| When Newsweek published J. Abler's article "Kids | | | | masses about the reasons behind current conditions, |
| Growing Up Scared" on January 10, 1994, shocking | | | | which will help develop future policies that improve |
| statistics were revealed about the mentality of | | | | the negative conditions that plague our society. |
| children in North America. No longer was childhood | | | | Tragically, even with our advanced educational |
| perceived as an innocent, carefree time that included | | | | degrees and technological development, North |
| riding bikes with children in the neighborhood or | | | | America is still far from winning the war against |
| walking to friends' homes. The change in the | | | | terrorism, drugs, and criminals. Effective policies that |
| economy, family structure, and an increase in | | | | truly address these issues have not been developed, |
| publicized crimes against children have played critical | | | | as politics has been clouded by lobbying and private |
| roles in forcing kids to grow up scared. | | | | interests. The only way for society and government |
| The amount of violence broadcasted in mass media | | | | to improve from this point forward is to increase the |
| has shaped the perception of safety for children and | | | | accessibility of education and intellectuals. |
| their families. | | | | No longer should scholars confine themselves to the |
| Although cases of kidnappings and murders of | | | | safety of the ivory tower; rather, their knowledge |
| children are small in reality, they are consistently | | | | and analytical skills are critically needed to improve |
| broadcasted through the media. Subsequently, more | | | | our current societal and governmental conditions. |
| than 50% of the children surveyed feared violent | | | | Scholars and intellectuals must take an active role in |
| crime against the children or their family members. | | | | politics and government; they must be accessible for |
| This pervasive fear has certainly robbed children of | | | | media interviews, as this informs and educates the |
| their childhood, but is really attributed more by the | | | | masses regarding the unbiased, scholarly perceptions |
| fear of crime than the realistic danger violent crime | | | | of issues that plague the country today. The role of |
| poses. | | | | intellectuals is not to develop theories that only |
| Crimes against children have become much more | | | | remain in textbooks; it is the intellectuals' |
| publicized than ever before. In the 1950s, Newsweek | | | | responsibilities to develop policies that improve the lot |
| ran five stories on child abuse during the decade, | | | | of mankind and society. |
| which only accounts for one fourth of the stories ran | | | | There certainly exists great possibility that our |
| in 1993 alone. Therefore, parents and the general | | | | society can improve its condition and provide a safe |
| public have become more aware of potential violent | | | | environment for generations to come. When the |
| crimes against their children through these mass | | | | media begins accurately reporting both positive and |
| media effects. | | | | negative issues that impact our society, we can |
| Secondly, the change in the modern family structure | | | | make informed decisions that better our society. If |
| forces children to grow up quickly. No longer does | | | | the scholars and intellectuals become involved in public |
| the mother stay at home to take care of the | | | | policy, our society has an ability to defeat the social |
| children. Now, both parents work full-time jobs to | | | | conditions that plague it today. However, change also |
| support the family lifestyle, and children are left at | | | | can begin with the individual. By reflecting upon the |
| home to take care of themselves - make their own | | | | fundamentals that shaped the forefathers that built |
| meals, manage their own schedule for homework and | | | | our land, we can easily understand how to shape a |
| television, coordinate their own social lives. Although | | | | safer world. With hard work, dedication, and honesty, |
| there is no evidence that indicates that children are | | | | our forefathers cleared the plains with their bare |
| competent in these life activities, parents push and | | | | hands and created a safe world for their families and |
| assume competency so that the children are in line | | | | children. They believed in the strength of the Lord, |
| with the adults' needs and work schedule. | | | | shared the Good News with their children, and spent |
| Essentially, children are already left out to deal with | | | | quality time with their families. |
| the dangers of the real world because their parents | | | | In today's world, faith and love have seemingly been |
| have pushed them to grow up quickly and become | | | | replaced by material goods. Whereas love previously |
| responsible for themselves. No longer are concerns | | | | gave children comfort, today's parents attempt to |
| focused on what's best for the child, but rather what | | | | overcompensate by "buying" love in the form of |
| the child can handle as soon as possible. | | | | toys and consumer goods. However, this only |
| Subsequently, children are forced to grow up quickly | | | | continues to debilitate our society, as children are |
| and expected to handle adult responsibilities during | | | | raised to believe that we can buy anything our |
| their childhood. They are now essentially raised by | | | | hearts' desire. |
| their own hands and the supervision of the television, | | | | The material factor in our lives has resulted in the |
| which only purports unrealistic notions regarding | | | | lack of respect throughout society. This lack of |
| society and family life. However, without adult | | | | respect for people, property, and for God is |
| supervision and influence, how will children | | | | translating into a selfish way of living. Subsequently, |
| differentiate between realistic expectations and | | | | living selfishly only continues to shape our world |
| dramatic Hollywood stories? | | | | through unsafe and insecure means. In order to build |
| The media's focus in the last two decades has been | | | | a better, safer world for our families and our future |
| on violence, crime, and terror. Although there are | | | | generations, it is important to nourish real love: love |
| plenty of "good" stories that occur in real life, these | | | | for our Lord, our families and for our country. Once |
| are unlikely to be reported. The reason the media | | | | we truly love, we will start to give our children the |
| reports violent, negative stories is because they | | | | comfort and safety that is desperately needed. |
| believe that this "sells," which increases profit margins | | | | By foregoing the importance of material desires, we |
| for the corporations that own the media formats. | | | | become humble, and this allows people to truly give. |
| However, mass media must return to its basic | | | | Give something of yourself to your family, your |
| fundamental responsibility, which is to report without | | | | children, or your country. The gift of oneself is a rare |
| bias the critical events and issues facing the country | | | | gift today, but is how an individual can shape the |
| today. This would be the first step in educating the | | | | negative conditions prevalent in our world today. |