00:00According to the head of the Association of Psychologists, there is a pressing need for a shift in how we
00:06view youth behavior.
00:08She warns, it's all too easy to label children as misbehaved or disruptive,
00:14but underlying factors such as family stress, social pressures and mental health challenges must be acknowledged and addressed.
00:23Victoria's Soonerain J. Lalsing tells the Morning Edition that real change takes time,
00:28and initiatives like the recently held symposium organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Homeland Security,
00:35the University of the West Indies and other stakeholders are vital first steps in this process.
00:42Our society did not get to where it is right now because of one day or because of a few
00:48months or even a couple of years of,
00:51I would say neglected, neglected from those of us who are greater, from those of us who would have set
00:58the example.
00:59Our society would have transformed over time.
01:03Now that transformation begins with something that is seemingly so small you don't notice it at first,
01:08but then it builds under the surface.
01:10Soonerain J. Lalsing also stresses that times have changed and the way adults interact with young people directly influences their
01:20behavior,
01:21noting that approaches that worked in the past may no longer be effective
01:25and a more empathetic, responsive strategy is needed to guide vulnerable youth.
01:31And, you know, there's a saying that if a child is loved at home, that child goes to school to
01:37learn.
01:37But if a child does not perceive love at home, that child goes to school looking for love.
01:43And that changes the dynamic of how children interact with one another.
01:49Meanwhile, student of psychology and volunteer at the Association of Psychologists,
01:55Zainab Ali, notes that the digital world is a major factor shaping young people today.
02:01We live in a very technological-based world.
02:07I feel like being exposed to so many dangers in the world are poisoning a lot of our young students'
02:15minds.
02:16And in order to stop or at least aid the situation, we must first need to go into these applications
02:27and I feel like filter out a lot of these disparities.
02:33Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
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