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Summary:
Teens Look To
Parents To Be Role Models in distinguishing Right from Wrong
Fifty-four percent of teens consider one of their parents to be
their role model.
In a recent survey
conducted by Junior Achievement International, teenagers between the
ages of 12 & 17 years old were asked if they were ethically ready to
enter the workforce. The telephone survey contacted a national
sample of 750 teens, (375 males and 375 males), and eighty percent
of teens agreed they were ready but 38 percent stated that,
sometimes, it is acceptable to break the rules to succeed. Teens
were also asked who their role model was, and the survey revealed
that, while some teens turn towards their friends for role models,
and some claimed not to have a role model at all, over half (54%)
cited their parents.
The survey results raised concerns in several levels. One of the
most important concerns points to a “troubling incongruence between
the degree to which teens feel ethically prepared to enter the
workforce and the unethical behaviors in which they engage.”
Additionally, with such a large number of teens looking to their
parents for guidance and example, parents need to be aware that they
have a very significant impact on their teen’s life. “Teens need
training in ethical decision making, practical tools and role models
that help them understand not only how to make the right choices,
but how those choices will impact their personal success…” said
Ainar Aijala, chairman of Junior Achievement Worldwide.1
1 Poll: Most Teens Think They Can Make Ethical Business Decisions, Yet
Many Also Believe it is Okay to Lie and Cheat, Junior Achievement,
2009
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