Where There's Good, There's Bad...

However unfortunate, this world in which we live is not perfect. Even in the seemingly selfless, altruistic act of volunteering, there are still flaws and downfalls.

While volunteer tourism, or 'voluntourism', is a current trend with youth who wish to volunteer whilst gaining life experience through their OE, the short duration of their work can become problematic, especially if they are volunteering at an orphanage. These orphans, who have very little to begin with, are having to constantly deal with these volunteers coming and going. When an emotional bond is formed between child and volunteer, once that volunteer leaves, it can be very upsetting for the child. On a continual basis, this is very emotionally and mentally traumatic.

As if that weren't bad enough, there is even controversy surrounding the matter of whether orphanages in Cambodia are intentionally keeping the living conditions at a less than satisfactory level in order to keep attracting the tourists who wish to donate their time, and of course... money. "In many cases these short term placements can actually do more harm than good" - Human Sciences Research Council
There are of course, positive and legitimate voluntourism ventures out there, and ways to ensure the right one is chosen.

On a slightly lighter note, there are of course the standard disadvantages to volunteering, such as mundane tasks, unclear expectations, frustrating restrictions, condescension, and poor time management or over-commitment leading to burnout. All of these problems, however, are quite manageable and easily solved if communication occurs. When youth are involved, this can be a little harder, as the leaders need to remember to treat the young volunteers as equals and not patronise them, in order to keep them engaged and enthusiatic. This can be difficult for some authority figures, and if not achieved the volunteers will either withdraw or have a tarnished perception of volunteering and be hesitant to try it again. As Peter Levine, Director of CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) states "I think it is very important for the spirit of the program to match the real needs of a community and the values of the young people who serve." If not, the time spent is redundant, and nobody really gains anything from the experience.

There is also a current trend of 'compulsory volunteering', especially in the US, which is somewhat of an oxymoron and in a way defeats the purpose of the act. Again relating to doing more harm than good through unsuitable placements and lack of desire, putting young people off the idea of volunteering or community service. "When students or any individual perceives that he is being controlled externally, the natural human response is to lose enthusiasm for the project and toward the behaviors that are being promoted." (Deci & Ryan, 1985)
Court-ordered community service has also been a long-standing form of punishment for minor offences and there is much debate over whether it is beneficial (to either party) or not. Offenders faced with the ultimatum of mandatory service or jail time are put in a rather difficult position. What sane person would willingly choose to be behind bars? Hence choosing the service option is usually the preference, however the offender is likely to carry out their tasks begrudgingly, which is unpleasant for all involved. Other law-abiding volunteers often take offence to the fact that the work which they enjoy is perceived as 'suitable punishment' for a crime.
However, in most instances offenders do get to choose where they are placed and what activities they assist with, so at least they could put their skills to good use. There are also instances where they have carried on their volunteering after their mandatory hours have been completed. So sometimes good can come from bad after all.

There are pros and cons to any field in life, even volunteering. For positive outcomes all 'round - youths need to ensure they are committed to and enthusiastic about their volunteering endeavours, and organisations need to be adequately prepared and managed. Otherwise things tend to go pear shaped...

And sometimes, you can be thrown to the lions.