Respect of an elderly person was as natural to me as seeing my mother and father every day. I would smile at Mrs A, run an errand for Mr B and never in my dreams would I consider beating or kicking them, my friends and me would sit and listen to their stories, never bored, we would find pleasure in picking flowers and taking them to old Mrs C, there was no shame. My own children I noted with pride grew up in a modern society but still managed to refrain from the nightly rampages that seem to be taking place in communities around the world today. Decent families find police at their door; they are in shock when they hear what their offspring have been up to when they thought these innocents were playing in the park.
What has happened to a large number of eight to late teenage children who feel they have to terrorise their local community? What has made the little folk of a small town or village turn to nasty, spiteful pastimes and almost turning it into the latest sport?
People say parents are to blame; others say it is the schools not teaching basic courtesy in the community, I am not so sure that violence and aggression can be blamed in this way.
I used to get angry, upset and frustrated, I wanted to kick and scream but it never entered my head to run to Mrs A's house and set fire to it or to beat Mr B with a stick just to feel relief.
Could it be the films these young folk are allowed to watch now or have access to?
Television, videos, DVDs and adult books are kept in the home, the majority on open display with easy access, are the age viewing restrictions being adhered to? Does the parent know what has been slipped off of the shelf and being quietly watched or read in the privacy of the bedroom? The cinema controls who can go through the doors for a film suitable for adults only but with DVDs and Videos in the home there might not be such a strict structure of who views what, the community library controls the age of a person taking out an adult only book, are the books kept away from prying, underage eyes in the home?
Are these young excitable, all absorbing minds learning how others commit crimes of aggression against weaker generations from the family collection of entertainment, basically behind the parents back? Is this feeding the curiosity of an immature mind and giving them the need to act out what they see and therefore finding those who they can frighten and control with fear, the weak, Mrs A, Mr B and Mrs C?
Psychologist Leonard Eron, studied violence in youths relating to television violence, he concluded that there is a link between the two. Studies by others indicate there is a risk of violent tendencies, reports show that children will follow another along the path of violent excitement; worryingly the young of today will become the old of tomorrow.
Parents need to regain control of the well being of their child now, they need to look at what is lying around the home, take hold of the remote control and don't be afraid to say no and carry out that command, it is all too easy as parents to give in for a bit of peace and quiet, unfortunately it doesn't always make for a easy life long term. Society is becoming more demanding and hostile, the media plays a large part of our day to day living, we must become responsible for ensuring that future generations learn to respect the elderly citizens that the young generation of today will become or there is a chance that the roles will be reversed and the future young will fear the aggressive elderly and again respect for them will be lost.
译文:
老人与孩子
尊敬老人在我看来就像每天见到我的父母一样自然，我喜欢对陌生的老人微笑，乐意为他们给的小差事奔波，我从没想过要忤逆或顶撞他们。我和朋友常会不厌其烦地坐着，听老人回忆往事。常常会带上鲜花陪同他们去看望另一位老人，那一点都不会让我们觉得情绪低落，相反会让我们快乐幸福。我的孩子们是我的骄傲，他们生长在一个现代的先进的社会，但他们仍然学着去克制不时来袭的冲动（在现在社会交流中常会流露出来的一种情绪）。有教养的家庭常把礼貌二字挂在嘴边，当他们听到孩子们老练地说天真只是游戏的假象时他们一定会非常的震惊。
那些认为自己受到周遭环境胁迫的大量少年儿童，尤其是八岁或更往下的孩子们，究竟是遇上了些什么事呢？是什么让那些小城镇上的精灵们的思想变得肮脏，丑恶，甚而至于被看成了开玩笑和捉弄的对象。
对此，有人认为家长应该承担责任，也有人认为是由于学校缺乏交流基础礼仪的教育。在某种程度上我觉得社会暴力倾向，侵犯意念的传播同样需要被反思。我也常常会生气，会苦恼，会失落，会有想要揍人和尖叫的冲动，但我从未有过冲进哪户人家放把火用棍子把人家猛抽来泄愤的想法。
我们应能赞成那些小精灵接近观看这类电影吗？很多家庭都会有电视、录像、光盘以及成人书籍,这些都随便地摆放在一边，要获取他们一点都不难。难道这就没有年龄的限制吗？家长们会发现书架上遗漏了什么，而这些正被偷偷带到卧室欣赏观看了吗？电影院门口会限制只有成年人才适合进入，但对于家中的光盘，录像又是否有限制谁适合观看的控制性呢？社区图书馆又是否会限制可以带出成年人书籍的借阅者的年龄呢？那些书是否避免了被未成年人带回家看的可能性呢？
是不是这些容易冲动的孩子，都瞒着家长被那些犯罪的孩子如何反抗家人，如何搜集娱乐的方式所吸引了呢？这些想法又是不是会引发心智未发育完善孩子们的好奇心呢？会不会引发他们把所看到的表现出来的冲动呢？会不会因此想要恐吓、控制那些胆小的、软弱的或者随便的陌生人呢？
心理学家Leonard Eron将青少年的暴力倾向与电视中的暴力倾向联系起来研究，得出二者之间相互关系的结论。其他人的研究同样表明青少年有暴力倾向的危险。报告指出孩子们会模仿其他人实施暴力事件的方式，今天的新手是否会成为明天的行家这个问题令人担忧。
如今，家长们需要再次塑造孩子们的天性，他们需要检查家中摆放的那些东西，毫不动摇地遥控操作，毫不犹豫的拒绝，坚定不移的发布命令。为那小小的和平与安宁而屈服实在是太简单了。不幸的是长期拥有简单的生活是不容易的。社会变得更具破坏性和杀伤力了，媒体在我们生活中扮演了一个极其重要的角色，我们必须要为确保下一代学会尊敬老人负起责任,否则在将来老人和孩子的角色会被颠覆。年轻人会侵犯老人，从他们身上得到尊敬的可能会消失。