Might is right for most
More than a quarter of all US teenagers think violent behaviour is at least sometimes acceptable, and one in five say they behaved violently toward another person in the past year, according to a new poll.
Most said self-defence (87%) or helping a friend (73%) were acceptable justifications for violence. But 34% said revenge was a sufficient motivation.
The poll was conducted by Opinion Research for the school-support organization Junior Achievement and the tax and consulting firm Deloitte, LLC.
More than three-fourths of the respondents who said violence is acceptable also consider themselves ethically prepared to
enter the work force, according to a report on LiveScience.com. That sticks in the craw of David W Miller, who is the director of the Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative and a professor of business ethics at the
In an analysis released with the poll, Miller suggests the survey results bode ill for the future workforce. It’s not clear that’s the case, however. In fact, teens are known to think differently than adults because their brains have not matured. Scans reveal that teens’ ethics change dramatically as they grow into adulthood. Or do they?
The survey of 750 young people (half boys, half girls) age 12 to 17 was conducted between October 9 and October 12. The results were released this week.
“It is highly troubling that so many teenagers have a self-image of ethical readiness and the confidence in their ability to make good decisions later in life, yet at the same time freely admit to current behaviour that is highly unethical,” Miller said in a statement accompanying the poll results. “Employers will have their hands full if a quarter of teens grow up still willing to resort to violence and other unethical behavior when it comes to making decisions about how to settle differences, protect their interests or get ahead,” said Miller in a statement. AGENCIES
YOUNG ’N’ RESTLESS: More than a quarter of all
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