I have a number of friends who have commented about how glad they are that their sons and daughters don't face the threat of war and the conflicts of social upheaval that they themselves did in the 1960s. And while there is plenty of upheaval in the 1980s, many grandparents are grateful that their grandchildren aren't beginning their adult lives during years of worldwide economic depression and war.
Nevertheless, today's young people face considerable challenges in making the transition from childhood to adulthood. "Adult" issues confront all of us much earlier in our lives. Young children are facing questions and choices that their parents and grandparents might not have had to face until they were much more mature.
The disappearance and abduction of children in urban areas where political unrest fragments society and families; street wars over narcotics trade; poverty and homelessness in countries throughout the world — these are only a few of the nightmares that touch young people in increasing numbers. Even in relatively peaceful and affluent areas, graduation from elementary school today may be more comparable, in terms of social experiences, to graduation from high school a generation or two ago.
