Teens Meet Outreach

• Right is what a person is free to do or say as guaranteed
• Right is something that a person should be morally or legally allowed to have or do.

In this present age, there are duties assigned to teens, and denial have made them become ignorant of their rights. Teenagers at a stage, age, or phase of life have specific things they are entitled to- their rights. When denied of these things, it’s like putting them in bondage.

I will be dwelling mostly on how parents deny teenagers of their rights.

Some parents force their children into doing their own (the parent’s) will. This is one of the reasons why some teenagers tend to misbehave at the slightest freedom they get. They see the freedom as an opportunity to do what they want in the stead of being denied of the rights.

When parents correct a child forcefully over a thing, they sometimes see it as if they were being denied of their rights. And in cases like this, the teen tends to keep silent about it to avoid unruly behavior towards the parent.

Some instances of how teens are denied of their rights are stated below

• Divorced parents

Although not all, most teenagers in this category tend to be victims of silence on their rights the most. In a case like this, the child is being dribbled by both parents.
The upkeep, education, love and affection that should be enjoyed by him/her is not there. Especially the love and affection which are rightful things that should be enjoyed by a teenager from the parents.

Meaning it’s the responsibility of the parent to show love and care towards their wards.
Teenagers in this category mostly do not have someone to talk to, they keep silent about their ordeal or plight, and they sometimes end up in living with extended families or end up living on the street.

• Right to study course of choice

This also goes with department of choice for secondary school students. Parents have different reasons for denying their teenagers of this right.

It’s denial of ones right when the parent enforces a particular course of study on a teenager because of their own selfish interests or desires.

For example, parents who want their child to study Medicine, just because they would love to be referred to as parents of a Medical Doctor. Imagine…
Also, a father who is a politician who wants his child to study political science so that when he’ll be leaving the political world, he’ll have someone to slot in even if the child is not interested in anything politics.

Teens have the right to become who God wants them to become, not necessarily what their parents want -Vicini

• Right to have the character or attitude they want

I’m not talking of bad attitude/character. A lot of teenagers are denied the rights of exhibiting their inborn characteristics. Some parents would want a sanguine to behave like a melancholic, or a choleric to behave like a sanguine which will most likely seem difficult for the teenager to do.
This is denial of the right of being their very selves; the right of being who they really are.

• Right to display/harness their talents, potentials, gifts and skills

Sometimes, parents do not give their children the permission to exhibit their talents or to harness their potentials. Teenagers are denied the right to show forth their skills and abilities, which will probably be a part of their success tomorrow.

For someone who has the talent of public speaking, but is not given the chance to prove him or herself, there is the possibility of the person not harnessing his potentials till death.
More reason for the saying: ‘the graveyard is full of unharnessed potentials’.

Teenagers have a lot more other rights they are denied of and they keep silent about, like the right to explain their own sides of the story about an issue or argument (this hurts a lot), right to sound education, and lots more.

Rights are things you deserve to have, do not keep silent about it, seek to know the reason behind some rights you’re denied of, if not all.

Speak with Godly counselors and mentors that can be of help.

Silence kills!!! Speak out and make your rights known (not in a defensive way).

You deserve your rights!

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About the writer

My name is Victoria Adepoju. I’m a lover of God and a writer. I am against Teens silence.