SANTA PAULA : Group Urges More Support for Youths
A group of Santa Paula educators, parents and teen-agers is calling for more support for local children to help them combat low self-esteem, peer pressure and gangs.
At a 2 1/2-hour community forum Wednesday aimed at helping the community cope with youth problems, many in the 50-member audience called for more parental involvement in the classroom, as well as classes for parents to help them understand problems facing their children. Donna Russell, who attended with her 15-year-old son, said she is trying to start a jobs skills program at Santa Paula High that would teach students how to find a job and fill out an application.
Teen-agers complained that school dress codes unfairly target them as gang members. “When they have a dress code, it brings more tension and anger in the students,” said Isabel Perez, 17.
Parents and educators said many teen-agers who appear to be gang members are simply following the fashion trends of their peers.
Another meeting is scheduled for March 4.
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