Who is to Blame for the Younger Generation?

Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn’t have anything to do with it.” Haim Ginott

Youth today has a bad name, but who is to blame? You constantly hear stories on the news of “Youth Crime” and young people today don’t have the best name in general.

The thing is the criticism always does come from the older generation “as if they didn’t have anything to do with it”

So are the younger generation the way they are as a product of the older generation or are they the way they are because of lack of heeding the older generation? I think some blame can be placed on each different side.

Parents have a massive roll to play in a child’s development and upbringing. And the way children are nurtured, how they are cared for and what their childhood experience is like all affect the way they will turn out in their youth years. All of which are controlled largely by the adult influences around them. So how can adults sit and criticise youth when they are a product of the older generation?

It is true, and I have seen this by assisting in class rooms, tha youth/teenagers increasingly have more of an attitude. There are those who are disrespectful and don’t heed authority. Those who expect to get whenever they want. But is that because of their upbringing? Maybe they were spoiled, or have parents who don’t assert authority and they just do what they want.

I think a big part of disrespect and attitude in the youth is because they know how far they can be punished and the punishment that is allowed for breaking rules they just are not scared of. They know parents can only punish so far and that undermines parents authority totally. I don’t know about you but the fear of the punishment of my parents was enough to stop me doing a lot of things and I believe youth nowadays do not have that fear of authority because they know because of particular laws that have been passed that they can’t be punished in certain ways, police cant use the same kind of force, and parents can’t even smack their child.

Now there are some good reasons why these laws were implemented but the result of them is the dramatic increase in violence, youth crime, disrespect, expulsions and the list can go on. And it is because they are not afraid of the punishment and I sincerely believe that. Take away effective punishment and you take away the power of authority. Some people are not even scared of going to prison because of some of the privileges you can get there; free courses, more education, some people have came out of prison with degree. While these are good, it just makes prison less of a punishment.

I think the problem is because of both how children have been brought up, but I also believe it is because more and more the fear of authority is diminishing in young people, and if it continues it could get into a state of disrepair. I do also think aswell that the bad name that is placed on the youth is there because of the few and not the majority, but you can see it more and more and if something is not done, we could see that reverse.

The older generation needs to be more assertive in discipline and demand the respect that is due to them being good role models. The younger generation needs to respect those above them and fear authority and make wise choices in all the different areas of their life.

I do see a lot of hope in the Younger generation, I believe they have a lot to offer and a great vision that the older generation needs to nurture and get beside and help the positive develop in the youth. And by doing that, maybe we can resolve together all the negative that there is at the moment.