The World of Young People: a Challenge to the Church and the Society

Rad u svojemu prvom dijelu analizira pravno, demografsko i psihološko određenje mladih u Hrvatskoj, s ciljem preciznoga upoznavanja ciljne populacije te problematizira gornju granicu mladenaštva. Pravno gledano, dobne granice populacije mladih nisu jednoznačno određene i kronološki se povećavaju. Sažeta demografska analiza ukazuje na nepovoljno postojeće stanje i trendove u populaciji mladih definiranih s dobi od 15 do 29 godina. Razvojno-psihološke teorije i spoznaje ne prepoznaju jedinstvenu populaciju mladih te razlikuju adolescente od mladih odraslih osoba. U cilju sagledavanja i uvažavanja svih relevantnih čimbenika i zahtjeva u radu s mladima, nastoji se sažeto prikazati najvažnije osobitosti adolescencije i mlade/rane odrasle dobi temeljem spoznaja standardne razvojno-psihološke literature: biološke/tjelesne, intelektualne, moralne, emocionalne, socijalne i ličnosti u užem smislu. Uvažavajući sastavnice određenja mladih i njihove razvojne osobitosti pokušava se definirati uspješan rad s mladima, navode njegove pretpostavke te iznose neka specifična iskustva suvremenoga rada s mladima u okviru Crkve (opća vrijednosna primjerenost kršćanstva za rad s mladima, nedostatnost osobne inicijative mladih u društveno usmjerenim angažmanima, važna uloga duhovnika koji radi s mladima, važnost poznavanja službenih društvenih okvira rada s mladima). Konačno, analizira se važnost poznavanja društvenih okvira rada s mladima za bavljenje tom populacijom unutar Crkve te se sugeriraju konkretne smjernice za razvoj tih djelatnosti, ali i za poboljšanje ukupne perspektive mladih u društvu, temeljem mogućnosti kojima raspolaže Crkva.The article analyses the legal, demographic and psychological determination of the Croatian youth, aiming at a precise acquaintance with the target population and the identification of the upper age limit of a young person. From the legal point of view the age limit of a young person is not determined unilaterally and increases chronologically. A concise demographic analysis points towards the unfavorable current situation and trends among the young population defined as the age between 15 and 29. The developmental and psychological theories and insights do not recognize the young population as such whereas they make a distinction between adolescents and young adults. In a striving to examine and consider all the relevant factors and requirements of working with youth, the author endeavors to give a brief presentation of the most significant characteristics of the adolescent and young/early adult age, based on the insights of the standard developmental and psychological literature: biological/physical, intellectual, moral, emotional, social and the individual in the narrow sense. By taking into account the components determining young people and the unique characteristics of their development, the author strives to define the successful work with young people, mentioning its preconditions and indicating specific experiences related to the work with young people carried out within the Church nowadays (universal appropriateness of Christian values for working with young people, insufficient personal initiative of young people in socially oriented engagements, the significant role of spiritual directors, who work with youth, the importance of awareness about the official social frameworks of working with young people). Finally, the author analyses the significance of thorough understanding of the official social frameworks of dealing with young people as means of taking care of this population within the Church. The author suggests the exact guidelines for the development of these activities and for the improvement of the overall perspective of young people in the society, relying upon the possibilities offered by the Church