Throughout the history of mankind, family structure, values, and virtues were fairly well adhered to. However, in today’s society, due to lack of religion and morality amongst other things, the family value system is rapidly deteriorating. Our society must emphasize the virtues of the traditional family and its values. Poverty, crime, and declining school performance are three of the greatest concerns that can be attributed to children being raised in untraditional families. Today, more than half of the increase in poverty is attributed to changes in the family structure.
When parents divorce, instead of having the income from two people, there is now only income from one person. This often causes a once middle class family to become a lower class family. Also because of our nation’s poverty, billions of dollars are spent on welfare, public housing, and other such programs for the poor people. In her essay “Dan Quale Was Right,” Barbara D. Whitehead explains why poverty affects everyone, not just individuals: ” This does not bode well for the future .
. . Poverty and . . . welfare costs .
. . become heavier burdens on the nation”(193). Furthermore, the children need to be raised in a well-structured family value system so that our nation as a whole will not suffer, and when they become adults, they will be able to work productively in a structured atmosphere.
In addition, the crime rate is both increasing rapidly and becoming more violent. Many crimes can be attributed to the rise of non-traditional families. Whitehead further states, “Nationally, more than seventy percent of all juveniles in state reform institutions come from fatherless homes”(193). Therefore, some children raised without a father figure, or in a non-traditional family; may end up as criminals.
A child needs to have a father not only to enforce positive behavior, but also to penalize improper behavior. In addition, a child needs a father figure as a role model. Mothers are equally important to lend an ear, give loving care, and to nurture. Moreover, untraditional or improper behavior displayed by parent(s) may have long-lasting negative effects on children. Despite the fact that children attend school regularly, their decline in performance is on the rise. Though their attendance is mandatory, they often learn little or nothing, often graduating high school without knowing how to solve simple math problems, or even how to read.
These children are illiterate. Inasmuch as children mimic their parent’s irresponsible behavior, irresponsibility can become a negative way of life. This negativity may manifest itself in a variety of different ways some of which are: drug abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, or violent crime. When children come to school high on drugs, they can not learn anything. Whitehead further notes that the biggest problem of reforming the school systems is the fact that the number of children coming from disrupted families is rising (194). Another reason for the decline in school performance is that coming from broken homes, these children are pre occupied and can not concentrate in school, because they may need to work to help support their family or they may be abused.
Regardless of the reasons, they have problems that make it difficult to concentrate on their schoolwork and homework. Although the simple remedy to these three major concerns is to reinstate Family values Essay into our society, it is an overly simplistic answer. Nevertheless, eradicating poverty would seem to be the most plausible way to fight crime and improve school performance, for with an increased standard of living, these children would have more tangible things lessening the rage, and alternately improving their performance in school. Ignoring these very real problems will doom not only these children but also the future of mankind.619 Words .
