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Parents Should Teach Children About Respect
POSTED: 12:52 p.m. EDT May 20, 2003
CLEVELAND -- Most "four-letter" words have been around for a long time. But plenty of teachers, authors, and parents feel today's teens are using those words more than any generation in the past, NewsChannel5's Tonya Strong reported in Tuesday's Connecting With Kids.
In a casual conversation between Verona Patrick, 14, and her friends, you need to "bleep" out a lot of words.
"Everyone swears," she said.
"I mean, it's nothing big to us," Tyler Fish, 15, said.
Is the foul language -- often big-time profanity -- used by kids these days worse than ever?
"I see kids all the time now who talk to their parents that way and talk to their friends that way," said Deborah Christy, an English teacher.
"They're also taking their clues and cues from the media, with cable television, with network television," said Robert Simmerman, a psychologist.
In fact, according to the Parents' Television Council, cursing on television has risen 78 percent in recent years.
"And when children have seen that happening on television, they think it's OK for them in their real lives," Christy said.
Experts said the problem is that cussing can become a habit.
"And while your best friend may appreciate that it's a joke, a stranger won't, an employer won't, a teacher won't," Christy said.
Bad language became a habit for Tyler, who was sent to detention for saying the "f-word" in front of a teacher.
"I cussed again in that class so I got another detention so it's just in my vocabulary," he said.
When it comes to teenagers, parents should explain that they don't like cussing and that using profanity sends a message about who they are and what they think of the other person. It comes down to respect, experts said.
Young children should be corrected, but parents shouldn't make too big of a deal about it, because they're likely just repeating what that they hear from their parents or somebody else.
Check out NewsChannel5's mission statement for Connecting With Kids. Also, be sure to visit the Connecting With Kids Web site for more information and helpful tips.
In a casual conversation between Verona Patrick, 14, and her friends, you need to "bleep" out a lot of words.
"Everyone swears," she said.
"I mean, it's nothing big to us," Tyler Fish, 15, said.
Is the foul language -- often big-time profanity -- used by kids these days worse than ever?
"I see kids all the time now who talk to their parents that way and talk to their friends that way," said Deborah Christy, an English teacher.
"They're also taking their clues and cues from the media, with cable television, with network television," said Robert Simmerman, a psychologist.
In fact, according to the Parents' Television Council, cursing on television has risen 78 percent in recent years.
"And when children have seen that happening on television, they think it's OK for them in their real lives," Christy said.
Experts said the problem is that cussing can become a habit.
"And while your best friend may appreciate that it's a joke, a stranger won't, an employer won't, a teacher won't," Christy said.
Bad language became a habit for Tyler, who was sent to detention for saying the "f-word" in front of a teacher.
"I cussed again in that class so I got another detention so it's just in my vocabulary," he said.
When it comes to teenagers, parents should explain that they don't like cussing and that using profanity sends a message about who they are and what they think of the other person. It comes down to respect, experts said.
Young children should be corrected, but parents shouldn't make too big of a deal about it, because they're likely just repeating what that they hear from their parents or somebody else.
Check out NewsChannel5's mission statement for Connecting With Kids. Also, be sure to visit the Connecting With Kids Web site for more information and helpful tips.
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