Problem Behavior Acquisition during Adolescence and Early Adulthood in Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth

Abstract

The journey from adolescence to full adulthood is full of challenging experiences and multi-dimensional hardships. During such a critical stage of life where the young have seemingly given up childhood's interests, activities, and senses of fulfillment as they are no longer children, they sometimes struggle with depression, loneliness, disappointment, loss, social rejection, parental maltreatment, peers’ bullying, stress, failure, loss of passion, and meaninglessness. They; consequently, fall victims of problem behavior syndrome. Therefore, they acquire many negative and risky behaviors as coping mechanisms with such painful experiences which they undergo on different extremes. Such behaviors include consumption of alcoholics, smoking, drug abuse, aggressive behaviors, and sexual practices, turning the path to full adulthood a burdening one. So, this paper is dedicated to closely studying Kenneth Lonergan’s drama This Is Our Youth (1993) in the light of problem behavior theory to scrutinize the problem behaviors that adolescents and young adults get unfortunately engaged in before they turn full adults and highlight their root causes. Additionally, it endeavors to show how the play is a call for parents, teachers, and caregivers to grant attention to adolescents and young adults within their circles while they are faced with new possibilities and alternatives and help them experiment with positive roles and behaviors that will in turn positively impact their next life stages.