Do you think we need more police or better schools to prevent our young from growing into crimminals?

Question

many in jail cannot read nor write
also are school drop outs
catch them early and educate them so they look for work and can work

Answer 1

How about parental involvement as well. Teach your children some respect, for themselves and others. The school system is not a child watching center. Parents and teachers MUST work together.

Answer 2

I think schools are more important than adding more cops. Police don't prevent crime, they arrest people when they (are suspected of) committing crimes.

I've also heard quite a bit about how Bush's "no child left behind" program is actually doing just that - leaving kids behind by actually messing up (limiting?) funding to good programs. (Anyone out there know more about this?)

But I also agree that due to the economy, where CEOs earn a few THOUSAND % more than the average employee, and therefore, this average employee is in debt and both parents must work full time - or more! - to make ends meet, and barely have time to spend with their children, is a very large contributor to the problem.

As a result children are being taught (adult?) behavior by watching TV, and playing video games - not by observing and interacting with adults who (should) demonstrate a good example for the child.

Answer 3

Yes, education sounds like a plan but we also know that education cannot be ever implemented successfully to engineer a social change. Education to prevent crime (or poverty) is a very long term goal and requires heavy financial dedication. It is next to impossible and its failure is documented in Africa and India among many other countries.
What we need is more funding for the law enforcement sector. We need to increase police manpower and provide them with the advanced technology and equipment.
Unfortunately, no two extremes would work and the safest way to deal with the problem is to balance good education WITH a police force that can be "upgraded" with better technology and increased manpower.

Answer 4

It's better parents that we need. If parents were more concerned with the kids what they are doing they would do better in school. We have too many parents that want to be thei childs best friend. Here in lies the problem. They give them anything & everything they want

More police is no answer because they are only needed once the kids screw up in your scenario.

Answer 5

We need more parental involvement.

The public school system will work if the parents care. Most schools get no support from parents as they stick up for little Johnny when he misbehaves in school. Surprisingly, the school districts that get the best test scores also have parents that show up for parent teacher conferences. They make sure their kids get the homework done.

It is often said that local economics hurt the kids in urban schools. That is BS. You do not need to be rich or even middle class to make sure your kids behave or do their homework.

Parents just need to care.

Answer 6

Many factors, I think, contribute but ultimately crime is a personal choice. Children should not come out of schools unable to read/write. Back to phonics - it worked for generations of readers. Parents involved with their kids, not television or electronics. Back to times where people just sat and talked, or went for walks, or played a board game or cards (and interacted). Good role models. Crackdown on crime and make punishment a deterent. Give people, esp. children, opportunities to learn compassion, empathy, tolerance, self respect, discipline. And my favorite - get the garbage off tv that emphasizes poor judgement, bad choices, glorifies negative behavior.

Answer 7

Schools. They can give them hope of a better life & let them know that no matter who you are or where you live you can be someone of importance if you work hard. Police are just the " rule Enforcers". Kids don't connect. Teachers & PARENTS can make a kid believe that he/she is a worthwhile person & can become great in any field they choose.

Answer 8

If those are the only choices, I'd say better schools, although I don't necessarily think that means throwing more money at the problem.

I think the real answer is that we need better parents, but that's not an easy thing to do.

Answer 9

need better parents, and the school systems need to stop treating the kids like crimminals (even though some may act it) if you treat them like that, thats exactly how they will react.

Answer 10

i think that both parents and children need to be educated well so that less of these things happen...so i think the main thing to do is get a better education for both the parents and children