LOST BOYS AND ODD GIRL OUT RESEARCH PAPER

LOST BOYS AND ODD GIRL OUT RESEARCH PAPER

By Felicia McCaw
Saginaw Valley State University

Monday 1:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Adolescent Psychology
Psychology 315

CORRELATION OF ENVIRONMENT AND AFFECTS ON ADOLESCENCE BEHAVIOR AND EVOLVING SOCIAL PATTERNS (NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE)

THESIS

BOOKS – ODD GIRL OUT
BY RACHEL SIMMONS

LOST BOYS

BY JAMES GARBARINO, Ph.D. 

The purpose of both books was to study the effects of children and the cause and effect of being exposed to detrimental variables in their lives. Lost Boys was the worst of the two (Odd Girl Out was the other book) reflecting the devastation of an environment that causes boys born in poverty and dysfunctional homes to venture into criminal activities and avoid the norms of society. Whereas the research for the book – Odd Girl Out – reflects an insidious nature of females to use ulterior methods, double talk, gossip, lies to defame and destroy another girl’s character utilizing clique (group of females) to utterly destroy another human being.

The task at hand is how was this behavioral pattern initiated and what methodology was used to condition subjects as to the lack of conscious or care of another person right to respect, courtesy, to become desensitized and evolve to despicable behavior, e.g., spreading rumors, lying, setting up their quarry, manipulation to inflict psychological pain on others, cruel text messages, emotional abuse, deliberate isolation, exploitation, blackmail, photographs, stalking, ruthlessness and aggressiveness that exceed norm and cruelty. What kind of stimuli produced these kinds of results which include stalking, slander, defamation of character to be allowed without punishment or disciplinary methods? Unfortunately it appears that the child (male or female is disliked or is too quiet or is an achiever) and falls under the observation of the so-called in crowd and this group proceeds to torment the one they have decided that they hate and wish dead.

Due to the increase of technology new methods of hostility is hidden in differing guises of subtle attacks on one or many due to prejudice, malice or lack of liking. Further, some attacks on others are due to jealousy because they see something in others and covet these positive attributes for themselves due to some misguided thought of “it’s all about me and no one matters but themselves”.

In Lost Boys these children or adolescence are forced into adulthood before their time and veer on paths that respect is all they have and if they don’t receive that then they have to confront someone who disrespected them and take a stance either to fight or kill to be seriously considered a “man”.

This study in both books are both observational and correlational due to the interactions of the psychologist with subjects in “Lost Boys” and teacher in “Odd Girl Out” which consisted of numerous interviews and raw data accumulated and processed into compiled report studies.

Also, patterns of aggression develops due to finding someone incapable of defending self and due to non-discipline distributed which further causes more vicious attacks due to a society that okays aggressive behavior and causes a reform of bad behaviors as the norm and discards civilized behavior as a characteristic that should be phased out. By doing this adolescence moves from one level of aggressiveness to another until criminal behavior becomes the norm and is not considered a breaking of social norms or a violation of civilized behavior.

The research hypothesis of both books are how to save today’s youth and provide the self-esteem needed to survive not uncivilly but to guard and protect social norms to keep the enacting of discipline and provide a future for today’s youth and to instill the thought that no person is better than another and prevent the attacks by groups of people and provide the thought that only animals hunt and attack in groups or in a pack to wound and kill.

The independent variables (are factors that are like living or functioning hat might cause a trigger whether negative or positive which may cause a disrupertory patter of thought in the trackers - stalkers of the quarry) are interaction with people in an everyday social atmosphere where positive and negative stimuli can be provided and non-detrimental or detrimental characterizations can be interlaced through conversations or the reflections of thought patterns affected by such interactions of people. Whereas a dependent variable (consistent non-changing aggressive behavior whether latent or obvious that never changes and is predictable) is a stabilizing factor that remains consistent whether negative or positive (deragortary or complimentary). These variables have been utilized throughout the study (conducted in both books Lost Boys and Odd Girl Out) and results reflect tallied, monitored and interpreted information to gain feedback regarding a steadily castophoric situation that is readily ignored, isolated and rejected as a factor that can happen to anyone (whether rich or poor) due to their trying to remove themselves from a distressing situation to be swept under the rug and pretend it never happened.

The facts are supported by detailed studies(both books), analytical compilation of various questionnaires, interactions with troubled youth and relayance of dysfunctional family living structure and conditions they live in to try to ascertain whether or not their environment and or home life caused the deviant behavioral patterns and if this behavioral pattern has lifelong affects or short term affects. Further, whether or not this behavioral pattern is carried through each generation and approved by adults and is learned from parents, relatives or strangers. Ethical impartiality is a strong asset when compiling information for this study in both books and neutrality is a must to obtain objective results. Since the studies are done on systematic subjects of facts or data that can be utilized in a factual manner and it is not a matter of putting in accurate data or curving to falsify or alter facts but simply a manner of keeping everything as authentic, truthful and accurate as possible.

After viewing some compiled opinions or conclusions these will have to be accumulated due to the necessity of analytical study and verification of data. The subject matter (sample) is appropriate and adequate because it is a necessity of learning about today’s youth, adolescence, early adulthood in this society as a whole and recognizable patterns that have been accurately gauged and verified by interaction of the populace at hand.

The measures and procedures used in research for the conclusions drawn by the author are indeed what are necessary to study the youth populace in its transitional stage reflecting various stages of acceptance, rejections, aggressive attacks, necessity for some to be accepted and the lengths they will go to feel needed and wanted. Each analysis of each test is done in Lost Boys and Odd Girl Out is done in an observational study, correlational study and situated in a naturalistic setting of everyday life, school, home and social gatherings.

Although naturalistic observations are utilized in studies the lack of control of experimental variables cannot be controlled nor can they be tampered with. Further, ideas for further testing can be ascertained and used in future studies and is perfect if this study cannot be done in a lab. Furthermore, once the subjects are alerted to the study some behavioral patterns will be altered, changed and therefore affect the study with false input. Consequently, the study must be done unknowingly to gather correct and accurate data due to alteration and changes in variables that affect the study.

The meaningfulness of the studies of both troubled teens (male and female) in the books "Lost Boys" and "Odd Girl Out" was to attempt to understand the rationale rationale behind the violating of acceptable social norm patterns. The authors’ (BOOKS - ODD GIRL OUT, BY RACHEL SIMMONS AND LOST BOYS, BY JAMES GARBARINO, Ph.D) purpose was to address the form of disrupertory patterns in children and youth and the usage of aggression toward others – mostly introverted people, less popular people, singular people who are not viewed as normal. For the Lost Boys these young men are in households with no formal structural patterns relayed to them, no nurturing, no father figure to look up to, no one who cares and who are left to defend and care for themselves and where the streets become their parents and their running mates become their family. Due to the massive destruction of the family structure and the children learning less and less of social norms and responsibilities of which all people are held accountable for – the author is trying to reach out and save as many youth as possible.

This research which covered both books (Odd Girl Out and Lost Boys) has given world-wide exposure to the troubles and pitfalls waiting for today’s youth and the only way to try to address this situation is to mingle and gather data, compile reports and initiate programs to assist troubled young females and males and progress them positively in the right direction and save them from the destruction that lays in wait in the street and the predators that wait in hiding for them.

Further, this research is relayed to every psychologist, social worker, psychiatrist, youth organization and anyone who is trying to save, protect and educate the youth in trouble. Also, this research provides a basis for the convergence of intellectuals to discuss how to approach saving and protecting these children from these troubling times and from predators. Further, if no one protects the youth or cares that the youth will start to attack their elders this makes it impossible for us to progress forward since there will be no one to take over when the seniors get too tired to continue working. Who will be there if no discipline is installed in the younger generation and who will be responsible enough to work these jobs with honesty, integrity, standards and honor?

ARGUMENTS CONCLUSIONS

Why should youth be helped today? The future depends on educating and training them to transcend to the elders position when they get too tired and have to retire.

Why is tomorrow not promised to youth? Tomorrow is not or will not be held if a youth is savaged and killed by a predator.

Who is responsible for youth actions today? Deviant behavior is to be monitored and corrected if possible by all of society.

Why should we care? Everyone should care about correcting this deviant behavior because it progresses from one level of violence to another and innocent people are oftimes killed as a result of this behavior.

How do we address youth’s distress and inner conflicts? Addressing youth’s distress and inner conflicts is to first ascertain the troubling issue – next is to provide counseling, support and love to help that person focus and help deal with personal issues and give the respect needed to build self-esteem.

What are the purpose and goals of study and why give results to Psychologist, Social Workers, Psychiatrist as soon as possible? The purpose and goals is to acknowledge there is a problem and begin to address it, reverse it and help as many troubled youth before situation becomes cataphoric.

The phenomenon discussed in the research books has familiarized myself with some of the techniques utilized by males and females when negative interactions occur. Odd Girl Out gives some very shocking looks at youth (young ladies) uses of predatory tactics to take down their quarry and destroy another’s self-esteem and which may subsequently lead to violence, murder or suicide.

In Lost Boys the horrifying status that these youth (young men) are made to suffer is just mind boggling because the level of aggression is much higher than researched in “ Odd Girl Out” and it may sometime be due to an image a male has to uphold to keep respect. Sometimes this quest to keep and retain “respect” leads to buying guns, criminal activities, drugs (dealing and distributing), murder, robbing and whatever it takes to get “respect” in the streets.

As far as my personal experience in my life – mostly it has come to just standing up for myself and refusing to be disrespected or categorized, labeled with untruths by strangers. Further, I am more of an observer than an active participant as listed in both books. Also, I prefer to observe and monitor differentiating changes in behavioral patterns when different stimuli are infused in this community.

This research in both books does have practical use because I have been able to trace severe psychological patterns that can evolve detrimentally to society itself as well as the people participating in this behavior and the unfortunate quarry who is being subjected to mental scars that have long standing life altering effects. The research done in both books are based on Longitudinal Research Methodology and reflect the adaptive patterns both male and female utilized to fit in and survive. Both books are intriguing in its very relative and concise study of both sexes and relays lots of insight into today’s youth psyche which correspond to my observation and still shocks and amaze me to see my theory that women have a “hidden agenda” and also something that I have to expand to men who have a “hidden agenda” also that has been put in writing and confirmed.

Also, I found it very enlightening the material I covered and will retain these thought for future reference in my quest for my degree in Social Work, etc. when I interact with youth, young adults and can try to unravel and help solve some of the troubling issues in their lives.