ABSTRACT
Linda was the primary youth worker for Sisterhood, an all-female youth group that focused on mutual support and exploring issues determined by the youth, often issues of identity and gender. On Friday, Linda left Sisterhood exhausted. Self-questioning filled her mind and the myriad of dilemmas she faced with the young women flashed before her eyes. First, there was Chandra and the fundraising money. The group was selling candy to raise money for their upcoming retreat, and the girls had jointly decided that each member should raise the same amount of money in order to attend. Chandra tearfully told Linda that she had sold the candy, but her family had to use that money to pay their utility bill and now she didn’t know what to do or say to her friends. Then there was the persistent question of when to share personal information with the girls. Linda worked hard to create a space where the girls felt comfortable sharing their experiences and opinions, and they often asked Linda personal questions. Just this week in a discussion about the upcoming prom, they asked how Linda had dealt with pressure to have sex on her prom night. Linda wanted to build rapport and trust with the youth, but she also knew she had an obligation to set appropriate boundaries on what she shared. To top it off, Linda’s new co-leader, Natasha, was upset and offended by the girls’ cursing. But the girls themselves were miffed when Natasha tried to impose a new rule—a “curse jar” for the girls to put a quarter in every time they cursed—when they had collectively created the rules for their space prior to Natasha joining their group. Linda struggled to respond to these various dilemmas in ways that balanced the diverse considerations at play while keeping youth and their needs at the center.
