Intentional Character
I grew up in a small town near Santa Cruz, California. Progress was a little slow. One frustrating aspect of this slow progress was how long it took the town to put in a stoplight at increasingly dangerous intersections. There were usually several accidents that occurred until finally the city decided it was time to do something about the problem.
Society, in general seems to operate in a similar manner when it comes to children. Ask any parent or teacher and they will speak chapter and verse on how important it is to listen to kids and be there for them. Most adults understand how critical it is to guide children on their path to adulthood.
Now ask yourself when the last time was you explained to a two year old the importance of manners, or when you instructed an eighteen month old to help clean her mess. If a three year old is caught lying, is it worth much effort to correct them, or are they just too young to know better? Dr. Thomas Lickona, author of Raising Good Children, Bantam Books 1994, discusses the critical importance of intentionally teaching kids character traits that will allow them to succeed in life. It is a fact that most kids are born "good." But is this enough to face the challenges our world is presenting to kids today? Let's look at statistics offered by Dr. Michele Borba, author of Building Moral Intelligence; The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing, Jossey Bass, A Wiley Company 2001.
Crime: Every 7 minutes a child is arrested for a violent crime. US kids are 10 times more likely to commit murder than comparably aged youths in Canada.
Suicide: Adolescent suicide has increased 400% in 30 years. The United States has the highest youth homicide and suicide rates among the 26 wealthiest nations in the world, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Peer Cruelty and Bullying: 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by peers. The National School Safety Center calls bullying "the most enduring and underrated problem in American schools."
Behavior Problems: Hyperactivity and attention deficits have increased 700% in two decades. One in 30 youngsters 5 to 19 years old is using Ritalin, according to the American Medical Association. Adolescent depression has increased 1000% in 40 years.
Violence: 24% of high schoolers say they took a weapon to school at least once in the past year. 73% of 10-to 18-year-olds hit someone during the year because they were angry, according to the Josephson Institute of Ethics.
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