The Importance of Guiding Our Children

I was substituting the other day and finally put my finger on something that has been bothering me for a long time. I was observing the girls, and they are still girls, interact with each other and the boys in the class. While many of them show signs of becoming lovely young ladies, significant numbers of them behave in a very ugly fashion.

These girls acted in ways I found (when I was young) and still find vulgar. Their voices are harsh and guttural. Their demeanor is cheap and abrasive. They dress and act in a sexually suggestive manner. They touch boys in ways that show a level of intimacy that is inappropriate for both their age and school setting. They frequently initiate the contact. They are confrontational to teachers and have no interest in school or education. They spit out obscenities with no thought to the fact that a teacher might overhear. What can they possibly look forward to in their futures?

No young woman can ever expect to be treated properly by a man unless she behaves properly and has high expectations. Please don't get angry and suggest that the girl's behavior shouldn't serve to excuse cruel treatment. That is not the point. The kind of behavior these girls exhibit is not the kind which will attract the kind of man who will treat them tenderly and with respect.

I think I am very sensitive about the issue because I am a woman, and women tend to be on the receiving end of abuse in an abusive relationship. I can?t imagine that these young girls want to end up in destructive relationships. Surely, they would not choose to be hurt. Is it that they can?t conceive of anything better or that there is no one to show them the way?

The question is, how involved should schools be in discussing and dictating behavior? These are two separate issues. I am not going to address the topic of discussion. That is another matter. However, I believe that schools would do well to focus more on behavior. Much of what goes on in classrooms should be dealt with by teachers and members of the administration. When any student behaves in a manner that would not be tolerated at any job or in many public places, students should be reminded that school is a place where we show respect for ourselves and others. Adults need to guide young people on their journey to becoming mature, responsible adults. If we don?t, we have no right to expect more from them and our future.

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