Month: November 2009

The final section of When Kids Hurt is by far the most applicable and useful for all adults. It is more straightforward than the sections of Clark’s previous book, Hurt. It is where most of the value will lie for readers of Hurt looking for more. The section is simple: ten things we can do to helping hurting kids. Those things can be boiled down even further to a simple axiom: Be aware and get involved. Often when a youth worker steps away from professional ministry, they step away from being involved in the lives of young people. Perhaps this is necessary for personal...

The last four chapters in Part Two of Chap Clark and Steve Rabey’s book When Kids Hurt have a central theme: youth are lonely and stressed. I don’t know about you, but when I feel lonely and stressed, I make bad decisions, am a terrible driver, and usually try to compensate for these feelings with chocolate and treadmill abuse (on a rotating basis). Youth have underdeveloped coping skills. Their solution to loneliness is that which is provided for them in the media: sex and attention.Youth are told by the adults in their lives that their value is based in their accomplishments, furthering...