Questions for people with a family?

Question

Me just being a curious person, I had to ask. I read in my sociology text about the concerns and problems of high schools. Here is what they were:

A mere 50 years ago, the concern in public schools consisted of
1. Students not doing their homework
2. Spitballs
3. Leaving the lights on
4. Running in the halls.

Now the top concerns of schools are

1. Gangs
2. Drugs
3. Date Rape
4. Violence in school.

As a parent, what is your reactions toward these statistics?

To add on to my question, what can you do as a parent or as a community, to make this change?

Answer 1

The statistics are appalling and there is good reason for them.

We, as parents and the community, has been so wrapped up in giving little Dick or Jane all the toys and treats that we have sorely neglected raising them to be responsible and accountable human beings. They were not disciplined, they were not corrected, nor were they taught consequences or even the difference between a "right" and a "privilege".

What can we do to change it? Admit that we were wrong and work our butts off to bring order and honest, appropriate, consistent consequences to fruition for unacceptable behavior. Parents need to work WITH the schools in disciplinary issues, instead of hiding their heads or saying "My little Johnny would NEVER do anything like that". Duh, he did, why do you think they are calling you?

I don't care to hear "So and so's Mom lets them do it"...So what? Or, "so and so has one, why can't I...." Again, so what? Make the kids EARN trust, respect and "toys".

Answer 2

I wish my kids were 50 years older....but since they aren't I wonder why kids are so violent today. What have we done to our children so that they think that violence is always the answer? I see the government taking away the rights of parents to discipline their children because it isn't "good" for them. And yet they don't enforce or protect our children from violent video games, movies, TV shows (even cartoons), or even the lyrics in some music...and somehow we are supposed to. All I can do is take care of my little corner of the world...and try my best to protect and teach my children. I am active in their schools and known to all their teachers & principals...but I am lucky we live in a very small school district (there is only about 650 students in the high school!). I also keep my girls active in Scouts, Dance, Music and sports so they don't have time to "hang" at the mall or on the corner.

Answer 3

This answer reflects not only the fact that i am a parent but also that i am a Christian. Things in school started going downhill right about the time that prayer was removed from school. If you do just a little statistical research, you can see an amazing correlation between the two events. i am a firm believer that, if all the public schools welcomed prayer back in as used to be the custom right along with the pledge of allegience, things would improve. If i could, i would conduct an experiment as such with a public school, but i would be fighting the government, i am sure. As a parent of school-aged children, well i am certainly not happy about it. Short of prayer being allowed back in schools, though, what could possibly be done about it? ( i know, i am supposed to ANSWER, not ask the questions...sorry ;) )

Answer 4

Well...you may or may not like my answer-since I am just a teen and not a parent. But I couldn't help but want to share what I think about this:

I think it's really sad how gangs, violence, drugs and rape have become the top concerns in school. True, spitballs, slacking off, running in the halls and are leaving lights on are prone to change eventually, but I think that is just so crazy that is what school has come to. It makes you wonder what school will be like 50 years from now. Yikes...probably worse. *shivers*
I think that the people who are being violent in school and are in gangs and raping people need to just stop and see a counselor or find another way to cope with what's going on in their lives.
School isn't gonna get any better if we don't do anything about it. This world just keeps getting crazier and crazier.

All the best!!

Answer 5

these statistics are appalling! but its just a sign of the times. the family unit has broken down alot since the 50's.....since the 70's even. children raise themselves and watch inappropriate programming and the parents dont care. they have little to no morals and as far as discipline? well........you can see by the stats that there is no discipline. the schools arent aloud to do it and the parents dont care. its a moral and society breakdown and guess what? short of returning spanking to schools (unless you live in california where you cant spank at all, not even in your own home) and other physical punishments.....its gonna get worse. give it just five years and check the stats again, you will see society crumble before your eyes. there will have to be an alternative to educating our children in order to keep them safe.

Answer 6

It makes you stop and think. Thank God our children are out of school. It also makes one wonder when things turned for the worse. Is it possible that it has something to do with not being able to correct your child {not beat- but smack on the butt} instead of giving them a time out? The time in time out for our kids, when they were supposed to be thinking about what they did wrong and why it was wrong, they could then tell me how many dust bunnies they counted.

Answer 7

Makes me wanna homeschool my kids. Also makes me strive to be the type of parent that my kids can always talk to if and when they're ever faced with these situations. It's bad enough that this stuff is going on, so if my kids need guidance on these issues, I wanna be the one they talk to, not their friends who know just as little as they do about the subject.

Answer 8

It's very scary. My daughter is a Sr. this yr. thank God. They was a shooting @ her school last yr & a staff person was killed. I'm very concerned & pray alot. I really dred it when my grand children start kindergarten next yr. I think that they need to bring God & punishment back in school. Parents need to learn how to control their children & teach them to have respect for others.

Answer 9

i don't find it particularly shocking, it seems to just be getting worse and worse. which makes me very afraid for my daughter who is only nine years old right now. imagine what it will be like for her.
we have to start when a child is very young teaching them morals and what is an acceptable way to act and what isn't. (thats my theory)
unfortunately i can't see society getting any better.(only worse)
did you see the news today about the "florida fighter girls" ?
need i say more?