NCJ Number
166202
Date Published
1997
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study measures public attitudes toward teenagers, children, and parents and the impact of these attitudes on children and explores how people believe the problems of children should be addressed and what solutions they are willing to support.
Abstract
The study is based on a survey of 2,000 randomly selected adults aged 18 years and older and a survey of 600 randomly selected young people between 12 and 17 years of age, both conducted in December 1996. Americans are convinced that young people face a crisis in values and morals and that children are spoiled and out of control. In addition, Americans feel that parents are fundamentally responsible for the disappointing state of young people because they fail to teach children right from wrong and do not pass on the values children need to become productive members of society. Americans also acknowledge that it is more difficult to be a parent or a child in today's world and that parents, especially mothers, have to work hard and sacrifice for their children. Americans are extremely concerned about drugs, crime, sex and violence in the media, and public schools that often fail to deliver education in a safe and orderly environment. Notwithstanding extensive criticisms of young people, Americans care deeply about children's well-being and are optimistic about the chances of reclaiming the lives of even the most troubled teenagers. They support improving the quality of public schools, offering more programs and activities for children after school, giving parents more flexible work schedules so they can spend more time with their children, imposing curfews, encouraging more involvement by volunteer organizations, pressuring the entertainment industry to produce movies and music with less violence and sex, imposing punishment for young people who commit crimes, increasing the wages and job security of parents, holding parents legally responsible when their kids get into trouble, and offering more government funding for child and health care programs. 2 tables