By Mike Petrillo, Former Executive Director and Kevin Phillips, Director of Counseling
*This article was originally published in the newsletter in 1981. Almost 45 years later we are finding its content still relevant. The article has been edited for republish.
Families everywhere have discovered the long-term destructive effects of demonic philosophy, casual violence, materialism, sexual exploitation, and blatant pornography on TV and in social media. Children are being taught to disregard the importance of parental authority. The result is children who erupt like uncharted volcanoes, destroying the relationships of everyone in their paths, even by age 15.
Over the last 45 years, we have consistently observed that the 15-year-old applicant pool far exceeds that of all other age groups combined. This is an amazing statistic. The key question is: “What can be done at 15 to steer a person in the right direction?”
When parents are looking into out-of-home placement for their 15-year-old, we know that their resources have been exhausted and they are out of options. Though our program offers safety, structure, love, and discipline, the answer we believe lies ultimately in Jesus. Christ transformed people of every age and set them free from all manner of evil–yet, many in his generation rejected him. And that’s true today, too. Some have been trained in rejection, others are suspicious of anything religious, still others are so wounded emotionally that they have no will to be healed.
God does transform 15-year-olds, and 17-year-olds and others, as we’ve witnessed here time and time again over the past 50 years. But the extreme social pressures and the insecure family structure are taking a heavy toll on young lives.
Investing in our youth begins today. You–parents, grandparents, caregivers, and all of us–are needed right now. Invest yourselves in your three-year-olds, your ten-year-olds, your grandchildren. Your child needs love—now. Your child needs discipline—today. Your children need the security of commitment in the family—all the time. All of us need the Hope of Eternal Life, of purpose and promise for the future. And we need large doses of God’s Word to overcome the worldly values that flood our senses daily.
Our current Director of Counseling, Kevin Phillips, LMFT, shares research since this article was first published:
Over the years, research has shown that the human brain takes much longer to develop than previously believed. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the brain–which is instrumental in executive function such as making sound decisions and weighing consequences–is not fully developed until approximately age 25 in males and slightly sooner in females.
Many of us can look back on our adolescence and early adulthood and scratch our heads at certain decisions we made. Decisions that perhaps were more impulsive or risky than the decision we would have made in the same situation just a few years later.
Be mindful of this as you continue to “train up your child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6). Prayerfully seek patience and wisdom as you endure in love.
