European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday june 16. 19b8 the stars and stripes Page 9 teens enjoy life overseas study finds. To uni n .wlin.,1 the ii an Trvll it 1illk.tr by Janet d Agostin medical writer there arc no malls to hangout in and Long sessions on the phone Cost More than a pair of fib running shoes hut american teen agers in one military Community say living overseas in l All thai rough. In fad after adjusting to the often try ing first year Many students said they enjoy living in Europe and arc not in a hurry to return to chg United slates according to a research psychologist for the . Army medical research unit in Heidelberg. Teen agers who had been Here less than a year were much less confident. And much More Apt to be having prob lems said psychologist Mary p. Tyler. Once people had friends. Then icy seemed to Salt la Down enjoy themselves and were pretty Happy Aboul being Tyler is doing research on teen agers living abroad with their military families because the literature that exists is alarming and indicates youths Are run Ning wild and experiencing culture Bui. Inc said the literature is based on experiences of teen agers who were having problems and not on the majority of youths. Tyler said she wants to learn is this really an awful place for Ihm to be for inc first step of her research Tyler interviewed 41 teen agers in an army Community of 15.500 Active duty sol Diers and 11,500 family members. She called inc town Altstadt 10 protect in identity of the students and the Community. This study was done in just one Mili tary Community so clearly. I Don t have All the answers she said. All i can pre sent is a Vignette a portrait of teen agers in one the teens Tyler interviewed said drugs and alcohol Are not More of a problem for students living in Ecsi Germany than they Are in the United states. The youths said the no. I problem is not having enough to do and they noted that they would like More resources for their own age group. Tyler found that Many of the teen agers had been to Europe before and had nol just stepped Oft he Liine. By the Lime their parents arc old enough to have teen agers chances arc Good they have been Back and Forth to Germany several times she said. Teen agers usually arc children of senior officers senior noncommissioned optic cars and civilians inc people who Are old enough to have to can Agurs Androl Tower enlisted soldiers she said. Culture Shock is no big Deal to inc first year students. What is a big Deal Isth separation from friends and extended family members. Choosing new friends is nol done randomly bul with careful consideration. Teens pick friends by joining groups with similar interests and talents such As music or athletics. Teen crowds arc identified by their clothes and preferences. Tyler said. Prep pies Are youths who dress Well and see to have More opportunities icy often arc optic cars children. Rockers Wear Jean jackets smoke cigarettes and arc perceived As being wild. Other groups in clude athletes and computer freaks. You be got to have special clothes to signal what crowd you belong Tyler said. Military rank is a Factor in their lives hut a subject they do not like talking Aboul or admitting that in has an cite con their social activities. Bul Many teens have Best friends whose parents have similar rank to their own parents. Everybody swore rank had absolutely nothing to do with their social lives she said. The Rudenis said icy arc satisfied with the education they Are getting in inc department of defense dependents schools bul icy said the Quality of the teachers is uneven. The majority of students accept army life and feel of. About it. The move to Europe they old Tyler had no effect on family life or else brought inc family closer together. While the school professionals Tyler spoke with believe students do nol frequently explore inc German culture. Inc Leens said differently the youths told Tyler they often socialise outside the military Community. They Are nol necessarily going to museums or other such cultural events but they arc going shop Ping and to res Laurants she said. Their impressions were that Europe is not nil Hal strange but it certainly is she said. Michelle Patterson. I got a Chance to know a different Richard rental everybody likes everybody Over is pfc baby Mart wish Leroy Thomas. They can get involved in student government. An open mind1 helps in and us Menf stud end says by Mark wa15h Tilburg Bureau a study of american teen agers in Europe that la bleed a Lack of things to do As the top problem faced by Young people abroad Drew mixed reviews from Stu dents Al two department of defense dependents schools. Troy Thomas a senior at accent High school in Brun sum Netherlands said there s plenty to do if teens gel out and look. On inc other Side freshman Malyna Harrison of Tilburg High in West Germany said Europe can be Boring. The Survey of 47 teen agers in an army Community was conduct cd by Mary p. Tyler a research psychologist for inc army medical research unit. Tyler stressed that her results Are preliminary since they arc based on so Small a Sample. Teens interviewed by the stars and stripes Al bit burs and accent said living overseas presents an Opportunity to learn about foreign countries some thing rare for people their age you have to come Here with an open mind otherwise you re going to be set against it from the first Day said Michelle Patterson a 17-year-old Junior Al accent. I got a Chance to know a different culture that Mosi people Clon l get to know in their when 1 miss the malls or something Iii go Down town 10 one of the n ice stores and just Thomas said it s up to the individual to plug into available activities. They can gel involved in their student government Spons and Community Volunteer programs he said. I happen to be an army Community service vol a nicer a then to teen Volunteer and a school advis Ory Edlun the slide nos disagreed with Tyler s conclusions on How inc rank of a Parent influences a child s Choice of friends. While some children of officers associate mainly with other officers children the teens said that is the result of shared interests and being in the same classes at school nol because of forming exclusive cliques. Richard Hen fro 15. A freshman at Tilburg and the son of a Captain said his Besl Friend s father to . Everybody likes everybody Over Here Rinfro said the people 1 know Don t really care Aboul rank another Pitburg student. Andrea Benedetto 16, feels it is nol her place to choose friends by her father s rank an air Force major at Spang Dahlum a. I feel like that s my dad s rank she said. He s the one that earned it and i Don t have anything to do with it. It s not my while the Survey revealed Slu donw often have prob lems adjusting to their surroundings during their first year in Europe inc Icen Agurs at Tilburg and accent said the process of fining in is not much of a bother. Whal poses a problem for Many is living in Small villages away from military installations pulling some friends up to an hour away. Further compounding the situation arc european Laws requiring a person to be 17 or 18 years old to gel a Driver s License. This Young people often have to rely on parents to drive them Back and Forth to friends houses when buses or trains Are not available. Tyler s study also said Hal teenagers find drug and alcohol abuse to be no More a problem with students living in West Germany than with their counterparts in the United Stales students Al Wilbure and accent said there May nol be As Many traffic accidents involving drinking and driving because of the higher age limit for driving. Bul icy said problems do exist. Kali Anderson a Junior at Tilburg Cilcy the availability of alcoholic beverages and inc Tower drinking age. When you can go to a fast food restaurant at lunchtime and get a Beer and they Don l even question you and then come Back with a Buzz afterwards. I be seen it a couple of limes she said. Patterson argues thai drinking alcohol in Europe is considered More of a custom than substance abuse leading teen agers to More responsible drinking. Over Here they see alcohol is nol he big Yahoo like it is in the slates she said. Overall the students seem Content with living in Europe and for the most pan have accepted the Foci that As military dependents they la probably not be in any one place for Long
