There seems to be a natural law that people are born with a void in their lives. This empty spot is filled in young children with the love and attention of their parents. As children get older, this void is still present. It must constantly be filled with positive inputs. Failing this, the gap will be filled by negative destructive influences.

For example, young people have a need to be loved, appreciated, challenged, taught and involved in activities. When any of these areas is not being filled with positive ingredients, negative ones will rush to take their place.

Children who do not experience love and attention from parents will turn to friends or acquaintances for affirmation. These young people are vulnerable to peer pressure, predators, and other harmful alternatives to their parents’ love and nurturing.

Likewise, if children are not taught right from wrong by their parents, they will seek to fill this gap by assimilating someone else’s moral code. Media, older peers, and instant gratification are alternate sources of moral formation.

Similarly, children that are not involved in positive character building activities after school hours will fill that emptiness with unwholesome ones such as drugs, sex, smoking, vandalism, and so forth.

This law of human nature makes it extremely important for parents to make sure that children are having their inner needs met. Children need to feel their parents truly love and appreciate them. They must receive the physical and emotional nurturing for which all young people long.

At times, it appears that parents cannot or will not provide these assets. This may be due to poor parenting skills. It may also be due to a lack of financial or emotional resources in the home. Some parents are working two to three jobs each day and simply do not have the time or energy to provide all their children need.

In these cases, it is critical that the community step in and help. Providing after school activities and mentoring resources for these needy students is absolutely critical for a healthy community. Again, when positive entities do not fill the voids of youth, the negative influences will gladly fill the gap. These negative influences include gangs. Some of these negative influences are lurking on-line.

Virtually every problem we face as a community can be traced to this law of filling the human void. The more assets families and communities marshal to fill the emptiness within their youth, the fewer the problems they will have. Likewise, communities that deliberately fill the gaps that exist in the lives of their youth with positive alternatives are the happiest and most attractive communities for young families. These are the communities that attract good young workers.

The amount of teen drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, vandalism, and gangs is directly related to the positive alternatives a community is providing. Places where these negative influences grow and thrive likely are not doing enough.

Where does Columbus stand on this scale? In general, middle class youth are being well taken care of here. Usually, their parents have the economic, emotional, and mental resources necessary to help their children stay positively engaged after school. These same parents often give their children a strong moral code by which to live.

Children from poverty are not usually so lucky. This is a growing group of youth in Columbus. Our main challenge in the future is how to fill the void that exists within these young people, so they do not head down paths of self and community destruction. This is a huge challenge that will not be accomplished without people of good will from all walks of life joining hands to make sure the gaps are filled for our children. The quality of life in Columbus both now and in the future depends on our response to this challenge.

For more information, contact the Web Master.