1993-1994 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest
Doesn't Anyone Care About The Children?
Teacher: Patricia Dobbs
David Crockett High School, Austin,
Texas
1st Jeremy J. McCord 2nd Christopher Sanchez 
3rd Ashley Wilson
“Children
have a value system of their own. They are becoming rebels against a society that does not
give them a chance. One peculiar value is demonstrated by a teen-ager who prowls
Manhattan's Upper East Side in search of eyes to gouge. To date, he has made known
attempts on a bus driver, a journalist, Egyptian tourist, the son of former Manhattan
Democratic Party Leader Edward Costikyan and others. We are facing a society where
standards have been lowered and blurred. The traditional and constraining institutions of
family, church and school have lost much of their authority."
Jodie Lewis, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
“Studies
have also shown that teen-agers get smarter as they get older. The proportion of females
that report using oral contraceptives increased from 25 percent at age 15 to 51 percent at
age 19. Another thing to credit teenagers is that even though they are having sex, they
are not doing it all that often. While 44.9 percent of women ages 15-19 are sexually
experienced, only 28 percent have had sex in the past month, and only 15 percent have been
consistently active during the past 12 months. A 1987 survey of young women obtaining
abortions indicates 40 percent were using a birth control method during the month
conception occurred. This detects a fault not in the product, but in the knowledge of the
user of the product. This is where education must play a large role so that those that
want to protect themselves, can."
Kimberly Redd, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"At
Benica High School in California, senior class officers handed out party favors which
consisted of a gift-wrapped condom, a planned Parenthood pamphlet advocating abstinence,
and a piece of candy. The administrators confiscated the 375 condoms, saying that a school
sponsored event was no place for sex education. This action by the administration probably
led to more teenagers getting pregnant, or even worse, contracting the HIV virus....
Condoms should be allowed to be distributed within schools. Since teens are going to have
sex, [they]will be protected and have a better chance at the future, even though their
actions are risky."
Chris Sanchez, David Crockett High School, Austin,
Texas
"What
about the Senator who, while intoxicated and entertaining an evening companion, stripped
naked and swam in a public fountain?...Not only does this incident reflect badly on the
person, it reflects on the entire Congress. This Senator should be more of a role model
for others. He was elected to a position that supposedly should be respected. Such
irresponsibility only diminishes the public's view of our nation's leaders."
Michelle R. Gannon, Rock Hill High School, Ironton,
Ohio
"How
can students be responsive when they lack respect for authority? We have grown up hearing
about our corrupt government so respect is lost for adults. Teachers can earn back that
respect."
Ashley Wilson, Crockett High, Austin, Texas
"A
major factor of violence is the availability of guns. They are rapidly becoming cheaper
and easier to buy. Many of the guns currently bought in the United States are imported
from China and the ex-Soviet empire. These guns are cheaper & more abundant than their
American counterparts."
Michael Hutchison, David Crockett High School,
Austin, Texas
"Crime
control is complicated, frustrating, and very expensive. People want something to be done
now. It does not help to tell them that the roots of the problem are other problems such
as joblessness, family disintegration, or drugs; [problems attributable to the]
irresponsibil- ity of Americans in the past. Now the solution that they are looking
towards is more prisons and tougher penalties for offenders."
Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"What
we need is more people who care about these young people and are willing to work with them
and help solve the problem from the inside out. We have to have more people volunteering
time for community services such as the Boys Club or Boy Scouts. We need to start when
they are young so they don't have a chance to grow up in the way they have been for the
past decade."
Chris Evers, David Crockett High School, Austin,
Texas
"Labels
have already been made to warn against violent and profane words in music, but should also
be used to warn against songs that encourage increased sexual activity among youth. These
labels would be voluntary, but the big name artists, such as Snoop Doggy Dogg, Too Short,
and White Zombie, should start doing this sort of labeling so that other artists will
follow."
Chris Sanchez, David Crockett High School, Austin,
Texasin, Texas
"First
of all, I would use my knowledge on the subject (dead beat parents) to put together some
type of informal pamphlet. In this pamphlet I would include statistics to project the
problem, how fathers can be located and identified as the parent, the measures being taken
to prevent parents from not paying, the consequences of those who do not pay, the benefits
of paying, and the effects on those children who are not receiving sufficient payment. I
would then speak with the Attorney General and the staff at Rice University to try and get
the pamphlets reproduced. The funds for this would be from funds set aside at Rice
University for purpose of research. I would then have these booklets distributed in high
school health classes, during the time that families and child care are discussed. Since
the child support crisis effects the well being of the single parents and their children,
I believe it would be a reasonable subject to be discussed in the classroom, If people are
educated about a problem before they actually become parents, they will be less likely to
become a part of the problem."
Amanda Kallstrom, David Crockett High School,
Austin, Texas
"It
is proven that parent involvement in school increases student success, thus making more
productive citizens."
Michael Hutchison, David Crockett High School,
Austin, Texas.
"Instead
of sending the offenders to prison, they now [can choose] to be sent to boot camp. This
[not] only gives them a 'military-style shock incarceration' program of 3 to 6 months, it
also entails programs that include substance-abuse treatment [and teach them] how to
persuade a prospective employer to hire them despite their prison record."
Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"Another
solution that has been tried is a teen curfew for the cities. Two dozen cities have
adopted [curfews] over the past year. The punishment is directedÐ towards the parents.
The first time that the kid is caught, the parents get a warning. For subsequent offenses,
the penalties can consist of a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or 50 hours of community
serviceÐ Most kids do not realize the consequences for getting busted. They think that
crimes are some type of game to play on the streets."
Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"There's
a peer mediation class at my school that deals with conflicts and helps people to solve
problems. This is helpful to those who are trying to make their family work, but are
having trouble."
Angela Romero, David Crockett High, School, Austin,
Texas
"Another
solution that has been tried is a teen curfew for the cities. Two dozen cities have
adopted [curfews] over the past year. The punishment is directedÐ towards the parents.
The first time that the kid is caught, the parents get a warning. For subsequent offenses,
the penalties can consist of a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or 50 hours of community
service. Most kids do not realize the consequences for getting busted. They think that
crimes are some type of game to play on the streets."
Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"There's
a peer mediation class at my school that deals with conflicts and helps people to solve
problems. This is helpful to those who are trying to make their family work, but are
having trouble."
Angela Romero, David Crockett High, School, Austin,
Texas
"Programs
such as Sex Respect are a definite yes in the fight to curb teen sexual activity. These
programs are based upon abstinence and get their message across by listing ways humans are
different from animals, having multiple-choice questions on what situations put pressure
on teems to have sex, and making bumper stickers that say, "CONTROL YOUR URGINS', BE
A VIRGIN." I feel that these programs, and those like them, should be instituted
along with programs that deal with the emotional aspect of sex, in order to help the most
in the fight against the problem of teen sex."
Chris Sanchez, David Crockett High School, Austin,
Texas
“Studies
have also shown that teen-agers get smarter as they get older. The proportion of females
that report using oral contraceptives increased from 25 percent at age 15 to 51 percent at
age 19. Another thing to credit teenagers is that even though they are having sex, they
are not doing it all that often. While 44.9 percent of women ages 15-19 are sexually
experienced, only 28 percent have had sex in the past month, and only 15 percent have been
consistently active during the past 12 months. A 1987 survey of young women obtaining
abortions indicates 40 percent were using a birth control method during the month
conception occurred. This detects a fault not in the product, but in the knowledge of the
user of the product. This is where education must play a large role so that those that
want to protect themselves, can."
Kimberly Redd, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
“When a
kid goes to jail or a juvenile center for the first time with a knowledge of only the one
crime he has committed, he comes back into the world later with knowledge of how to do
other crimes as well because he has talked with more experienced offenders"
Brian Claybrook, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"The
disturbing truth is that we have been doing all that we can to put criminals behind bars.
In the past three decades, America has become the world's No. 1 jailer, and right now,
there are not enough cells to go around. In the 80's, we went through a stage of harsh
drug penalties and pushed the U.S. incarceration rate to 455 per 100,000 citizens, causing
a $21 billion dollar tab. As the nation's inmate population grows and expands, we find
ourselves having to let some criminals out before they have served all of their
time."
Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
“Charles
King, director of a Phoenix school, which provides therapy and schooling for thirty
problem kids, thinks that inconsistency of family treatment is more damaging to children
than unrelieved harshness. He explains if a parent strikes their kid, then lavishes gifts
on him, the child has no way of telling right from wrong."
Jodie Lewis, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
“To
have comrades is a reason for [belonging to] gangs. Just to keep from being alone, [kids]
choose [other] kids in the same predicament."
Ashley Wilson, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
“Many
gang members express a desire to distance themselves from inept or uncaring home
environments which lack even the most rudimentary family structure."
Jodie Lewis, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
“Kids
that have a low self-confidence level, and lack love and attention at home, are the gang
members that we see today."
Melanie Malone, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
“In
a child's life there are two major pillars: family and school. This is where the kid finds
his heroes and company. When one of these are missing something substitutes: Gangs. What
the kids don't get from their major pillars they get on the street. The streets don't
teach you how to survive in society and certainly not how to do well with the
workforce."
Ashley Wilson, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
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