In many countries there has been an increase in social problems involving teenagers in recent years Many people believe that this is due to modern lifestyles because parents spend more and more time at work and have less time to supervise their children T

There is no question that standards of behaviour have fallen among teenagers. The popular belief is that the principle cause is that parents are unable to supervise their children because they are away at work. I only partially agree with this viewpoint as there are other important factors too.

It is undeniable that parents should bear some responsibility for the actions of their teenaged children. This is particularly true when they are absent from the home and not in a position to control their children. The argument is that if they were at home, then they would be able to make certain that their children did not join gangs and spent their time on socially acceptable activities.

However, it can also be said that working parents are in fact setting a good example to their children. Indeed, it is very often the case that teenagers who come from hardworking families spend their time on schoolwork and conduct themselves well. In fact, the teenagers who do create social problems by, for example, getting drunk or painting graffitti come from homes where parents are unemployed.

Other factors that lead to teenagers getting into trouble relate to the educational system. This is due to the fact that many teenagers leave school aged 16 and do not find work because of lack of qualifications. As a result, they spend time on the street with nothing productive to do. Likewise, social problems with teenagers can be the consequence of poor discipline at school with teachers failing to control their classes.

In conclusion, it is possible to say that this sort of problem is only sometimes the result of parents not supervising their children. It is equally possible to say that discipline in schools is at fault.