Violence In School?

[Soki]

I found this cartoon on one of my favourite German language humour websites, Tot Aber Lustig (Dead but Funny). The humour of the website uses death as it's inspiration and this particular cartoon is taken from the news.

The voice bubble translates as: Great, only school supplies again.

Considering the growing violence is schools everywhere this cartoon is very a propos. Parents and authorities are blaming the violent video games for causing it all. Experts 'poo poo" the link just as they did twenty, thirty and even forty years ago over television violence. They say there is no direct causal link yet I ask, Where are the studies? Have any studies actually been done to test the theory that violent video games and/or television programmes do or do not make kids more violent and aggressive? Not that I can find and those responsible for producing the stuff don't seem to want to find out either.

Today's youth are not being brought up properly. In fact, I would say every generation since the Second World War have not been correctly reared at all. There is far too much freedom and not enough discipline. Education standards have been lowered generation after generation with the resulting decline in economic productivity when these kids end up in the work force. People work longer today than they did thirty years ago but they accomplish less. They work harder but not smarter.

Can we blame television and video games? Sure, why not? It's an easy scape goat, but it is also most likely true. The real blame goes to the parents and the incredibly permissive and decadent society they have created, Today's children will create an even more permissive and decadent society and so forth until it all collapses in on itself.

What happens then? There are authoritarian and totalitarian groups waiting in the wings for the right moment. When permissiveness and decadence can no longer give people, especially young people, what they need they will turn to exact opposite and demand an end to decadence. Unfortunately, unless they are careful, it could also mean an end to their freedom.

Radical Islam and pseudo-Nazi and fascist groups are just waiting for the opportunity to walk in and supplant decadence with slavery in the name of freedom.

All because of video games.

 

[Swiblet]

Yeah, video games =/ Mortal Kombat is sure to be the cause of WW3 someday, and all terrorists will be forced to master Manhunt. All the horrible drivers in Miami play Grand Theft Auto and Crazy Taxi every day, that's for sure!

Haha xD I'll give you rep for that rant. I agree with everything you just said.

~~B3N

 

[Soki]

Yeah, video games =/ Mortal Kombat is sure to be the cause of WW3 someday, and all terrorists will be forced to master Manhunt. All the horrible drivers in Miami play Grand Theft Auto and Crazy Taxi every day, that's for sure!

Haha xD I'll give you rep for that rant. I agree with everything you just said.

~~B3N

Yup. Thanks and rep returned as well :]

 

[Dudey]

Can having students wear uniforms decrease school violence? Many school districts are turning to uniforms, however the statistics proving a connection between uniforms and school violence are not yet conclusive.

 

[rlodge]

Today's youth are not being brought up properly. In fact, I would say every generation since the Second World War have not been correctly reared at all. There is far too much freedom and not enough discipline. Education standards have been lowered generation after generation with the resulting decline in economic productivity when these kids end up in the work force. People work longer today than they did thirty years ago but they accomplish less. They work harder but not smarter.

I agree with this part even though I don't quite understand the last two sentences. They don't seem to fit. People work longer but accomplish less? Chalk that up to employers trying to save a buck by laying off three people and having the fourth do all four people's work.

Kids do have too much freedom and too little supervision. TV, PC, and game consoles have become the "new nanny". Every kid I see has a cell phone now and they live on it. Some kids are reaching a point of "information overload" and since their only companion is the TV, PC, game console or cell phone they aren't getting the help processing it that I got from my parents.

Can we blame television and video games? Sure, why not? It's an easy scape goat, but it is also most likely true. The real blame goes to the parents and the incredibly permissive and decadent society they have created, Today's children will create an even more permissive and decadent society and so forth until it all collapses in on itself.

It's also become easy to use the parents as a scape goat, also. Raise a hand to your child and even if you really did nothing illegal (physical abuse of the child vs. disciplinary action) you have Child Protective Services breathing down your neck. This came about from two things: 1) Parents who weren't ready to be parents having kids and not knowing how to deal with them (Abuse) 2) People who have their noses in everyone's business but their own. The "Moral Majority" who wants the world to conform to their beliefs even if it means passing useless laws to meet that end.

Many parents tend to throw their hands in the air and say "Well, I can't control them!" I'm not one of those parents. I knew where my kids were at all times, knew who they were with, even followed them a few times to make sure they were where they were supposed to be. If I didn't like one of their friends (the ones who were obvious troublemakers), they didn't see them. I made my judgments on my kids' friends after getting to know them and not through any preconceived notions. They had some really nice friends who looked like freaks and they had some "sweet as honey to your face" friends who turned out to be demons. Parents have a full time job raising and teaching their children and if they're not willing to accept that responsibility then they shouldn't have children.

Can having students wear uniforms decrease school violence? Many school districts are turning to uniforms, however the statistics proving a connection between uniforms and school violence are not yet conclusive.

This has to be the biggest joke (to me anyway) that I have ever heard. I know the saying "The clothing makes the man" but, as I stated before, my daughters had some friends that looked almost like clowns the way they dressed but it generally turned out to be that I had to keep an eye on the ones that were more conservatively dressed. Like the incident at Columbine HS in Colorado. The trench coats were a symptom and not the problem. I have my idea what the problems behind this were but I'll keep that to myself.