Discipline Alone Is Not Enough: We Must Give Our Youth a Path Forward

Jerome D. Ryans, President & CEO, Tampa Housing Authority 

In my previous blog, I discussed the importance of discipline, accountability, and the role parents play in raising respectful and responsible children. Those principles remain critically important. However, discipline alone is not enough. As a community, we must also ask ourselves a difficult question, what opportunities are we creating for our young people? The world our children are growing up in today is vastly different from the one many of us experienced. Social media influences nearly every aspect of their lives. It shapes their opinions, affects their self-esteem, dictates trends, and in many cases has become a substitute for real world engagement and human connection. 

Parents, educators, clergy, and community leaders must understand both the positive and negative impacts of social media. While it can be used as a tool for learning and communication, it can also expose young people to dangerous influences, poor decision making, and behavior that is often rewarded with attention rather than correction. What concerns me most is that many young people are searching for acceptance, purpose, and belonging. If they cannot find those things in their homes, schools, churches, and communities, they will often seek them elsewhere. 

That is why discipline must be paired with opportunity. We cannot simply tell young people what not to do. We must show them what they can do. One of the most effective ways to keep youth off the streets is to give them meaningful work, responsibility, and exposure to positive role models. I firmly believe that every business, government agency, nonprofit organization, institution, and church should commit to hiring at least one or two teenagers each year through part-time employment, internships, apprenticeships, summer jobs, or mentorship opportunities. 

Imagine the impact if every organization in our community made that commitment. Thousands of young people would gain work experience, learn responsibility, develop confidence, build professional relationships, and begin to see a future for themselves beyond their current circumstances. 

At Tampa Housing Authority, we are proud to do our part. This summer, through our Youth Employment Summer Program (YES), we hired more than 100 young people who reside within Tampa Housing Authority communities. These students are gaining valuable work experience while learning professionalism, financial literacy, workplace etiquette, communication skills, and the importance of responsibility.

What is even more telling is that we received more than 1,200 applications for approximately 100 positions. Think about that for a moment.  More than 1,200 young people applied because they wanted an opportunity. They wanted something positive and productive to do. They wanted to work, learn, earn, and grow.

That overwhelming response should serve as a wake-up call to all of us. The demand exists. The need exists. The desire exists. The question is whether our community is willing to meet that need. Tampa Housing Authority will continue to do its part, but this challenge is larger than any one organization can solve alone.

We must also confront another troubling trend that has emerged across communities throughout the country, organized "teen takeovers". There is nothing positive about groups of unsupervised youth gathering to intimidate, disrupt, damage property, engage in violence, or create unsafe environments for families and businesses. These events place lives at risk and negatively impact entire communities.

Those who organize, encourage, or coordinate these activities should be held accountable for their actions. Communities cannot tolerate behavior that threatens public safety and undermines the quality of life for others.  But accountability must be accompanied by prevention.  We must address the root causes that leave so many young people disconnected, unsupervised, and without meaningful opportunities. 

Several years ago, I shared a vision that remains close to my heart, the creation of an inner-city boarding school designed specifically to support youth who face significant social, educational, and economic challenges. While I have not yet had the opportunity to see that vision become a reality, I continue to believe it deserves serious consideration. My vision was never simply about creating another school. It was about creating a comprehensive environment where young people could receive academic instruction, mentorship, structure, life-skills training, leadership development, counseling services, and exposure to opportunities they may not otherwise experience. 

Imagine a place where students begin each day with clear expectations and accountability. A place where character development is valued as highly as academic achievement. A place where respect, integrity, discipline, responsibility, and service are woven into every aspect of the educational experience.  Imagine young people being surrounded by mentors, educators, counselors, business leaders, and community volunteers who reinforce positive values every day. 

For some children, that environment could be life changing. For others, it could be life saving. While an inner-city boarding school is not a cure-all, innovative solutions are necessary if we are serious about changing outcomes for future generations. The reality is that our young people are facing challenges previous generations never encountered. The solutions of yesterday alone may not be enough for the challenges of today. That is why I am issuing a challenge.

I challenge parents to remain engaged in their children's lives, monitor their social media activity, establish expectations, and provide both love and accountability. I challenge churches to expand youth programming beyond Sunday services and create opportunities for mentorship, leadership development, and meaningful engagement throughout the week. I challenge businesses and organizations to hire young people, provide internships, and invest in the workforce of tomorrow. 

I challenge community leaders to think boldly about new approaches that can transform lives and strengthen neighborhoods. 

Most importantly, I challenge all of us to stop viewing our youth as someone else's responsibility.  They are our responsibility.  The future of our city, our neighborhoods, and our nation is sitting in classrooms, community centers, churches, and homes right now. 

If we want different outcomes, we must be willing to make different investments.  Our young people do not simply need correction when they make mistakes.  They need guidance. They need opportunities. They need structure. They need hope.  And above all, they need adults who are willing to show up, invest in them, and help them succeed. 

That is a responsibility we all share.