DR. WALLACE: My 16-year-old cousin has run away from home several times, and his parents can't figure out why he runs away. His parents seem nice and they live in our town in a nice house. I've asked my cousin why he runs away. He tells me that he hates living at home, but he won't tell me why he hates it.
I'm sure a lot of kids run away. The reason they run away has me baffled. I get angry with my parents at times, but I have never, ever entertained the thought of leaving home. What are the reasons why kids would rather hit the streets than stay at home? — Nameless, Tacoma, Wash.
NAMELESS: A group in Washington, D.C., the National Network of Runaway and Youth Services Inc., lists six primary reasons why a teen would choose life on the "mean streets" over the safety of home:
1. Poor family communication; abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation or fear of such treatment.
2. Unreasonable demands or restrictions placed on them by parents.
3. Disruption within the family; divorce or threat of divorce; death or serious illness within the family.
4. A wage earner's loss of a job.
5. Rejection, abandonment or threat of abandonment by parents.
6. Peer pressure (as in, joining a friend who has decided to run away from home).
The best remedy for removing the threat of running away is open and honest communication between the parents and the teen, and lots of kind words, hugs and love.
WHAT ARE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES?
DR. WALLACE: I'm a junior in high school, and I'm planning to be an attorney after finishing my education. I was thinking of attending the University of Illinois or Northwestern University because they have, I've been told, excellent law schools.
But my school counselor, who is a graduate of a liberal arts college, is trying to convince me that it would be more beneficial for me to attend a liberal arts college. She keeps telling me that liberal arts graduates are better-rounded.
What exactly are liberal arts colleges, and why is a degree from them so "well-rounded"? — Jeremy, Chicago, Ill.
JEREMY: Northwestern and the University of Illinois are both excellent schools where students can get well-rounded educations. It may be that your counselor is trying to get you to be less single-minded and career-focused in your higher-education goals at this point in your life.
A liberal arts education provides students with a sound foundation in English, philosophy, history, psychology, physics, mathematics and music. According to Sally Springer and Marion Frank, authors of "Admission Matters," the idea is that people with this type of education are well prepared for life regardless of their ultimate career choice. And sometimes college students change career paths after graduation due to a variety of personal and professional reasons.
What distinguishes small liberal arts colleges from many large universities is that they usually have small classes taught exclusively by faculty members, giving students a lot more personal and individual attention. Such schools also are not career-focused, emphasizing instead learning for the sake of learning.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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