 00:10:11.73\00:10:13.73 accomplish something... So that's got to be 00:10:13.76\00:10:15.73 a great thing for them... Right... right... 00:10:15.76\00:10:17.55 When the kids leave... we do an exit survey... 00:10:17.58\00:10:20.34 Hmmmm... And we'll ask them... 00:10:20.37\00:10:21.70 What's the thing that was most important to you... 00:10:21.73\00:10:24.29 what's the thing that you learned best... 00:10:24.32\00:10:25.89 and they said... "Work" 00:10:25.93\00:10:27.54 They learned to work... they learned work ethics... 00:10:27.57\00:10:30.23 Critical... a critical piece... We'd like to say these kids 00:10:30.27\00:10:34.01 are allergic to work... they don't know what to do 00:10:34.04\00:10:36.75 with a tool, 00:10:36.79\00:10:37.82 and if you give them a dust pan and a broom 00:10:37.85\00:10:40.34 and say sweep, they can't coordinate it 00:10:40.37\00:10:42.93 they've never done it before... simple tasks... 00:10:42.96\00:10:45.40 Your kidding... No... no... 00:10:45.43\00:10:47.06 If you're going through a gate, like with a pick up truck 00:10:47.10\00:10:49.27 and ask the kid to open the gate drive through 00:10:49.30\00:10:51.54 and wait on the other side of the gate 00:10:51.58\00:10:52.79 then ask him to lock the gate, he'd lock himself 00:10:52.83\00:10:54.82 on the wrong side of the gate... Wow! 00:10:54.85\00:10:56.67 Lack of skills... 00:10:56.70\00:10:57.98 lack of skills, basic skills... 00:10:58.01\00:11:00.04 Yes... yes... You know, courtesy, politeness, 00:11:00.07\00:11:02.06 opening the door, you know, how to sit on a chair, 00:11:02.10\00:11:04.70 they'll sit crooked, you know, they're eating... 00:11:04.74\00:11:06.23 and they're sitting crooked... Yes, yes... 00:11:06.27\00:11:08.24 you have to go push the chair under them... 00:11:08.28\00:11:10.26 All... such basic things that I mentioned, 00:11:10.29\00:11:12.75 we teach basically four things... 00:11:12.78\00:11:14.51 we teach a lot of things... but we like to teach.. skills... 00:11:14.55\00:11:18.01 how to do things... how to wash dishes... 00:11:18.05\00:11:21.30 how to iron your clothes... you come in on Fridays 00:11:21.33\00:11:24.05 and they are preparing their clothes... 00:11:24.09\00:11:25.32 you know... to go to Church... and it's just amazing 00:11:25.36\00:11:27.87 seeing these boys... and they will be ironing... 00:11:27.90\00:11:30.34 and they need to do something, they take the iron... 00:11:30.37\00:11:32.77 and put it on the ground... waiting on it... 00:11:32.81\00:11:35.50 and, of course, there's a burnt-out iron marks 00:11:35.54\00:11:38.09 Oh! my goodness... If you go to their residence... 00:11:38.13\00:11:41.16 burnt out iron marks all over the place... 00:11:41.19\00:11:44.15 They haven't put together that the iron is hot 00:11:44.19\00:11:46.81 that it will burn the carpet... Yes... 00:11:46.85\00:11:48.95 ...and so forth... So, you teach them skills, 00:11:48.98\00:11:52.08 you teach them values... "Education is good... " 00:11:52.11\00:11:54.66 "You need to finish your High School Education" 00:11:54.69\00:11:57.45 not just the skills or education but the value 00:11:57.48\00:12:00.20 you need to be polite to your mother, 00:12:00.23\00:12:02.06 OK... many of these kids will hit and push their mothers... 00:12:02.09\00:12:05.26 and we'd like to say... that Hit? 00:12:05.30\00:12:07.03 Yes... below the belt... Oh... my... 00:12:07.06\00:12:09.99 Yes, that's trouble... When I was growing... 00:12:10.02\00:12:11.62 if I even looked at my mother in a certain way... forget it... 00:12:11.65\00:12:15.74 and my mother was really little, but she was not having 00:12:15.77\00:12:19.12 any disrespect whatsoever... and so 00:12:19.16\00:12:21.49 ...today... there's a lot of disrespect... 00:12:21.52\00:12:24.54 Yes, you do... I think because many times... 00:12:24.58\00:12:27.57 and you tell me if this is right parents often deal with their 00:12:27.60\00:12:31.41 children as though they are peers... 00:12:31.44\00:12:32.80 Yes... 00:12:32.83\00:12:33.86 ...and not this kind of relationship... 00:12:33.89\00:12:35.84 though the parent... should be respected... 00:12:35.88\00:12:38.22 Yes... yes... That is what God tells us 00:12:38.26\00:12:40.57 even in the Ten Commandments... 00:12:40.60\00:12:41.69 to honor your parents... Yes... yes... 00:12:41.72\00:12:43.51 And the parents should be more skillful 00:12:43.55\00:12:45.10 so they can pass on the skills to their children 00:12:45.13\00:12:47.89 the knowledge... and you start out very early... 00:12:47.92\00:12:50.61 you know... pick up your clothes put it in the laundry basket, 00:12:50.65\00:12:53.36 set the table... help with a meal... 00:12:53.39\00:12:56.92 and as the child gets older... you increase the workload... 00:12:56.96\00:13:01.11 or you increase the experience. How old... at what age, 00:13:01.15\00:13:05.27 do you think, chores should be given? 00:13:05.31\00:13:06.90 As soon as you can open and close your fingers... 00:13:06.94\00:13:09.94 Come on... come on.. Yes... yes... 00:13:09.98\00:13:11.91 Oh yes... Unpack that... 00:13:11.94\00:13:13.59 No, no... you tell the child... "Come with Mommy, 00:13:13.63\00:13:15.93 come with Daddy... pick up your clothes... 00:13:15.96\00:13:17.21 and you pick one up too... and you role play... 00:13:17.24\00:13:19.46 you role model... and the child will do it... 00:13:19.50\00:13:21.68 We started and taught our kids when they were teeny, weeny 00:13:21.72\00:13:24.37 and they had to pick up their clothes and drop it... 00:13:24.41\00:13:27.00 and they didn't do it right... and they had to get on the other 00:13:27.03\00:13:29.51 side of the bed to learn to make up the bed... 00:13:29.54\00:13:31.13 they didn't do it right... it's a learning process... 00:13:31.16\00:13:33.88 Yes... But it's a foundation... 00:13:33.92\00:13:35.27 and later on... you teach them... you know... 00:13:35.31\00:13:37.81 working in the kitchen... setting the table... 00:13:37.84\00:13:40.27 when our girls were 12 years old they could prepare for 30 people 00:13:40.31\00:13:44.29 coming to our home, That's tremendous... 00:13:44.33\00:13:46.17 That's right... 00:13:46.20\00:13:47.23 At 12... At 12... Hmmm, Hmmmm at 12... 00:13:47.26\00:13:48.75 and by the way... you know... I'll get into trouble for this, 00:13:48.78\00:13:51.63 but you can start teaching them to drive by age 8... 00:13:51.66\00:13:54.48 Oh... So that when they are 16, 00:13:54.51\00:13:57.08 they have 8 years of driving experience... 00:13:57.12\00:13:58.97 you just go way out in the country... 00:13:59.01\00:14:00.92 or you go to a big parking lot early Sunday morning... 00:14:00.95\00:14:04.23 at the shopping center... so there's nobody around... 00:14:04.26\00:14:07.46 you take them out in the woods, and you teach them to drive... 00:14:07.50\00:14:11.31 OK... just for our viewers... this is Dr. Senior saying this 00:14:11.34\00:14:15.12 this isn't Dare to Dream Network... 00:14:15.16\00:14:17.41 Not on the main highway... 00:14:17.65\00:14:18.72 We don't want anybody e- mailing us saying... 00:14:18.76\00:14:22.01 "You told us to do this... " "Oh yes, you know, kids... 00:14:22.04\00:14:24.26 I hear you... what you're saying is that 00:14:24.29\00:14:26.39 there are certain skills that you must impart to your children 00:14:26.43\00:14:30.63 at an early age... so that they will 00:14:30.66\00:14:33.06 incorporate them... and internalize them... 00:14:33.10\00:14:37.25 as they continue to grow... the work ethic is so critical 00:14:37.29\00:14:42.07 because one of the things that I see happening... 00:14:42.24\00:14:44.79 is that our boys are like... playing video games... 00:14:44.83\00:14:48.36 not understanding what is involved with being a man... 00:14:48.39\00:14:52.52 because many times... there is no man in their lives, 00:14:52.55\00:14:56.81 tell us the effect of fatherlessness on these boys... 00:14:56.84\00:15:01.07 First of all... what's the preponderance of it? 00:15:01.10\00:15:03.43 How many... what percentage of the boys that come to you 00:15:03.46\00:15:07.21 are fatherless? For the boys that have come to 00:15:07.24\00:15:10.84 us that are fatherless... 9 out of 10 are divorced 00:15:10.88\00:15:14.44 or adopted... right there... there's a problem 00:15:14.48\00:15:17.56 because their biological parents are not their parents. 00:15:17.60\00:15:20.94 Right... And divorce... it's broken... 00:15:20.98\00:15:23.58 so there are many types of "fatherless" 00:15:23.61\00:15:26.17 there's the divorced home... that's fatherless... 00:15:26.21\00:15:28.73 there's the adopted home... often is fatherless... 00:15:28.76\00:15:31.48 there's abandoned home... that is fatherless... 00:15:31.51\00:15:34.16 there's the negligent father... who is fatherless... 00:15:34.19\00:15:36.73 there's the dead-beat father... who is fatherless... 00:15:36.77\00:15:39.28 and so on... it goes on... you know... 00:15:39.31\00:15:40.61 so it comes in different forms, high percentage... 00:15:40.65\00:15:44.22 and fatherlessness has a significant impact on 00:15:44.26\00:15:47.79 on young people... Tell us about that... 00:15:47.83\00:15:51.14 A high percentage of African-American girls 00:15:51.18\00:15:54.66 like... 70 percent... of African-American girls 00:15:54.70\00:15:58.15 are having babies out-of-wedlock... 00:15:58.18\00:15:59.85 Hmmm... hmmm... So right there... 00:15:59.89\00:16:01.49 at the same time.. 32 percent of them are being divorced... 00:16:01.53\00:16:04.49 when you add those two things together... 00:16:04.53\00:16:07.58 it's more than 100%... OK. So 34 percent of 00:16:07.61\00:16:10.63 African-American women are getting divorced... 00:16:10.67\00:16:14.78 Yes... yes... And then over 70 percent 00:16:14.81\00:16:16.91 are having babies out of wedlock so we're looking at a really 00:16:16.94\00:16:20.85 deep systemic problem here... Yes... yes... systemic... yes... 00:16:20.89\00:16:23.70 And because the value among the African-American girls 00:16:23.74\00:16:28.22 is that... they don't have to get married, 00:16:28.25\00:16:30.19 and it's true... they can have a baby... 00:16:30.23\00:16:32.13 without getting married... But does this... 00:16:32.16\00:16:33.79 this does not actually translate across socio-economic lines 00:16:33.83\00:16:40.31 does it? 00:16:40.35\00:16:41.38 No... no... 00:16:41.41\00:16:42.44 Is it mostly lower socio-economic... 00:16:42.47\00:16:44.11 Mostly lower socio-economic lines... mostly lower... 00:16:44.15\00:16:46.58 For example... when education... just High School Education 00:16:46.61\00:16:50.33 is interjected in the family... many things happen... 00:16:50.37\00:16:54.30 Obesity goes down... Hmmmmmmm... 00:16:54.34\00:16:57.06 Obesity goes down... when education interjected... 00:16:57.10\00:17:00.58 the family is more stable... when a father is present... 00:17:00.62\00:17:04.06 it has a positive effect upon the family... 00:17:04.10\00:17:07.08 kids continue their schooling.. rather than dropping out... 00:17:07.11\00:17:10.53 So... a father in the home gives stability, 00:17:10.56\00:17:12.91 a father in the home gives security and greater discipline 00:17:12.95\00:17:16.88 I have something here to share with you... 00:17:16.91\00:17:19.27 63 percent of young people who commit suicide 00:17:19.31\00:17:21.63 are from fatherless homes... 63 percent! 00:17:21.67\00:17:24.99 Hmmmm... 63 percent! 00:17:25.02\00:17:26.09 Yes, if you have to line up a hundred kids out there 00:17:26.13\00:17:27.68 and divide them into 40 you know... plus 60, 00:17:27.71\00:17:30.61 a whole bulk of them commit suicide 00:17:30.64\00:17:33.26 from fatherless homes... another statistic I have... 00:17:33.30\00:17:36.93 listen to this... 90 percent of kids 00:17:36.96\00:17:39.20 who are homeless or run away... are from fatherless homes... 00:17:39.24\00:17:41.89 90 percent... 90 percent... 00:17:41.92\00:17:44.89 You know... well continue... and then I'll tell you something... 00:17:44.93\00:17:49.83 Here's another one... children with behavior disorders 00:17:49.87\00:17:52.86 63 percent... fatherless homes... 63 percent.. 00:17:52.90\00:17:57.30 Here's another one 80 percent of kids... 00:17:57.34\00:17:59.68 people who are rapists and have anger... 00:17:59.71\00:18:01.98 are from fatherless homes... 80 percent.. fatherless homes... 00:18:02.02\00:18:05.80 80 percent! 00:18:05.83\00:18:06.86 Yes... US census.. 71 percent 00:18:06.89\00:18:08.56 of High School dropouts... fatherless homes... 00:18:08.60\00:18:10.73 75 percent of adolescents who have drug problems... 00:18:10.76\00:18:17.37 are from fatherless homes. 75 percent! 00:18:17.41\00:18:20.61 Yes... and listen to this... 85 percent of kids 00:18:20.64\00:18:22.69 who are in prison... are from fatherless homes... 00:18:22.73\00:18:24.88 You know... I've heard this repeatedly 00:18:24.92\00:18:28.07 Yes... yes... that on Mother's Day... 00:18:28.11\00:18:31.20 you cannot... in prison... you cannot get to a phone... 00:18:31.23\00:18:35.46 because the guys are lined up to call their moms... 00:18:35.50\00:18:39.70 Yes... yes... But on Father's Day... 00:18:39.73\00:18:42.39 you can... the phones are free... 00:18:42.43\00:18:45.09 Right... Because... 00:18:45.13\00:18:46.16 the fathers have been absent... You know, we have, 00:18:46.19\00:18:48.65 in this country... we are... as Americans... 00:18:48.69\00:18:52.68 we are, I think, the highest or in the highest... 00:18:52.71\00:18:57.28 statistically... of those countries... 00:18:57.32\00:19:01.46 industrialized countries... that incarcerate people... 00:19:01.50\00:19:03.81 Right... right... right... ... so, when you look at the 00:19:03.84\00:19:06.53 disproportionate incarceration, of African-Americans... 00:19:06.57\00:19:09.22 the minorities... you look at that... 00:19:09.25\00:19:12.20 and then you look at what's going on... 00:19:12.24\00:19:15.04 in the Communities... the men are gone... 00:19:15.07\00:19:17.46 ...they're gone... 00:19:17.49\00:19:18.52 ...they are absent... and then the ones that are there... 00:19:18.55\00:19:21.37 bless their hearts... they might not have had a father 00:19:21.40\00:19:24.43 so they don't know... what does a father do? 00:19:24.47\00:19:27.36 one of the things that we're doing on Dare to Dream... 00:19:27.40\00:19:30.64 is... we are... in the process now of producing a program 00:19:30.67\00:19:33.88 called "The Father's Heart" which is going to teach 00:19:33.92\00:19:36.56 young men... what a father does... 00:19:36.59\00:19:39.84 because from what you're telling us... 00:19:39.87\00:19:43.91 there is just this big hole... this vacuum 00:19:43.94\00:19:47.90 that exists in the family... and the father needs to step up 00:19:47.94\00:19:52.50 to the plate... and take care.. of his family... 00:19:52.54\00:19:55.22 Right... right... right... So... what do you see, 00:19:55.26\00:19:57.87 tell us about some of the boys that you have personally 00:19:57.90\00:20:01.93 come into contact with... who have no relationship 00:20:01.97\00:20:05.64 with their dads... how do they.. when they come to the 00:20:05.67\00:20:08.55 Advent Home... how do they present... 00:20:08.59\00:20:10.29 They do not know how to relate, you know, and when you sort 00:20:10.32\00:20:15.47 it out... men to men... boys to boys 00:20:15.50\00:20:17.16 they do not know how to relate, occasionally... 00:20:17.20\00:20:19.33 we will break the group from all women 00:20:19.36\00:20:21.86 and just men... we will go out and talk... 00:20:21.89\00:20:23.62 and these boys will break down and cry... 00:20:23.65\00:20:26.46 something they won't do in front of female staff... 00:20:26.49\00:20:29.56 ...break down and cry... 'cause... you begin to talk 00:20:29.59\00:20:32.83 about things that you don't mention in the 00:20:32.87\00:20:34.89 presence of others... Such as... 00:20:34.93\00:20:36.48 Sexuality... dating... and... just... we call it "Men's Stuff" 00:20:36.52\00:20:44.18 and they don't know what to do... 00:20:44.21\00:20:46.93 they do not know how to be courageous 00:20:46.96\00:20:49.61 Hmmmmmmm... They do not know how to speak up 00:20:49.65\00:20:53.16 and speak like a man... they do not know 00:20:53.19\00:20:56.67 how to be a boy... and be a man... 00:20:56.70\00:20:59.33 they get confused with their role... 00:20:59.36\00:21:01.92 and you have to teach them... and... we see boys who will come 00:21:01.96\00:21:06.05 and they'll do things that are self-destructive... 00:21:06.08\00:21:09.08 Such as... 00:21:09.12\00:21:10.17 Oh... drop out of school is self-destructive 00:21:10.20\00:21:12.85 making poor grades is self-destructive... 00:21:12.89\00:21:15.50 failing before a performance... we will have a performance 00:21:15.54\00:21:20.14 for a young man... that is... 00:21:20.17\00:21:21.51 your parents are coming... we want you to do something 00:21:21.55\00:21:23.98 on the platform... and before that... 00:21:24.02\00:21:25.98 he'll act out... so you'll dismiss him... 00:21:26.02\00:21:28.69 Hmmmm... He will engineer his own failure 00:21:28.73\00:21:31.36 very common behavior... common behavior... 00:21:31.63\00:21:34.79 engineer his own failure... and in terms of 00:21:34.82\00:21:37.91 standing up and speaking up are real problems... 00:21:37.95\00:21:40.49 you know... so it muddles the role model 00:21:40.52\00:21:43.51 we have to provide them role models in our staff 00:21:43.54\00:21:46.67 and, you know, even staff have their sets of problems too. 00:21:46.70\00:21:50.29 But we have to be good examples, we have to teach them 00:21:50.32\00:21:53.96 how to dress up and look nice, you know and look spivvy 00:21:53.99\00:21:58.13 you have to teach them how to behave... 00:21:58.16\00:22:01.45 you know... one-on-one... there was a lady we had 00:22:01.49\00:22:04.67 who would take them to Valentine Programs 00:22:04.70\00:22:07.35 oh... that was so good... you know... 00:22:07.39\00:22:09.97 go to the Adventist Schools... and they would have dates 00:22:10.01\00:22:13.29 and that was so good... because first time... 00:22:13.33\00:22:16.10 these kids are dating... and dressing up and looking nice 00:22:16.13\00:22:19.12 they have to be polite and courteous to a girl... 00:22:19.16\00:22:20.74 and you teach them ahead of time and so much is missing... 00:22:20.77\00:22:26.28 It hurts my heart... as I'm listening to you... 00:22:26.31\00:22:30.48 I feel like crying... because there's so much 00:22:30.52\00:22:32.46 that these boys don't get... that they don't have at home 00:22:32.49\00:22:36.78 and it's like... I'm thankful for the Advent Home 00:22:36.81\00:22:40.80 and for what you're doing... providing an environment 00:22:40.84\00:22:44.48 for these boys... where they can learn basic skills 00:22:44.52\00:22:48.13 we're not talking about brain surgery... 00:22:48.17\00:22:51.20 we're talking about basic social skills that are missing 00:22:51.23\00:22:55.34 Yes, this should be learned from your mother or their dad 00:22:55.38\00:22:59.17 just to dress up and look like your dad... feels spivvy... 00:22:59.20\00:23:02.96 Yes... I have a young man I can 00:23:02.99\00:23:04.38 think of right now... he's 15 years old, 00:23:04.42\00:23:05.75 tall, handsome, good looking and all he wants to commit... 00:23:05.79\00:23:09.29 is crime... the next behavior... 00:23:09.32\00:23:11.18 How can I steal this? How can I rip off? 00:23:11.21\00:23:13.39 How can I break into his apartment? 00:23:13.42\00:23:15.48 you know... Where are you coming from? 00:23:15.52\00:23:17.50 How can I steal a car? they want to do negative things 00:23:17.54\00:23:21.42 and they get attention from negative things... 00:23:21.46\00:23:23.70 and it's a shame... it's a shame... 00:23:23.73\00:23:26.58 it's heartbreaking... it's heartbreaking 00:23:26.61\00:23:29.23 How do you discipline 00:23:29.26\00:23:31.31 the young people there... 00:23:31.34\00:23:33.32 because I'm sure... you have some issues... 00:23:33.36\00:23:35.62 where they have to be disciplined... 00:23:35.66\00:23:37.20 Yes... discipline should be "Cause and Effect... " 00:23:37.23\00:23:38.94 One of the writers in our Church talks about that... 00:23:38.98\00:23:40.65 Discipline should be... cause and effect... 00:23:40.68\00:23:41.95 we should give kids reasons for doing certain things... OK 00:23:41.98\00:23:44.66 if the person gets angry... and kicks the wall 00:23:44.70\00:23:48.54 and puts a hole in the sheet rock... 00:23:48.58\00:23:50.26 the discipline is... cause and effect... 00:23:50.29\00:23:51.90 he should repair it... put the wall back the way it was 00:23:51.94\00:23:55.69 so he has to use his allowance to buy sheet rock mud... 00:23:55.73\00:23:59.45 to fix it... and we work with him... 00:23:59.49\00:24:01.07 until he fixes it... so it might cost him 00:24:01.10\00:24:02.94 a hundred dollars... fifty dollars... depending... 00:24:02.97\00:24:05.33 cause and effect... and the child does not resent that... 00:24:05.36\00:24:08.48 if the child is angry and frustrated and wants to get 00:24:08.52\00:24:10.97 into a fight... we send him for a walk... 00:24:11.00\00:24:12.46 we call it a lap... we have a lap that is little 00:24:12.50\00:24:15.19 less than half a mile... he walks it... 00:24:15.22\00:24:17.23 he reduces his stress etc... if a student curses you out... 00:24:17.26\00:24:21.48 we ask him to write an essay, explaining how YOU feel 00:24:21.52\00:24:24.37 being cursed out... we don't ask the child to write 00:24:24.40\00:24:27.22 an essay... apologizing... 00:24:27.26\00:24:28.71 it's irrelevant... we ask him to write an essay 00:24:28.74\00:24:32.41 on how Dr. Lewis feels... being cursed out... 00:24:32.44\00:24:36.07 And you'll be amazed how difficult it is for me 00:24:36.11\00:24:38.54 to put myself in your place... I curse you... 00:24:38.58\00:24:40.98 then I must now write... how you feel... 00:24:41.01\00:24:42.91 Ah... so now you're teaching empathy... 00:24:42.94\00:24:44.76 Exactly.. correct... empathy... if he damages something 00:24:44.80\00:24:47.38 he pays for it... you know... he suffers the consequences... 00:24:47.42\00:24:51.11 if he uses his money to pay for something... 00:24:51.14\00:24:53.87 then he doesn't have money... to go shopping... 00:24:53.91\00:24:56.60 so when "shopping time" comes... he stays behind... 00:24:56.63\00:24:59.83 and if he stays behind... he has to pay a babysitter 00:24:59.86\00:25:01.99 to stay with him... Oh... hmmmm hmmmm 00:25:02.02\00:25:04.32 So it rolls... it rolls... it's like you speed... 00:25:04.36\00:25:06.92 and then get a ticket... it comes out of your budget... 00:25:06.95\00:25:09.46 your weekly budget... and you might not have the money 00:25:09.50\00:25:11.48 this week to buy the things you want to buy... 00:25:11.52\00:25:13.92 and you have to do without... so it's a 00:25:13.95\00:25:15.88 "cause and effect" relationship... 00:25:15.91\00:25:17.57 it's consequences... and the more you can teach 00:25:17.61\00:25:19.94 consequences... the wiser the child becomes... 00:25:19.97\00:25:22.52 Isn't that one of the things that's missing 00:25:22.56\00:25:25.07 in raising children? consequences... 00:25:25.38\00:25:28.08 Yes.. consequences... If you do this... 00:25:28.12\00:25:30.78 this is going to happen... and I'm not going to rescue you 00:25:30.82\00:25:34.23 No... you don't need to rescue the child... 00:25:34.26\00:25:36.31 because it makes sense now we call it... 00:25:36.34\00:25:38.60 "Teaching Maturity" our program is called... 00:25:38.63\00:25:41.26 "Maturation Therapy" we teach maturity... 00:25:41.30\00:25:44.07 maturity is taught... and it is taught 00:25:44.10\00:25:46.80 through experience... I don't give you maturity... 00:25:46.84\00:25:49.80 I let you experience the things to be mature... 00:25:49.84\00:25:52.77 So... you know... we like to see children play 00:25:52.80\00:25:55.57 "washing dishes" and play... they're learning... 00:25:55.60\00:25:58.30 so you have to work with them, you leave your bicycle outside 00:25:58.34\00:26:01.12 and it's stolen... you suffer the consequences... 00:26:01.15\00:26:03.65 of course, that's too expensive, so you pick up the bicycle 00:26:03.69\00:26:06.30 and charge the child... five dollars 00:26:06.33\00:26:07.99 OK... See what I mean... 00:26:08.03\00:26:09.64 So you have to engineer it... 00:26:09.68\00:26:11.23 it's deliberate... it's purposeful... 00:26:11.26\00:26:12.86 and there's a difference between discipline and punishment... 00:26:12.89\00:26:15.84 most people confuse them... most people say, 00:26:15.87\00:26:18.39 "I disciplined my child... " What did you do? 00:26:18.42\00:26:20.90 "I spanked him... " That's punishment... 00:26:20.94\00:26:22.65 Children don't need to be punished... 00:26:22.68\00:26:24.27 but they need to be disciplined... 00:26:24.31\00:26:25.78 That is... "Discipline is a training of the mind" 00:26:25.82\00:26:28.28 Training of the mind... so he gets anger... 00:26:28.32\00:26:31.74 you send him for a walk... he walks it on... 00:26:31.77\00:26:33.69 he talks to himself... and discovers that, you know, 00:26:33.73\00:26:35.74 when you're angry... you do things that are self-destructive 00:26:35.77\00:26:39.40 such as put a hole in the wall, such as.. punch the other person 00:26:39.43\00:26:43.02 such as... kick things over... and these are the common 00:26:43.06\00:26:47.23 characteristics and behaviors of these kids 00:26:47.27\00:26:49.14 who come to the Advent Home. What did you do at home? 00:26:49.18\00:26:51.82 You slammed the door... you kicked the furniture over 00:26:51.86\00:26:54.75 you put a hole in the wall, you push your mother down. 00:26:54.78\00:26:57.64 How are they helping you? So you work with the child 00:26:57.68\00:27:01.37 and then you talk about these things... 00:27:01.40\00:27:02.85 so... it's very purposeful... very meaningful... 00:27:02.89\00:27:04.89 It is... what you're doing is 00:27:04.92\00:27:08.51 so purposeful... and so meaningful... 00:27:08.55\00:27:11.16 and so needed... we... as we look at the erosion 00:27:11.20\00:27:14.99 of the family... we see that... the father... 00:27:15.02\00:27:18.83 it used to be where we thought 00:27:18.86\00:27:20.78 well the mother played the central role... 00:27:20.82\00:27:23.09 but you know what? that dad is critical... 00:27:23.13\00:27:25.33 he is as critical... if not more.. than the mother... 00:27:25.37\00:27:28.61 because he sets the tone... he teaches a male to be a man, 00:27:28.64\00:27:33.61 I don't believe... a woman can teach 00:27:33.64\00:27:36.46 a male to be a man... They are different roles... 00:27:36.50\00:27:38.94 Yes... They are different roles... 00:27:38.98\00:27:40.44 One writer says... the child in the womb... 00:27:40.48\00:27:42.88 responds to the fathers deep voice 00:27:42.92\00:27:45.43 and it gives a sense of security... 00:27:45.47\00:27:47.32 My... so even in the womb the father gives a sense of security 00:27:47.36\00:27:51.70 Yes... the child interacts with the parents before birth... 00:27:51.73\00:27:56.04 Wow! Thank you so much 00:27:56.07\00:27:57.68 thank you so much for being with us... 00:27:57.72\00:27:59.85 You're welcome... 00:27:59.88\00:28:00.91 Once again... our time has slipped away from us... 00:28:00.95\00:28:03.48 thanks so much for tuning in... 00:28:03.52\00:28:04.58 Join us next time... 00:28:04.61\00:28:05.64 It just wouldn't be the same... without you... 00:28:05.68\00:28:08.21