Why aren't parents taking responsibility for their kids(9-19yr)for causing social decline within our society?

Question

Our nation lives in fear of the youth of today & the atrocities they commit. Why aren't parents taking responsibility & charge of their children? Parents still have the backing & support of Government bodies such as schools, social services & the police force. None of these factors have changed within the last 100yrs, except now a days some parents are frightened of their own off spring & refuse to take responsibility, blaming the child for being unruley. Some of this lack of responsibility, is due to the fact we are a nation of children breeding children, to gain government housing benifits. However, where were their parents responsibilitys in moral & social guidence? How far back do we have to trace a parents-families responsibilities? Do we exclude the parents on drugs & who commit sexual, physical & mental abuse of their responsibilities? What happened to the days when taking responsibility meant not doing the fore mentioned facts? Where has perental responsibility gone?

Answer 1

hmm. I don't know. I moved out when I was 17 to finish school. After that, i got pregnant. I didn't work because I was on bedrest. Does that mean I went on welfare? No. My fiance busted his butt working as many hours as he could so we didn't have to go that route. Now I'm a working mom of 2. I still pay the bills as well as my daughters' father. I'm also saving money for college. I HATe the "I was a teen mom," excuse. And? So was I. That doesn't mean I sat on my butt all day letting tax payer's provide for me. Too bad more women won;t go this route.

Answer 2

Although I appreciate the sentiment of your point, I think that we cannot realistically continue eroding the influence of parents on their children.....then blame them when it all goes wrong.

Nowadays you are not allowed to discipline your own children for fear of the law. When in the past, the emphasis was on allowing Parents to decide what was right and wrong for THEIR own children, most were brought up well.

Now Government decides, and NONE are!

You have to trust the parents to know best from day one and stop interfering with unnecessary legislation.

It's got nothing to do with benefits or council houses, these are the measures that HELP the situation, after the fact. It is an unfortunate effect of capitalism that for each 'rich' person there has to be at least 1000 poor (some very poor), If you want all the poor people to be happy to be poor, you had better wake up and build a fort like me!

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

Answer 3

I am 32 and live in an ex council house with my police officer husband and my 3 children I have never accepted handouts or help so purchased a cheaper house (ex council) I was a bank clerk and gave up work to bring up my 3 children my husband being sole breadwinner my eldest is nearly 8 years old and has been taught constantly how to behave and respect rules and others I think parents have been too afraid or too busy to teach kids how to behave towards others. Too busy keeping up with the jones' to bring up there children leaving that job to child minders or elderly relatives. Even though my upbringing was difficult as my brother was severley mentally handicapped and I was abused by my step grandfather I feel that I have overcome obsticles and am bringing up 3 well rounded individuals my eldest has achived top sats level 1 results and I am always here for my children teaching respect,good eating habits, no foul language and correct bedtimes unfortunately both parents quite often work either for extra cash( flash holidays) or really cannot afford for 1 parent to work. Good old traditional family values are being lost and need to be reintroduced my children rarely eat convenience food as I ensure well balanced food is available at all times

Answer 4

It is the parents responsibility to raise their children with both love and discipline. Discipline does not need to take the form of smacking. But when you have social workers and other health officials breathing down your neck, it does make people scared to discipline in case they get taken up for abuse. So society has created a rod for its own back by being so down on parents who try to control misbehaviour.
Another factor about why children nowadays are so unruly is that children are having babies. The age for pregnant mums is decreasing and people are not so shocked to hear of 12 and 13 year olds having babies. How can you raise a child when you are still a child?
Moreover society has made it too acceptable to be a young lone parent, there is the promise of housing and benefits. A baby has become a stylish accessory, a real live dress up doll. I don't feel we should go back to the dark ages where unmarried mothers should be locked away but there should be penalties for those who totally disregard the legal age for having sex and then find themselves pregnant. They should not be rewarded, their families should be made to support them financially.

Answer 5

the question we should be asking is...how can we punish children? i dont mean beat them or anything as violence is not the answer (this is what we are trying to stop kids doing) but if we send them to their rooms they have tv, vid, dvd, computer etc,
Parents seem to be afraid to approach kids as they will be told rudely where to go, theres no respect from them, Some parents let their kids run riot as they have not been educated enough to deal with them, there isn't the help available for everyone so kids are having kids with no understanding, no wonder they are out of control.
Parents should take responsibility and teach a child respect and right from wrong from a young age, these days parents dont bother, they wont even sit and read to their child, they would rather watch tv! so we cant put all the blame on the child

Answer 6

This answer might go off the topic a little, but bear with me! I went to nursery and Primary School in South Africa, back in the days of Apartheid so I don't know if it's different now, but back then parents were forbidden from teaching their children to read and write. The State knew best. My parents adhered to this rule, and from the beginning of the education (my mother tells it best!) I went from being completely illiterate to being able to read The Times within three months.

As far as intelligence is concerned, it's all down to our teachers, please let "That'll Teach 'Em" have it's day in the sun like Jamie's School dinners!

As for our social behaviour, it's not just the parents who are to blame, it's their friends too! Children grow up thinking anyone above five foot tall is always right, set your own example around them and they will pick up good habits!

If enough people do the right thing around children, the children will follow!

Answer 7

Parental responsibility is hiding under a bush with it's friends morality and common sense while it's arch enemies victim culture and politically correct are parading around like peacocks.

The sad facts are that it's not all 'benefits parents' fault it's the middle class namby pamby 'not my Tarquin' parents too.

Let's stop labelling our kids with spurious medical conditions and get back to the basics- Discipline and Consequence.

Parental Responsibility is like Chivalry, it's not dead it's just hiding.

Answer 8

I know what you mean, over here in England it's getting really out of hand, kids here are giving things called ASBO's by the courts, which basically means they have to stay near there homes and go home early, but the kids in this country are using it as some kind of reward now, boasting about it to there friends.
There about to bring in a new law now though, where and kid caught doing naughty things on the street or is reported and police prosecute them, then there parents get finned...Heavily, hopefully the kids will learn from this!!

Answer 9

i know what you mean, we are now in a new era, where children are being born from parents from deprived, addictive families. they have few social skills. do not know the security and love of a balanced and traditional family, and a culture that protects perpetrators of crime as opposed to the victims. police cannot tackle crime in the way they used to due to lack of resources, higher tolerance levels and raising numbers of complaints of prejudice. Finally, i can remember, getting told off by adults and having to listen to them in case they told my dad! let alone the respect we had for the police! its really really scary where society is going, its nothing to do with social class, just expectations and restrictions placed on society.

ibelieve in addition yo more police, we also need better education for children, perhaps a social class, where children can learn manners, how to set a table, how to eat, talk etc as well as proper cooking classes. then classes and support for parents, plus a lot mot more. i could go on... and on... !

Answer 10

I think we've gone too far from kids having no rights at all to them having too many and boy do they know it.its true that not all kids are bad and unruly but I remember my son coming in one day about twelve years ago and telling me he would phone childline if i didnt let him out to play when he was grounded. He was told this in school!!