Why do young people not respect their elders anymore?

Question

I believe many young people are very disrespectful to their elders. I am 21 and believe these are people we should show respect. My father's wife was walking to the park a few days ago and a group of young boys said, in front of her 2 young children, "fancy a f**k?" This is awful behaviour! What is happening to our society?

I agree with you lozzy, people with a lack o respect give us all a bad name. For instance sometimes if I say good morning, just being polite, some people have that look of shock or fear that i'm gonna throw some verbal abuse at them. It's awful that this is what our country is turning into. Something needs to be done!

Answer 1

Because parents don't teach their children how to behave any more, and the law has begun systematically stripping away their right to discipline children who misbehave. Teachers haven't been allowed even to defend themselves from an attacking youngster for a long time now. While children are allowed to carry knives to school and terrorise teachers, the teachers can't even raise their voices. How can children come up any other way? We were taught respect by reward and punishment. All that's allowable now is reward. Children know they have "rights", but not responsibilities.

Answer 2

As a person who does a job where I meet a lot of young people and not in a good way... I have to agree that they are not taught values at home. Many children are now the third or even forth generation of criminal in the family. What role models have they got to teach them respect and the difference between right and wrong? I also feel political correctness has gone far too far. I cannot do my job as many would wish it done, as I would be breaking the law.
Teachers also have a hard job as the children who want to learn can't because of these youths.
ASBO's can work but the families and courts have to be behind them. The youths know that if they breech their asbo the court will not give them any punishment that will make them think twice about doing it again.
I also think that parents who were ruled with an iron rod whilst growing up are sometimes more lenient with their children and boundary's are not set or continually moved so the children run wild.
This of course is not the case in every family because believe it or not there are still nice children out there. We just have to try and bring our children up as best we can and give them the best start in life.

Answer 3

i'm 17 and i diagree with you. Although many teenagers these days show no respect there are some that are well behaved and kind at heart. I understand your outrage at what happened but the teenagers that were rude to your fathers wife were only a minority, not all teens are rude, disrespectful and violent. i feel the media has implanted some things about teens into the minds of the older generation. Most teens are actually good, hardworking and generous individuals but these ones are being bought down by a few bad seeds. don't let what the minority say get to you always remember for every rude and ungrateful teenager there will always be a kind and lovely one.

Answer 4

As time goes by and we become more and more of a liberal society, these things become unavoidable. A certain type of upbringing can teach kids proper respect, underlined by the fact that myself (age 23) and others stand out sometimes from the stereotypical tendency our peers seem to be adamantly laying down. On the other hand, because of the belief that individuals don't change in essence with age, the question of respect comes into debate due to the concept of equal standing to all. A lot of people in this day and age don't respect each other, developed or young. Also there is an added emphasis on the statement that respect is earned and almost anything negative can be expected from strangers. In light of that, a lot of people lash out harshly to criticism or unwanted opinions and attention from individuals whom they don't know and who hasn't earned any respect before hand. (public figures, veterans and so on might pose exception).

Answer 5

Well, don't ya know both children and parents should be in charge of the home?

"Don't you think four year olds are way are way too young to pick up their toys".

Anything beyond the word yes is child abuse.

If your child is acting up you may have ________. Why haven't you had your child tested for ____________?

Give me my way or I'm telling the case worker or reporting you.

Children being ripped from Christian homes and placed in homes where parents are emotionally unstable.

Government pitting children against parents and parents against each other.

Someone posted a question asking opinions on the gay adoption.

How many people are on uppers and downers these day?

Secularism in the church and dogmatic practice on the rise.

These last couple of generations are mirroring the traits of the 60s/early 70s parents ($spoiled during the 50s$)and that generation is running our government.

Answer 6

Because not many parents are installing that information to their kids. I have always told my kids to respect their elders even if the elder is wrong and mean. A lot lies on the parents. I have heard a 3 year old child tell a sibling in a store to go ^%$# themselves and the mom just looked at the kid and smiled. It was hard for me to grit my teeth and walk away but I did and was thankful that my kids have listened to me and are respectful of everyone not just elderly.

Answer 7

Our society is no longer imposing strict behavioral rules on young people. Alot of girls get pregnant at 16 and raise their kid like they wanted to be raised (with no boundaries) In other countries respect for elders is still very much alive, I'm 18 and my family is very respectful, thats just the way we've grown up. But a lot of the kids in our generation haven't.

Answer 8

Im 20 and agree with you.

This so called ASBO culture is appalling really.

I think a lot of young people now feel very unambitious and lack drive to get out and do something.

I do think though that it is the minority spoiling the reputation of the majority, it's just the negative that always gets focused on by the media. Perhaps if they concentrated on the good in youth more then things may change.

Answer 9

because most kids are obsessed with material things and living in a materialistic world. they couldn't give a damn about anyone else but themselves. not only do they lack morals and manners, they are inconsiderate to their elders. the main problem with society though is that with kids they are given a free ride. of course we shouldn't tar all kids with the same brush, that would be unfiar and unwise in itself. i am about to turn 26 next saturday and alas, its not that far from being 30. but what i am aware of is that the behaviour of kids today, is nothing like the behaviour of the kids when i grew up in the 80s and the 90s. kids need to be taught respect and that respect is not given to them on a plate. they have to earn it, whether they like it or not. their parents should set an example to their kids. we cannot lecture them on ways that they should do this but is it their duty as adults to teach their children right from wrong. sadly though, some of them are inclined to do that

Answer 10

Because they are not taught to be respectful at home, I'm only (!) 31 and I look at the little buggers round where I live and can't believe that they are not taught better manners by their parents.

Unfortunately we have a generation of youngsters who have been brought up to assume that they are always correct and it is in fact their right to act like little s***ts. There is no way that I would have been as obnoxious or rude to anyone in a position of respect, (Adults, Police, Teachers etc.) when I was younger, mainly because my Mum would have smacked the tar out of me when she found out.

Basically I think it's a lack of discipline and manners. Simple as that.