This article is from page 28 of the 2008-09-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 28 JPG
UP to 90 per cent of teenagers in west Clare feel that there is nothing for them to do.
That was the finding of the West Clare Youth Ministry Group who carried out a survey of a cross sec- tion of the county’s teenagers, to see what it could do to reach out to young people.
Two years ago almost half a dozen people signed up to be part of the youth ministry group in Kilkee. They are currently coming to the end of a two-year diploma course, which they undertook with the Redemptrist’s or- der to prepare for their work.
Parish Priest in Kilkee, Fr Donagh
O’Meara, said the group initially carried out a survey among students in first year through to third year in schools in Kilrush, Kilkee, Kilmihil and Kildysert.
The survey asked the students what were the positive and negative aspects of being a teenager in west Clare. It also asked about the difficulties they faced, if faith was important and if they felt they belong to their parish.
Up to 35 per cent of students said that exams and study were major as- pects of their lives. A total of 34 per cent admitted that drugs, alcohol and smoking played a major part, while 19 per cent said peer pressure had a huge role in their lives.
As many as 15 per cent of the teen-
agers said that bullying is the biggest problem currently facing teenagers, while 11 per cent said dangerous driving was the biggest problem.
The majority – 90 per cent – said there was nothing to do.
As many as 58 per cent of the young students surveyed believed that faith was important, while 28 per cent be- lieved it was not.
When asked what was best about their lives they said freedom, sport, lack of responsibility, family and to be “fit and able”.
Following the survey the West Clare Youth Ministry Group made a bookmark with all of the support services and their numbers on it.
The bookmark also contains words
from scripture “I’ve carried you on the a palm of my hand.” Some lines from REM’s