Before anyone jumps in with and OK Boomer! statement I want to be heard out. I grew up in a very different time than we are in right now and yes, I realize that exactly the same thing was true with the generation who came before. I am sure my fascination with things like computers and video games were quite perplexing to my parents and grandparents just like my observations about teenagers these days and their fascination with apps and phones and the recording of everything that happens in their lives is basically the same thing, only 30 years apart.
People change, this is part of life and I get that. What I don't understand is why it is and how it is that people have seemed to become considerably more violent in the latest generation. Kids these days seem to be much quicker to not just anger, but actually violence. The respect that was drilled into me as a kid doesn't seem to register nearly as much with today's generation and this is true all over America including in my home state of North Carolina.
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When I was a kid, if I got into a fight at all, especially if it was at school or some sort of adult-organized event there would be severe repercussions when I got home to face my parents. Is that simply not happening today?
Two stories recently got out in North Carolina news that I wish I could say was shocking to me but honestly it isn't. I don't interact with kids all that often but I don't need to in order to know simply from being in Wal Mart that it doesn't take a great deal for things to kick off. Of course when it does kick off someone is recording it so this could be indicative of the sort of pressure that as I kid I would sometimes face in the hallways if enough people were watching. I got into a scrap or two in middle and high school that were brought on moreso by the crowd and defending my pride than the actual situation and these days with phone cameras, there is always the potential for a crowd, so to speak.
One report showed that in Charlotte there have been 3,000 juvenile arrests made last year as opposed to years past where it was nearly 40% lower. This could be an anomaly but the worse statistic that came out of all of this was the fact that of these arrests, 70% of them were repeat offenders. In this tiny part of the state they have a "catch and release" program in place that almost immediately hands over the offenders to the parent or parents and there are no other punishments. So if the parents aren't actually willing or capable to reprimand the child on their own the kid doesn't really feel any pressure to stop this sort of behavior now do they? I don't know how you were raised but I was FAR more afraid of my parents than I was of any sort of law-enforcement. Perhaps kids are not going through that today.
Another story talked about how the staff at various camps, which was a big part of my childhood, are saying that they do not have the resources to keep the kids safe at these things. Between sexual assault such as the one that happened to a 14-year old girl at a camp in NC recently, as well as the unsolved and mysterious death of a 12 year old are just indicative of a larger problem. Ex staff of these camps have come forward to say that violence is rampart at these camps and the kids who are attending tend to form some sort of "Lord of the Flies" gangs that prey on all the others. Since the counselors are extremely limited in the punishments they can dole out, their hands are tied.
Again, I think this all boils down to there not being any sort of fear of punishment once these kids get home. I know that if I was to ever have been get sent home from a camp because of some sort of violent encounter, I would be in extreme trouble that I would not soon forget. I don't think that is the case for a lot of the youth today.
One of the camps called Trails Carolina was shut down a few years ago because of a death at the camp, only to be reopened shortly thereafter. Trails Carolina was advertised as an outdoor camp for troubled teens who would go fishing, rock-climbing, canoeing, and other such team building exercises for kids who have shown signs of mental health issues.
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That sounds wonderful and like every other camp that I ever attended but according to ex-staffers who wouldn't even give their full name out of fear or reprisal from the government or the camp itself have come forward to say that none of these activities were allowed to happen because there was too much violence that would ensue. They stated that the children would use almost anything as a weapon to harm other kids and the kids had to be monitored constantly. In one extreme example a counselor had a child tell her that a "gang" of students "couldn't wait to hurt or kill any new student."
What has happened to kids these days? I know that this will come across as a "back in my day" sort of statement but seriously, back in my day if a kid or group of kids ever seriously said that they intended to kill any new kid these kids would be removed and perhaps sent to what we called Juvie Hall until they could be repaired. In one particular situation that I recall from middle school there was a fellow student that was so problematic and such a vicious bully that he was expelled and sort of forced to attend a local military school. I ran into this kid many years later, in the local library, in full uniform, dutifully studying and later on I found out that he went on to be quite successful and got married and had a family. As far as I know his trouble-making days were nipped in the bud and he was "fixed" because of this.
These days it seems the answer to almost anything is to do nothing and the kids just keep getting increasingly violent as a result. Ultimately, I think this all boils down to poor parenting, which wasn't really something I witnessed a great deal as a kid. These days, it seems to be growing in prevalence.
I don't have the answer to this problem but continuing to do what we have been doing is definitely not the answer. It makes me happy that I don't have any kids and I can understand why more and more families are removing their children from US public programs including public school. We MUST do better than this.
My son's time at school was characterised more by the fact that children were not allowed to fight or brawl in the school playground. Sitting still in the classroom and the lack of understanding that children do not resolve their conflicts verbally but rather physically has, in my opinion, led to children being treated like adults, which they are not. Chair circles and class councils, as if you were doing group therapy sessions, that's more my impression of school life.
Over-pedagogising and psychologising what is actually quite normal child behaviour. Adults in education systems look for problems where there are none. Which leads to children and teenagers who grow up in a purely verbal world and have to please the politically correct adults who know little about children themselves because we live in family-poor societies.
Even in my own generation, the Freudian view that all problems came from the parents was very popular. As a result, many of my generation became unable to have relationships, never got married and never made long-term commitments. Some of them live to a ripe old age with the illusion that their parents were responsible for their miserable lives; still complaining. I'm not surprised that young people freak out under this social and political pressure and tend towards violence. They have no reliable male or female role models.
Nevertheless, I would say that violence is not increasing in numbers (at least not in my location), but that the prevalence of extreme examples has increased due to the incredible use of internet media and the film device in mobile phones; something you mention here and I find important.
Since the physical and local neighbourhood of young people in cities is primarily non-existent and parents and relatives have not been role models for a long time, it is media figures and characters that the whole world is talking about. Celebrities, politicians and other public figures. Individuals also strive to become public figures, as they do not see private and local relationships that offer them long-term support. People don't mainly talk about their neighbours or the local shopkeeper or the postman or the brother-in-law etc. because these people either don't exist or move away (fluctuation). The family, as a coherent unit, with mother, father and grandparents as the authoritative knowledgeable figures, is not sufficiently present in modern societies. If people were gossiping about you forty or fifty years ago, then at some point it would reach you and you could think about whether something could be done to improve your behaviour. Today (at least in cities), nobody gossips any more and so it is at least explainable to me that this need somehow tries to break through elsewhere ("(anti-)social media").
But I would like to point out that what seems to be extreme can seem that way because we mistake media for reality. The teenagers and young people I knew and know are rather uninterested in becoming mature people. They fall for the virtue signals in one place and don't give a f... in others. It was the same with us, I am afraid. "Get a career", they are being told, not "create stable relationships" (family or company). Though, I cherish some hope for future peoples since the madness must come to an end.
Sorry, this topic arouses me. So it got long.
Greetings from Germany.
What an absolutely epic response. That was better than my blog write-up. Gonna head over to your page now and see if you have similar insights in your posts!
Thanks, man. I think you'll find mirrored in my postings what I had written here. Since I am not very active it's "old" what you may find over there. Still, I'd appreciate your response if you have anything to say. I like your style of writing and telling from real life happenings and your location.
Bye bye.
Things really got crazy in the public schools a few years back, some commies looked at the punishment rates by race and were shocked to discover that black kids were getting suspended more than others, they declared that the schools must be racist for doing this, because it can't be that blacks get in trouble more. So in order to fix this their solution was simply to no longer punish or suspend black kids, it took only a very short period after implementing this policy that violence got out of control and they had to start posting police officers in all the local high schools.
well we can't be racist can we? Even if the statistics all line up in that particular demographic you can't ever point it out because if you do you are a racist bigot nazi! Probably a transphobe as well!
If children have been identified as having any sort of behavioral or mental difference, they are medicated. The schools insist that these children are medicated. If they are not, then the parents are threatened with child "protective" services. These drugs are known to cause violent and suicidal thoughts and behavior. The parents could lose their children if either they refuse to medicate, or their punishments are deemed too severe by any school or medical personel.
Defund and disband CPS. End medical mandates or interferences in the schools. Better yet, don't send your children to those prisons! After the trauma that was inflicted on our children during the covid con, is it any wonder so many of them are acting out? The kids who are not acting out are the abnormal ones if you ask me.
I don't know what to say about those camps though. Horrible!
Nanny state and lack of personal responsibility has likely lead to a lot of this. Back in my day the whoopin you would face from your mom and dad was far more worse of a fate than briefly going to get talked down to by a principal, guidance counselor, or even a cop.
I hadn't factored in the meds thing though, I am sure that is a huge problem and the Covid thing has probably done irreparable damage to kids too.
It's understandable to feel concerned about the changing dynamics and behaviors among younger generations. The shift in societal norms and parenting styles may contribute to the observed increase in violence. Consistent discipline and parental involvement play crucial roles in shaping behavior, and it's disheartening to hear about the lack of consequences for repeat offenders in your area.
parents have to do their job. Anything the government gets assigned to do will be done in the most inefficient and incompetent way possible if you ask me.
It's important for parents to fulfill their responsibilities, but government services can vary in efficiency and effectiveness depending on various factors. Striking a balance between individual and governmental roles can lead to better outcomes for society as a whole.
I noticed a difference in kids from SA when National Service stopped. A lack of respect for anyone and generally not pleasant kids like we once knew. I think by having no discipline at home they think they can do what they want. We used to get caned at school and by the police if caught doing something wrong. All these violent pussy boys need is a good beating to get them into line because they act tough for social media, but really they are snowflakes.
ah yes, corporal punishment.. i remember that. When I was in elementary school the parents had to sign a form agreeing to this but it was relatively light and carefully mandated punishment. The embarrassment of this happening in front of the other kids was worse than the actual pain but it worked. These days I have heard from friends who are teachers that they aren't even allowed to assign extra homework for unruly kids. They basically aren't allowed to discipline bad kids at all so they feel as though their classrooms have become a competition of sorts to see who can act up the most. These teacher friends of mine HATE their jobs now and it is no wonder there is a teacher shortage.
You were lucky because our hidings were severe and not love taps. The worst ones were swimming sessions when we were whipped with the nylon cord from the whistle. Your backside gets used to it and would get whacked at least 3 or 4 times per week. Worst beating was with a Bunsen burner stand (metal) when the science teacher went nuts but ironically I avoided that session with a great lie. I hadn't done my homework and wrote in my book ask teacher as unsure and he said that I was the only honest one in the class. Kids have no clue how bad things were and to be honest I am better for having experienced this.
The way you describe it sounds brutal but I agree with you about anyone having gone through that is likely better off because of it. The coddling that youth receive today doesn't appear to be benefitting them very much.
I think a lot of it has to do with recording stuff for fame. I know what you mean about the pressure to be tough in front of a crowd so I don't look foolish but in my day and I presume yours there was never any video evidence. These days people who want to become internet famous will do awful things to other people even if what they are filming is illegal. After all, it isn't them in the video so they can't be prosecuted.
I totally agree with this. There was no real method of recording anything when I was in high school and the internet didn't yet exist. There was no motivation to attempt to achieve fame by causing harm to another person. The fact that people that DO do this are rewarded sometimes financially also says a lot about today's society. I seriously want to retire on a farm far away from society.