|
|
Over the past ten or more years, there has been a dramatic shift in society’s perception of parents. Research indicates that the two most significant factors which have influenced children’s behaviour are :
- the high incidence of single parent families and
- the unwillingness or inability of parents to offer discipline and adequate control over their children, especially from the age of ten onwards.
The problem from my perspective is that where parenting falls short of control and appropriate discipline, peer pressure and gang discipline take a more dominant role. We all need boundaries and rules. Where we do not get them from our families, we take them from our wider environment, especially our peers.