Do you think more children today are disrespectful than they were 60 years ago?

1. 71

   backporchstoriesposted 12 years ago

   Do you think more children today are disrespectful than they were 60 years ago?
   
   We learn from our media all about bullying and bloody girl fights.  Even though bullying existed in the 50s and "cat" fights were known among the girls, is this more intense today and why?

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2. 61

   glmclendonposted 12 years ago

   Yes. I think this is do to children having children and the effect of the type of TV our kids watch and the songs they hear. Parents want to be friendsand not parents. Kids see their parents model unacceptable behaviorat more can we get from the kids?

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3. 87

   billybucposted 12 years ago

   I don't think it, I know it! I would love to blame the media but lessons of respect begin at home.  Bullying begins at home, disrespect begins at home, all anti-social behavior begins at home.  Children are not born as bullies....they are not born disrespectful....they are not born as rude human beings....that is a learned behavior.

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4. 61

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   Absolutely.  When I as a girl if a teacher called me on something, I was scared to death because she/he was an authority figure.  Nowadays kids do not have that same trepidation when an adult in authority speaks to them.
   
   Why?  I wish I knew, but I really am not sure.

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5. 91

   MarleneBposted 12 years ago

   Yes. I do think children today are more disrespectful. I believe a majority of it is because the parents allow it. A lot of today's parents are either too busy or just don't have an interest in being significantly involved with their children. Children are growing themselves up - not knowing what to do. I think today's children crave attention, so any behavior, even disrespectful behavior is going to give them the attention they are starving to receive.

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6. 70

   Freeway Flyerposted 12 years ago

   Since I wasn't around 60 years ago, I can't really say. But the fact that many people will probably say yes is partly the result of a human tendency to romanticize the past. 1950's greasers, after all, seemed a bit disrespectful.

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   1. 71

      backporchstoriesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting thoughts.  However, if we explore the subject I think we will find we were had better demonstrations for people around us of moral values back then than today.

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7. 0

   msorenssonposted 12 years ago

   No, I don't think they are more or less disrespectful  as compared to the other times.

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8. 76

   gclittyposted 12 years ago

   Yes.  And it's the parents fault.  Our generation was failed by the last generation a little more than the last generation was failed by the former last generation who was first failed by the former former last generation.

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9. 79

   AnnaCiaposted 12 years ago

   I do think a large percentage of children today are more disrespectful.  As billybuc and others commented, those parents who let activities, experiences and behaviors not appropriate for a child's right development in society, are responsible for the children who are disrespectful.  Family values, responsibilities and respect are elements that are not practice in many households.

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10. 77

    Catherine Kaneposted 12 years ago

    Interesting. This question actually seems to be several questions, so I'm going to try to answer them all.
    
    Are they more disrespectful? Not necessarily. I seem to remember a lot of muttering from kids in the past that I still hear today.
    
    I think that disrespect is often more blatant these days. I think this is mainly because we've gone through a period where people are more interested in being their children's friends than their parents. To be an effective parent, you need to have your priority be raising a decent child to a decent adult, and that needs to be more important than does the child like you.
    
    This shift in parenting is not all bad- part of it is an increase in mutual respect/decrease in abuse, and that's good. The new dynamic just needs better balance ( and parents willing to make the hard decisions)
    
    Other topic- is there more bullying? No. That's something that's always been with us in different forms; but people are becoming more aware of it and less tolerant of it, and that's a good thing

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11. 0

    idratherbeposted 12 years ago

    Yes! Too many parents today, try to be their children's friend, instead of being the parent. They are too lenient and with little to no consequences for bad behavior. You see it all the time in restaurants and in the stores, kids running around wildly, while the parents ignore their bad behavior.

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12. 67

    Clive Donegalposted 12 years ago

    I think that disresepect has always been with us. When I was a child, the majority of classmates were friendly and courteous, but there were a few who were discourteous, although rarely to the extent that we see now.
    Television and film have raised the bar for what is acceptable. Rudeness is celebrated and crude language that we do not use in our home is not uncommon.
    So I think two major factors are at work:
    1. Print and electronic media scour the globe for bad behavior, so we are exposed not only to our personal pool of people who do not adhere to our  standards of behavior, but also to everyone's pool around the world. That is to say that we are aware of a much wider pool of malefactors and discourteous persons.
    2. The standards have changed. By prevalent standards 60 years ago, today's children are wildly out of control. By current standards, they are merely freer to express themselves. Children are no longer seen but not heard. They speak out and believe that if it is true, rudeness is not a factor. It is merely freedom of speech, as they understand it.
    3. The children who are rude are so confrontational about it that it feels more widespead than it is.
    Despite the foregoing, the vast majority of the children I see are well-mannered, even by my standards from 60 years ago.

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13. 86

    Justin Muirposted 12 years ago

    Every generation thinks that the up and coming generation is going to hell in a handbag.  I think there has been a fundamental shift in how younger people interact with each other and authority figures but it has probably been the result of technology and stark social realities (high divorce rates, rough job markets, healthcare, etc)

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14. 76

    algarveviewposted 12 years ago

    I think so, because parents let them get away with most things since they are small, so they have this sense of impunity... When I was a child I was perfectly  aware I would not get away with whatever wrong I did, my mom would make sure of that, so... Now, I have children and I hope I will be able to do as well as she did in that department, altough I'm affraid they may be victims of these other children, but that is another matter...

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15. 53

    celafoeposted 11 years ago

    absolutely, but back then the parents had morals and believed in raising up their
    children.   Most moms were home with them,    Today they are mostly drug up or they raise themselves.   Parents dont have time to raise them because they are too busy looking out for themselves.     in fact in some states if you try to raise your kids right today they may take them away from you.   Unfortunately we have too many liberals and psychiatrists  trying to run everyones life.  I would place a lot of the blame on the public schools dumbing down of everyone in the mix too.
    This sure isnt the country i grew up in.

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