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Truancy and Adolescents Rebelllion Essay examples

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Everyone knows the iconic movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – the epitome of adolescent rebellion and independence – the benchmark of free-spirited insubordination that lies in the heart of all teenagers. Sure, the movie depicts skipping school as nothing more than a harmless and fun pastime, something that is enjoyable due in large part to its riskiness. But essentially it documents the day of a truant. A truant whose wild antics entertain, but a truant nonetheless. Like most things, Hollywood’s characterization of adolescent truancy is incorrect, not just in the sense that most kids will not be singing in parades whilst cutting class. It downplays the rather serious nature of chronic absences that permeates all levels of society. …show more content…

With such statistics it’s obvious that truancy is more than just a careless action of an impulsive student, but a problem that needs to be addressed. Chronic truancy is a concern that affects multiple areas or society, from the student who faces decreased earning capacity and potential lifelong criminality, to the community that deals with decreases in school funding (as school districts are awarded Federal and State cash based on attendance figures) and tax hikes due to welfare costs (as data indicates a link between truancy and future financial instability) (Prevention, 1996). In essence, it’s a bigger issue than it may seem. State and national programs are failing in deterring absenteeism and that is because they fail to focus on the larger picture. Hitting multiple problem areas at once is the key. Strategies have to swing the balance between carrot and stick, finding a balance between rehabilitation and penalty. An ideal course of action would be one that is multifaceted and focuses on the cause of truancy and not the action as well as one that involves the parents or guardian(s). This would include tactics such as monitoring students that have shown chronic nonattendance while articulating clear and concise punishments for failure, the right to detain truants, support and counseling for parents as well as students, reward incentives, and afterschool and in school programs that keep students engaged.

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