Youths discuss peer issues

FIVE students from Don Bosco Technical School are encouraging youth peer support as an essential and unique form of service for young Papua New Guineans.
Youth peer support is a one-on-one peer support that provides young adults with help, advice, guidance and support from someone who has been where they were.
The students’ views was aired during their discussion of the theme “Youth groups for peer support” on the chat room programme’s 20th session last Wednesday on NBC Radio.
Gideon Kaluwin, Junior Paul, Nouairi Dou, Timbalu Elijah and Patrick Lamboku, from different year levels, raised fundamental aspects of the theme.
Their discussion began with defining the topic, outlined the scientific, social and Biblical aspects and made recommendations to improve support to youths.
Kaluwin said youth groups were essential in both learning from each other and supporting one another.
“However, there are all sorts of groups and some groups are not the empowering kind,” he said.
“The longer they stay in that group, the more they feel entrapped and find it difficult to withdraw.”
Paul affirmed that all scientific research proved the need for youth groups.
“Youths today have many different types of problems compared to youths from the early 90s,” he said.
“Many of them, later on in life, end up in detrimental situations.
“This is the reality of PNG today, but all of these can be avoided if there are youth groups that encourage young people to live positive lives.”
Dou said youths made up 54 per cent of the country’s population and most drug and alcohol abuse occurred among youths below the age of 24.
DBTS media animator Narol Sapak said he was pleased with the students’ responses.
“Their level of discussion was on point because they reflected on their personal experiences and backed their arguments with proven facts and research,” he said.
The programme’s next session today will have students from Caritas Technical Secondary School discussing the topic “Promoting positive attitudes amoung students and youth”.