NCJ Number
178620
Date Published
1999
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This analysis is the second part of a multi-year survey being conducted by Public Agenda to document the American public's attitudes regarding the Nation's youth.
Abstract
It is based on two national telephone surveys: one with 1,005 adults aged 18 or older, including 384 parents of children under 18 years old, and one with 328 youths aged 12 to 17 years old. It is a repeat of the benchmark study, "Kids These Days: What Americans Really Think About the Next Generation," prepared in 1997. Survey findings show that most Americans are deeply disappointed with "kids these days." More than 7 in 10 adults resorted to words such as "rude," "irresponsible," and "wild" to describe today's teens, and more than half also described young children disapprovingly. Further, the American public believes that too many youth today lack values and character. The public holds parents fundamentally responsible for how well their children are doing. Criticism of parents was plentiful, as the majority of respondents believed that too many parents have children before they are sufficiently mature to be good parents. Despite their criticism of parents, however, most Americans acknowledge that families have a tough job to do under difficult circumstances. Also, Americans believe that helping kids get a good start in life is one of the most important issues facing the country, even more important than creating jobs or reducing crime. The public is most likely to look to schools, employers, and community- based organizations for solutions, rather than to the government. The teens surveyed said, just as they did 2 years ago, that they have warm relationships with parents and other adults, strong faith in God, and reliable friends. Data on the responses to particular questions are provided.