The attitudes and conduct of some 29,760 high school students across the United States "doesn't bode well for the future when these youngsters become the next generation's politicians and parents, cops and corporate executives, and journalists and generals," the non-profit Josephson Institute said.
In its 2008 Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth, the Los Angeles-based organization said the teenagers' responses to questions about lying, stealing and cheating "reveals entrenched habits of dishonesty for the workforce of the future."
Overall, 30 percent of students admitted to stealing from a store within the past year, a two percent rise from 2006. More than one third of boys (35 percent) said they had stolen goods, compared to 26 percent of girls.
"Cheating in school continues to be rampant and it's getting worse," the study found. Amongst those surveyed, 64 percent said they had cheated on a test, compared to 60 percent in 2006. And 38 percent said they had done so two or more times.
But it's all OK. At least these little lying, cheating thieves feel good about themselves.
"Despite these high levels of dishonesty, these same kids have a high self-image when it comes to ethics." Some 93 percent of students indicated satisfaction with their own character and ethics, with 77 percent saying that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know." Children are a reflection of society's adults. So 30% of young Americans steal, 64% cheat, but 93% are satisfied with their character and ethics. This self-awareness gap explains a lot about what is going on in America today.
7 comments:
I don't know who's saying this is all okay as long as they feel good about themselves? It seems like you're just making up a group of people to disagree with there. I don't think a lot of people are saying this is good or okay. The cheating part is especially alarming because all those credentials people receive mean even less (http://reaching-oblivion.blogspot.com/2008/12/book-learnin.html)
And also, "like father like son" this is alarming because there have never been results like this before (e.g. the previous generation).
Also, and sorry to pile on, but I heard about this on the news last week (CBC radio 1).
Otherwise, I fully agree with your sentiments.
I'm not crafting straw men here. This was a news article, and I find it alarming. I'm also not saying that there are people who say this is ok.
What I am saying is that this reflects badly on our society. The kids had to learn this from somewhere, or at the least they have no guidance telling them this is wrong.
Finally, look at our politicians, public figures and permissive parents, and you can see how the kids got the idea that this is ok.
Hobbes would problably say that they need better monitors during tests, and more cameras and security guards in the shops. Stricter parents might help as well, but... there's no way to implement that.
Part of the reason I dislike formal education (something I failed to mention in http://reaching-oblivion.blogspot.com/2008/12/book-learnin.html) was that the fact that everyone in my class around me was cheating, and the rest were getting their parents to complain and get them extensions, and trying to find other loop holes to actually learning anything is a big reason why formal education has left me so disenfranchised.
It is alarming. I wouldn't say we didn't have this problem from decades ago but the American culture is declining. The ratio of studious children vs. not-so studious children was maybe:
7:3 (1940s)
6:4 (1960s)
5:5 (1980s)
4:6 (1990s)
Suddenly 6:4 (2000s) where 2 out of 6 are really from different countries, studying here (in America), learning, evolving, and heading back to their native countries to apply their knowledge.
I really see a decaying exponential pattern here.
What would it be of the U.S. by the year 2030 if we do not intervene now?
I think there are way too many negative factors associated with this trend. One is school administrator and officials, to them money talks. It isn't like the old days where teachers and educators were in education because of their passion to teach regardless of any monetary compensation. That has been part of the problem. The American culture has definitely changed.
By no means I'm implying that I gathered data from any kind of research nor investigation just seems to be the pattern from the first depression to today.
It sound like you're suggesting gov't intervention of some sort; could this be?
Why are you so worried about other people's children. Aren't they free to be ignorant?
The right to their ignorance ends where my nose begins
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