Why don't a lot of youth today have any respect for law enforcement officers?

Question

Is it their parents or just society as a whole? I see a lot of the kids that I deal with are disrespectful to the law. Most of their parents stick up for them (although calling us a week later when the kids have gotten out of control).

Answer 1

They have never been taught to respect anyone, not even their parents. They don't respect themselves, either.

I had a 15 year old (arrested for shoplifting) tell her mother to "shut the **** up" in my presence. The woman looks at me and says "What can I do?"
I felt like telling her, "Well for starters, don't allow your daughter to get away with talking to you like that..." but I didn't feel like explaining myself to my watch commander if the mother decided to complain later.

Plus, we have legislators here in Cali trying to criminalize spanking, so any shred of control that some parents actually try to exert may be taken away by the state.

Answer 2

Well, deputy, dude,
there are a lot of factors in this thing you bring up here----
and, I see that once again the parents are in the center of the fray--- But, there are a lot of other things that play into this thing as well--- Some of it all comes from the general attitudes of the police themselves ---- my Dad was a cop for twenty years and is now 95 years of age and been retired for quite some time---he says that --- whatever a man is BEFORE he puts on the badge-- he is going to be THAT times ten once the badge is in place--- if he is a decent, caring, and upright individual--- it will be that times ten---- If he is a genuine ______ it will be that times ten also!!! And, then there is this MACHO factor that happens a lot with the police and other law enforcement people--- individually they are absolutely super people--- but as soon as you get two or more of them together --- you have a PARADE OF EGO--- it is like they just can't refuse the urge to impress the hell out of one another with their swagger and their tough guy talk and the big boy mouth !!!
Youths are not blind, deaf, or dumb and when they see some of the stuff that they see and hear some of the stuff they hear---they make up their own minds what is going on with this !!

Add to all of this, the shear FACT that the entertainment industry has made a mint out of selling this GANGSTA thing to our children---and for the most part--- a major chunk of American households have acquiested in the battle to keep their kids from this garbage because the kids just HAVE TO BE THAT WAY TO FIT IN and God forbid that the kid doesn't fit in with the GANGSTA lifestyle , modes and trends--- this would damage their self esteam and that would just simply not do at all-----Much better that the kid is a VERY SELF CONFIDENT GANGSTA than a somewhat less "confident" decent person !!

This will not solve anything here--- but I appreciate an opportunity to get some of this off My Chest---- and here's hoping that in the future we find some way to make at least some of this better !!!!

Answer 3

Society is responsible for parents being more concerned with their child's feelings rather than focusing on keeping them out of trouble. Few children are taught the relationship between cause and effect, when they are, they are taught to focus on what is being taken away from them rather than the person they may have hurt. There are some people out there that shouldn't be having children. Those quick fix parents that stick up for their children even when they are wrong call you a week later because they don't want the responsibility of disciplining their child. On top of that, you are seen as the bad guy that shows up and takes care of the problem that the parents should have taken care of a long time ago. Another thought: when a child sees a parent arguing with the police they think it is OK to argue with authority.

Keep up the good work. At least there are some people in society that still respect the police. I have no problems with good police but there are some "small town" cops that are bored and look for trouble and pad arrests with bogus excuses for probable cause.

Answer 4

First of all it is not just law enforcement. Teenagers are disrespectfull to everybody (I am a high school student and I am sick of all the students being so obnoxious and dissrespecctful and smoking in the bathroom!!!)

However there is no one reason why. Some of the parents are setting bad examples and the media is not helping at all (grand theft auto, americain pie, many rap songs, Korn and that is just to name a few.) and not to mention other students (peer pressure). Even stuff like anti-drug classes contribute to it. students hear dont do drugs everywhere they go and eventually they get ticked off and think "nobodys gonna tell me what to do".

But it is not all their fault. It is just part of growing up. Teenagers rebel. They are stuck between childhood and adulthood. They are confused. They want to be independent but they are not mature enough to be on their own. They feel like everyone is trying to control them and that makes them mad.

This is a phase in life that has existed since God made Adam and Eve. It is not just the teens of today that rebel. Think back to when you were a teenager the problem was the same then as it is now. Most of them will grow out of it eventually (some will even become police like you)

I hope my information helps.

LLAP

Answer 5

This country was founded on biblical believes and the laws that you enforce as a law enforcement officer, are the same laws you will find in the Old testament, i.e. You shall not kill, you shall not still etc. Society has gotten away from believing in the bible, by taking it out of our school, courts etc.
As a whole, this has caused a problem with our youths today. When I was kid I use to love to see the police in my neighborhood, not that there was a reason for they're being there, it was just what was called proactive patrolling. So the answer to your question is that if biblical believes were brought back to society as a whole, there would be a big change in our lives. Putting God first means everything, and without him we will die as sinners, for the wages of sin is death, and there's noway of getting out of it without GOD.

Answer 6

The problem begins with the parents. A child has to be taught respect from a very early age. Sadly, alot of youth not only have no respect for law officers, but also no respect for themselves, or anyone or anything else. It's terrible.

Answer 7

Let me give you a surprising answer, alot of police officers on the force today have a pre-opinion about the youth of today, so soon as the officer comes into contact with a youth, they automatically think " this guy and/or even girl is a punk, thug, or just up to no good simply because of the way they're dressed, or the way they talk, or the way they look" . Kids today have seen alot of police brutality, and refuse to be dissed by an officer of the Law and when a youth encounters a police officer they automatically think they're being hassled for no reason. Police today seem to have a pre-disposed way of thinking. For one, and it's my personal opinion, they have far to much POWER, and alot of them today CAN"T handle the power they're givin. I have seen time and time again where the police officer will tell a youth that's simply trying to convey in their own way of talking, what's going on in a certain situation, and the officer will, (without provacation) tell the youth to "Shut the F*** Up ", just because He didn't like the way the kid was talking. Hey Officer!, ever hear of the First (1st) Amendment: Freedom of Speech / Expression!?. I'm not EVEN!, going into the Demand For Respect Scenario, you know the Dis Me I Dis You. Anyway, I hope this helps.

GOD BLESS/GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 8

Allow me to start by saying I respect any cop who is doing his job by the books. Dirty cops are another story but....

I am dating a 20 yr. old white male, I am 24. I found out recently he is a very harsh individual with some opinions I hardly respect. For instance, I live in Cleveland OH., A few months ago, a police officer was shot and killed by a rapist, scummy drug dealer. This man shot through his door and hit the cop in the side where he had no protective suit on. Very sad. Our city was real torn up over it. When I brought it up a few weeks ago to my boyfriend, he basically said he hates you all with such a passion, he blamed the cop for his own death and feels no sorrow or pity at all for the family. I was shocked, I asked him if he felt bad about 9/11, how brave men and women in NYPD and Fire dept died helping out the city that day- nope. "They shouldn't be cops or firefighters then, they know the possible outcome." Ugh. If you all don't patrol bad cities, who will- he won't. That doesn't seem to mean much to him now, and I blame it on youth. I hope he is just acting his age and in a few years will grow up and realize life isn't always that cut and dry. My best friend is not so sure he will ever change...(this really bothers me about him, I've complained to her about it) she sais she is not any different now at 25 than when she was 20...*sigh*

I don't think his parents are to blame, they are nice folks. I think he comes up with this stuff all on his own. He also defends Hitler's position in WW2, so..............:0P

Here's to hoping he will change...........

Answer 9

This is the generation that was raised by the first generation of single-parent welfare recipients created by the Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Program. Their grandparents were kids when they had their parents (who also are single-parents) and they didn't have respect for the law. The apples don't usually fall too far from the tree.

Answer 10

Look to the media. Listen to the popular songs. Police represent authority and most kids want to rebel against authority and bashing the cops is a quick and convienient way to gain noteriety and a reputation.
There are also the instances of bad cops getting so much air time and media exposure that people begin to believe all cops are bad.
Funny how all these media and music stars who bash cops are the first ones to call the cops when their house gets broken into or they get shot at or threatened. They should be kissing that cops *** when he/she shows up at their door!
God bless the police and keep them and their families safe. They do a thankless job and are solely responsible for keeping our society from becoming anarchy.