What's the Big Deal? Taking a Look at "In" Issues For Teens
Teens Today

by Jeff Jacobs, Ph.D., and Barry A. Garst, Ph.D.

In the first Teens Today column, presented in the September/October issue of Camping Magazine, a profile of today's teen campers was developed, including a demographic snapshot and top reasons why male and female teen campers choose to participate in camp. This column explores issues that teens say are most important to them.

Teen Issues

Understanding teenage behaviors and choices can be an important part of providing them with high-quality camp experiences. When teens participate in camp, either as campers or as junior staff, we can see their backpacks, clothes, iPods®, flip-flops, and the usual assortment of teen "stuff." We can learn quite a bit about our teens from paying attention to these identity symbols—it's how they communicate who they are. But understanding the issues that are on teens' minds can be just as informative as the externally obvious. When teens in the spring 2007 Teen Research Unlimited, Inc. (TRU) teen study (see sidebar) were asked to rate the importance of a range of issues that impact teens, the top five most important issues were "Being Drug Free," "Eating Healthy," "Caring About the Environment," "Being a Virgin," and "Being Religious." (See Table 1)

When comparing teens who go to camp with teens who don't go to camp among these top five issues (See Table 2), a general statement can be made that teens who attend camp are more likely to say that they are interested in being drug free (75 percent versus 71 percent); eating healthy (75 percent versus 70 percent); caring for the environment (63 percent versus 61 percent); and being a virgin (69 percent versus 57 percent). Although these issues are complex, they can be influenced by many factors, including going to camp. The data suggest that camp can play a role in helping young people make good decisions—or at least think about the right decisions—in their growth towards adulthood. Let's take a closer look at the top issues.

Being Drug Free

Although relatively few teens use alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes habitually, teens start consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes at increasingly younger ages. Alcohol use often starts between the ages of ten and fifteen years. The TRU data suggest that camp participation might be one factor that influences alcohol and drug use, as teens who attend camp were more likely to say that "being drug-free" was important to them when compared with teens who do not attend camp. These data are supported by recent data collected by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) who found that campers (compared with noncampers) were less likely to report drinking (26 percent versus 36 percent); marijuana use (8 percent versus 18 percent); and the use of other drugs (2 percent versus 4 percent) (Wallace 2006). What messages does your camp send regarding drug-free behaviors? Do teens have opportunities to discuss their perspectives regarding alcohol and drugs? In some camps, these issues are considered "sensitive" and are disallowed. In other camps, staff support teen campers through critical thinking and discussion when these types of issues arise. For example, these camps emphasize the expression of anxiety and stress that are associated with drug use, promote positive risk-taking recreational activities as opposed to risk-taking through drug use, and talk openly with teens about the ways that drugs can impact success in school and athletics.

Eating Healthy

On a daily basis teens are bombarded by media messages and images that emphasize the importance of having the perfect body and the "right" look. Unfortunately for teens, particularly those who are experiencing growth spurts and other body changes that wreak havoc with how many teens feel about their bodies, living up to this ideal can be virtually impossible. Consequently, making good decisions related to one's body image is increasingly important.

At one camp, an alumnus recently came back to visit. Upon walking into the dining hall, he immediately noticed a significant difference from years past—the salad bar. Many camp staff would add that not only is the salad bar crowded at every meal, but the line of campers who want the vegetarian option seems longer every week. Campers, especially teens, are increasingly concerned about eating healthy. Teens also want to lose weight. In fact, 42 percent of teen boys and 49 percent of teen girls in the TRU survey reported that they considered "dieting" to be "in." Does your camp provide healthy food options? Have you considered providing teen campers with special menu opportunities, such as access to a salad bar? Your camp may also be able to influence how active teens are in the summer. Did you know that one-third of high school students fail to meet current public health recommendations of three or more sessions a week of continuous moderateto- vigorous physical activity? Camps can be an important place for developing healthy behaviors that include physical activity and good nutritional patterns.

Caring About the Environment

Teens have noticed the concerns regarding global warming, and many of them are familiar with Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth. Although many teens have grown up in communities where recycling may not have been mandatory, many teens expect their camps to have a recycling program. Don't be surprised if your teens ask you where to find your compost bin (or offer to build one), want to know how much of your camp's produce is grown locally, or ask you about your camp's "carbon imprint." In an increasingly globalized world, teens recognize that there are many ways to be environmentally conscious, and they often expect camp to be a model of environmental stewardship.

Being a Virgin

Teens are participating in sexual activity at increasingly younger ages. (See Stephen Wallace's article in the March/April 2007 issue of Camping Magazine for some recent statistics.) With little awareness or understanding of the consequences of being sexually active, it is little surprise that many teens do not use contraceptives or practice safe sex. In fact, an estimated 25 percent of sexually active teens have a sexually transmitted disease (STD) by the time they graduate from high school. The TRU teen trend towards "being a virgin" is encouraging, although not necessarily supported by other data sources, such as a recent survey by Teens Today. How does your camp support teens in their decisions regarding their sexuality and sexual decision-making? Is this topic taboo at your camp? Are your staff prepared for questions? In the Camping Magazine article from last spring, Wallace recommends ten points for facilitators that might help get the ball rolling in discussing sex with teens.

Summary

This article has provided a snapshot of the "in" issues that teens are talking about today. The ways in which camps respond to these issues and remain nimble enough to deal with the next set of issues that will emerge may mean the difference between a good and a great camp experience for your teens. Although teenagers mature physically at an earlier age than previous generations, this physical maturity is not matched by a faster rate of thinking and emotional maturity. Many teens find themselves faced with a range of physical, hormonal, and emotional changes that they often don't understand and are ill-equipped to manage. Teens need camp directors and staff who are prepared to help them deal with these important issues in ways that enable them to make good decisions and be successful as they mature into healthy, productive, and caring adults.

Jeff Jacobs, Ph.D., has thirteen years of experience as a camp director and currently serves as an associate professor at California Polytechnic State University. His research and teaching focus on outdoor and camp leadership.

Barry A. Garst, Ph.D., is director of research application, American Camp Association. He can be reached at bgarst@ACAcamps.org.

Originally published in the 2007 November/December issue of Camping Magazine.