Last week, Cary Carr examined how the city’s recent flash mobs could translate into a positive movement. Shari DaCosta takes a look at the team effort needed by the city, its schools and parents.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and this may be the case with the recent violent flash mobs by teens in Philadelphia.
Growing up, my mom worked full-time, and at one point, even went to school part-time, yet I never got in any serious trouble in school or at home. And to what do I attribute this? The afterschool activities and strong extended family structure I grew up with.
In recent weeks, many have suggested that the flash mobs on South Street and in Center City are linked to the budget cuts closing libraries and community centers, lack of after school activities or just a lack of parental involvement.
For Mayor Nutter and the School District of Philadelphia, it seems they believe they should play a peripheral role, with parents acting as the primary care givers.
In a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article, Nutter was quoted as saying, “I ran for mayor. I didn’t run for mother.”
On the other hand, Fernando Gallard, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia School District said, “there hasn’t been any connection between the lack of after schools programs and the students…that are out Saturdays and also during the school days after school and the so-called flash mobs.”
Still, are schools offering enough after school programs for students to engage in?
Although Gallard could not provide the number or a complete list of the extracurricular activities provided by the district, he said there are “an array” of after school programs offered to meet the needs of students at various schools, from athletics to newspaper and photography clubs.
“We create programs that are the types of programs students are asking for … that’s why it’s crucial it’s done at the school level,” Gallard said.
He also said the types of programs vary depending on the type of school the program is in. For example, a school that focuses on science will have more science-based after-school programs.
According to the district’s Web site, for the fiscal year 2008-2009 it spent $5,665,946 on extracurricular activities and clubs and budgeted $6,167,665 for the fiscal year 2009-2010.
“Each school has a different budget depending on how many students they have, the needs of the students and also the socioeconomic background of the students,” Gallard said.
Still, providing older adolescents with extracurricular activities through the school or city may be like bringing a horse to water: You can provide all the programs you want, but if a student does not want to participate in the programs, he or she will not.
“It’s really up to the choice of the parent what the student’s going to do in the early grades and the middle grades,” Gallard said.
But once the child reaches high school and becomes more independent, it’s easy for the student to make his or her own choice, regardless of the parents’ wishes.
Although some may question whether schools or the city are doing enough to ensure that teens have enough programs to occupy their free time – and thus keep them from engaging in criminal activity – one must not forget the importance of parental guidance in keeping teens on the right track.
If parents do not instill values in their children, such as respect, hard work and compassion, from an early age, then it doesn’t matter how many programs schools or the state provide. Teens will be left to their own devices acting on their rebellious teenage instincts and peer pressure.
The bottom line is this: There must be a collaborative effort between the schools, city and parents in which schools and the city provide teens with extracurricular activities, while parents encourage their children to participate in these programs and teach them how to walk away from the peer pressure to engage in rebellious behavior that strives on disrespecting authority.
Shari DaCosta can be reached at shari.dacosta@temple.edu.
“There must be a collaborative effort between the schools, city and parents in which schools and the city provide teens with extracurricular activities, while parents encourage their children to participate in these programs and teach them how to walk away from the peer pressure to engage in rebellious behavior that strives on disrespecting authority.”
That’s bunk. I know it, you know it, every person who reads this article knows it.
What a crock… These “young people” targeted only white people and I bet the same fanatics were behind the deliberate targeting of Asian students at South Philly High. Same liberal reporting trying to deflect accountability for individual and mob like behaviour. So glad I escaped Philly when I did.
I don’t think that disrespecting “authority” is the problem. How about groups like the Philadelphia Student Union? They are planning an anti-flash mob, they are a group of students not organized by the school or extra-curricular activity groups who want students voices to be heard in the Philadelphia School System.
Civil disobedience like flash mobs have a place in society like the “mob” of over 1000 students against the WBC. Is there anything wrong with being rebellious? I wouldn’t say so, but destroying vendors’ property isn’t about being rebellious, its about control. It sucks that so many teens in this city don’t see that real power comes from being organized and pushing those in positions of “authority” for real change like the PSU does.
At Kristen – There is nothing for the flash mob to prove or protest. We all know that, except that they can in force scare the crap out of people and beat up senior citizens. Who is speaking up for them! It is lack of personal responsibility for one’s action due largely to two factors: a mob mentality and a lack of parenting that has plagued our nation for the past 40 years. Everyone in this city wants to hide behind politically correctness instead voicing the truth.
There is no place for flash mobs in society; it destroys good will and order. You asked if being rebellious is wrong, well that depends on who you ask. The tourists from outside the city who bring in cold hard cash, or the vendors on South Street who were terrorized and lost property and much needed revenue, or that poor young lady who’s lip was almost torn off after being bludgeoned by some teen
(http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/90813449.html). If you want to have non violent protest, organize it, let the city know about it, and please don’t destroy the city that I grew up to love!
If Philadelphia doesn’t nip this in the butt, I guarantee that it will become a third rate city like detroit before we know it!
Fear monger much? Get over it. Ever think they had a point? That their schools are inadequate(controlled by the state), neighborhoods are falling apart and maybe they resent all the yuppies that run away to the suburbs where they live in bubbles and NOT pay taxes for social services, then come to the city to play like on south street then complain about how dirty it is etc. Wtf. It’s not fair either way. Flash mobs have a point whether they realize it or not.
Bitter much? Sorry that you hate on people that live in the Suburbs. Your whole argument is anecdotal at best and seems to me you in live in a world of make believe hypotheticals. Really, how do you make this stuff up?
Flash mobs have no point, just any logical thinking person. End of argument.
Hahah.