Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Robinson’s tough love

Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000 | 9:49 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

Are you tired of hearing about juvenile delinquency and crime? How about the boring statistics that come out of Carson City and Washington, D.C.?

Well, if you want to get into the heads of troubled teens then I have just the book for you. "Teens on the Edge" is written by Nevada's Len Robinson, who has a wealth of experience working with teens in trouble.

Included in the book are 35 essays Robinson had the youngsters write for him when he was teaching them to get their GED (Graduate Equivalent Degree). The author gives readers the background of each youngster and then presents his or her essay. Following this, Robinson evaluates the situation and gives advice to every person dealing with teenagers can use.

One example of the essays was written by Wren:

"My name is Wren. I was born in Wisconsin and my parents named me after my grandfather, mayor of the city. They brought me home to this nice little house and eventually, two brothers too. My pre-teenage years are the fondest years of my life. My mother and father both had jobs and we were a happy middle-class family.

"By the time I was 13 my mother was in the Wisconsin State Penitentiary for armed robbery. She had lost her job and my father ran off. She felt responsible for everything and robbed a 7-Eleven to feed and house us kids. When the police caught up with her, me and my two brothers split and struck out on our own!

"We had no legal way to survive so we started selling drugs, crack cocaine to be exact. We made some money and got a place to crash. Meanwhile, my brother Wendell got busted a few times and was looking at serious jail time. He got real nervous so we bought bus tickets and headed out to California.

"When we got there things were not as easy as we thought. It wasn't as easy selling dope in California as in Wisconsin. There were cops all over and a lot more competition. I was only 15 but I knew it was getting hot there and we had better move on. One week before we planned the move, Wendell sold to an undercover and got locked up. He was sentenced to a year in the C.Y.A. (California Youth Authority). I supported me and my little brother for almost a year and then I got busted.

"My little brother was sent back to Wisconsin to live with relatives while I was locked up in California serving eight months. The authorities discovered my dad was living here and sent me to live with him.

"My older brother, who had been released from C.Y.A., was out on the streets and being real crazy. They said he just didn't care any more and died of a heroin overdose. I couldn't take the loss so I kind of went crazy and ended up here. Getting arrested probably saved my life!"

Robinson describes Wren as follows:

"Once Wren seemed to be a part of the American dream home with a stable family life and all the positive fringe benefits implied. Today he has the stern look of a hardened criminal, the antithesis of that setting. At six-foot, this muscled Caucasian youth has the scarred look of a survivor of the streets. His life changed drastically when his father ran off, taking the family stability with him. CHARGES: bench warrant served, curfew, battery police officer, possession controlled substance, distribution controlled substance, possession firearms."

But what about Wren's future? Robinson sees the youth needing help and some structure. He writes, "Wren has few skills other than those he learned on the streets. He needs to be incarcerated until he stabilizes himself and learns academic or vocational skills. A very likeable and extremely personable young man, he is articulate in stating his need for help. He will benefit from his nine- to 12-month sentence in the state institution. However, that may not be enough time for him to stabilize. He is a ship without a rudder at this stage of his life."

The author's more than 30 years of teaching and working with problem youngsters in Clark County shines through in every page of "Teens on the Edge." It's a book of interest and value to any parent or social worker raising or working with young people. Although easy and informative reading, it will also have great value for many college courses.