by Lori Willers

Created on: June 14, 2007

Why are kids today not held responsible for their actions? Why does it always seem to be blamed on bad parenting, violent video games, and various other things. Growing up I was taught from a young age that if I did something wrong there would be consequences. And as I grew older I quickly realized that a lot of things would not be worth the price I would pay for them later.

But in todays' society teenagers have free reign to do as they please and not get punished. I know this from first hand experience with my niece. Who after running away on multiple occasions, various run ins with law enforcement and two separate live in drug rehabilitation centers still to this day has not been punished for her actions. Her mother has done everything from going to find her when she runs off, taking her to counseling, checking her into rehab centers and trying to convince the law to help her by punishing her daughter with at the very least community service to show her there would be consequences for what she was doing.

Finally a judge agreed and ordered 20 hours of community service for an underage drinking incident. After only doing 2 hours of this service it was written off as completed again letting her off the hook. We are talking about a fourteen year old girl who has done more drugs than I even know of, has had over 25 sexual partners, 12 run ins with law enforcement, failed out of the seventh grade and has been pregnant once only to loose the baby after escaping her drug rehabilitation center and getting in a car with two strange men who beat her up pretty good.

She comes from a very loving family and has three siblings all of whom are well adjusted happy kids. The problem in society today isn't that it is anyones fault. But is that teenagers today do not face consequences for their actions. Knowing there is no price to pay they do not see any reason to change what they consider to be a fun lifestyle.

So before you go blaming the parents, the video games, or the schools take a step back and look at the way things are treated when underage kids act out and get in trouble. We as a society have failed by not ensuring swift punishment if teenagers act in this fashion.

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