Teenage Moral Illiteracy
Causes, Effects, and Resolutions
It's a
typical day at
Illiteracy, the "inability
to read and write" (Merriam-Webster Online 2004), is obviously not the
only problem that exists in many of
Today, people point their
fingers at different reasons for teenage moral illiteracy. Usually, there is
not always one source, but rather a conglomerate of sources. This includes all
of the facets that make up the media. Television features programs that focus
on promiscuous sexuality (Ex- The Bachelor/Bachelorette), movies and video games contain excessive
violence, music is filled with foul language, and pornography is popular on the
Internet. Environment, including the home and community, can also influence how
teenagers behave. For example, there is a very violent youth culture in
Therefore, there are fewer opportunities
for parents to discuss anything, including morality with their children. Many
blame peer pressure. Often students are heard being pressured into smoking,
stealing, cutting class, etc. However, teens can also be pressured into doing
things that are less severe such as cursing and insulting. These things may not
be as obvious to being immoral if students see their friends doing them all the
time. They are more likely to do it as harmless fun, as opposed to falling prey
to a peer pressure attack. Others blame the individual. In the end, no matter
what the motive, everyone's responsible for their own actions. Some scientists
say that genetics may even play a part in one's behavior ("Biomedicine,
Ethics, and Society: Genetics and Human Behavior" 2002). School
curriculum, which must be secular and not leaning toward any particular moral
philosophy or religion, often can't directly teach good morals. Also in school,
the promotion of individualism and free thinking, two of the main motives for
the Youth Revolt of the 1960s, is very strong.
The lack of religion is another
probable cause for teenage moral illiteracy. Those who conduct their lives
according to the Bible's commands, mainly Jews and Christians, believe God to
be omniscient or "possessed of universal or complete knowledge"
(Merriam-Webster Online 2004). "God is all-knowing. His
directions are always right" (Henry T. Blackaby
and Claude V. King 1990). In Deuteronomy, Moses asserts, "Take to
heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may
command your children to obey carefully the words of this law. They are not
just idle words for you - they are your life" (The NIV Study Bible 1995). ""Life" in this context refers to all that makes
life rich, full and productive - as God created it to be" (The NIV Study
Bible 1995). From this we can conclude that followers of the Bible see a
connection between adopting the Scriptures and proper behavior. They, however,
are not the only ones who see this connection. The "nineteenth-century
poet, essayist, and thinker, Matthew Arnold saw the Bible as a great work of
literature and a means of advancing culture, though he did not hold to personal
faith in Christ. But he recognized the importance of the
Christian faith as a guide for society and saw the waning of faith as a loss
for society" (Ronald Nash 1996).
Speaking of a loss for society,
there exist many consequences to teenage moral illiteracy. It can hurt the
self, family, friends and classmates, communities and even nations. Disrespect
creates difficult relationships between teens and adults. Selfishness and lying
hurt friendships. A cheating, bribe-accepting local government can negatively
affect the lives of thousands of residents. Name calling spreads like wildfire
throughout schools. A community where many people curse at home and in public
can encourage more people, typically younger people, to curse. As sexual
innuendoes become more popular on television, the youth of nations will likely
take on a similar mindset that premarital sex and affairs are more common and
widely accepted, leading them to believe that promiscuous sex is okay. The
consequences become more visible and difficult to resolve as more people become
morally illiterate.
School is a sure place to
witness many of these causes and effects of teenage moral illiteracy. As the
various parts of our society find themselves in a moral slump, educators are
finding it more necessary for schools to consider character education. Teens
can't make morally sound decisions if they aren't first taught the difference
between right and wrong, and therefore, learn how to judge. Character education
"involves teaching children about basic human values including honesty,
kindness, generosity, courage, freedom, equality, and respect. The goal is to
raise children to become morally responsible, self-disciplined citizens"
("Character Education"). Character Counts!,
an organization specializing in this system of education works around the six
pillars of character, which include "trustworthiness, respect,
responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship" (Background: Purpose
2001). They strongly encourage parental involvement "as with any
instruction, effective character education benefits from consistency and
repetition, from the family room to the school room to the locker room"
("Background: Approach and Who's Values, What Values?" 2001). They
put forth a seemingly farfetched, utopian-like ideal that "If character
education is to be effective, diverse groups must work together,
society-wide" ("Background: Who's Values, What Values?" 2001).
In other words, character education must be taught throughout the nation, in
order to experience its full effect.
Many, however, are against
character education. They present a similar argument to John Dewey who
explains, "...moral (or character) education is inevitably reduced to some
kind of catechetical instruction" (John Dewey 1916). It is argued that
schools would be teaching Christian values, which could be claimed a violation
of the separation of church and state. Adversaries of character education also
say that the system calls for all students to blindly follow authority, similar
to the novel 1984 by H. G. Wells. "The idea is to get compliance, to make
children act the way we want them to" (James Wm. Noll 2001). They proclaim
that students should, rather be given the opportunity to make more decisions as
opposed to being repeatedly told what to do. Lawrence Kohlberg, a developmental
psychologist ("Lawrence Kohlberg" 2004), says "...children
should become autonomous ethical agents, independent of family, church and
state…The trouble was its potential for serving totalitarian causes. The
methods sometimes employed in forming character were also the methods regularly
used by tyrants in indoctrinating the masses... in the wrong hands, habit
formation could be used to induce a habit of blind obedience" (William
Kilpatrick 1992). More specifically, they are afraid that students will be
taught to behave a certain way with a "Because I told you so"
authority. "The point is to drill students in specific behaviors rather
than to engage them in deep, critical reflection about certain ways of
being" (James Wm. Noll 2001). Therefore students wouldn't understand why
they have to behave a certain way or follow a set of rules. The system could
backfire once they graduate if they are used to being told what to do, and
don't understand how to make their own moral decisions.
When all the debates and
campaigning is said and done, no matter how much of a problem moral illiteracy
may continue to be, the problem needs to be personally recognized. Each person
must have an understanding of their own responsibility to behave properly.
Schools, parents, and the government can do everything in their power to help,
but nothing will be accomplished if teens don't realize that what they do
affects others and that changes need to be made. "Character is
destiny" (James Wm. Noll 2001). Not just the destiny of one person, but of
everyone else they directly and indirectly affect.
Notes (as they appear in report):
1) "Illiteracy." Merriam-Webster Online.
Vers.
2. 2004. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2004
<http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=illiteracy>.
2) "
3) Lickona, Thomas. Educating for Character: How Our
Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility.
4) Biomedicine, Ethics, and Society: Genetics and Human Behavior. Duster,
5) "Omniscient." Merriam-Webster Online. Vers. 2.
2004. Merriam-Webster online Dictionary. 2004
<http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=omniscient&x=19&y=24>.
6) Blackaby Henry T. and Claude V. King. Experiencing God.
7) The NIV Study Bible.
8) The NIV Study Bible.
9) Nash, Ronald. "The Three Kinds of Illiteracy: Moral Illiteracy.."
10) Character Education. Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development (ASCD).
<http://webserver2.ascd.org/tutorials/tutorial2.cfm?ID=15&TITLE=Character%20Education>.
11) Background: Purpose. Character Counts!. 2001.
<http://www.charactercounts.org/backgrnd.htm>
12) Background: Approach and Who's Values, What Values?.
Character Counts!. 2001.
<http://www.charactercounts.org/backgrnd.htm>.
13) Background: Who's Values, What Values?. Character
Counts!. 2001.
<http://www.charactercounts.org/backgrnd.htm/>.
14) Dewey, John. Democracy and Education. 1916. John
Dewey, Democracy and Education. 1916: Intelligence and Character.
15) Noll, James Wm. Taking Sides, Clashing Views on Controversial Educational
Issues.
16) "
17) Kilpatrick, William. Why Johnny Can't Tell Right From Wrong: And What We
Can Do About It. London: Touchstone, 1992. Pg. 113.
18) Noll, James Wm. Taking Sides, Clashing Views on Controversial Educational
Issues.
19) Noll, James Wm. Taking Sides, Clashing Views on Controversial Educational
Issues.
Bibliography (in alphabetical order):
Background. Character Counts!. 2001.
<http://www.charactercounts.org/backgrnd.htm>
Biomedicine, Ethics, and Society: Genetics and Human Behavior. Duster,
Blackaby
Henry T. and Claude V. King. Experiencing God.
Character Education. Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
<http://webserver2.ascd.org/tutorials/tutorial2.cfm?ID=15&TITLE=Character%20Education>.
Dewey, John. Democracy and Education. 1916. John
Dewey, Democracy and Education. 1916: Intelligence and Character. Institute for
Learning Technologies.
Kilpatrick, William. Why Johnny Can't Tell Right From Wrong: And What We Can Do
About It. London: Touchstone, 1992.
"
Lickona, Thomas. Educating for Character: How Our
Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility.
Merriam-Webster Online. 2004. Merriam-Webster online
Dictionary. 2004
<http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=omniscient&x=19&y=24>.
Nash, Ronald. "The Three Kinds of Illiteracy: Moral Illiteracy.."
Noll, James Wm. Taking Sides, Clashing Views on Controversial
Educational Issues.
The NIV Study Bible.
"
