Summary

Thoughts about how children should be viewed and treated have changed over time. The brief description of this history was meant to demonstrate that some of the ideas about child rearing practices are very much alive and well in modern-day society. Even today, there is a generally held belief, across most cultures, that parents should be able to raise their children in the manner in which they see fit as long as those children are not being maltreated in some way. The more general society, however, now must adhere to certain laws, especially when it comes to labor laws in the U.S. and in most industrialized nations. Child labor laws protect children from the conditions that the children of the industrial revolution had to endure.

In Lesson 2, we will learn about a social phenomenon referred to as the child saving movement.  It was this movement that gave impetus to the development of a separate system of justice for children and remains today the topic of a rich discussion as to the true purpose of the child savers. The evolving approach to dealing with the misbehavior of children is important to understand as the child saving movement, as well as the modern-day juvenile justice system, takes root deep within that important history.

Wrap-Up Activity: Exploration of Child Development

Modern-day psychology consists of a separate and well-defined field of exploration referred to as child development.  Please read the article “The First Eight Years: Giving kids a foundation for lifetime success” reported by The Annie E. Casey Foundation in their Kids Count Policy Report. 

1. In reviewing the report what does it take for children to succeed (i.e., key variables)?
2. In examining the Casey Report what type of activity during the earlier periods examined in Lesson 1 support youth surviving?  Also discuss which activities you believe were a barrier to youth successfully thriving and transitioning into adulthood.
3. Based on what you know today where should our emphasis be in terms of ensuring the healthy development of youth?

Post your individual 2-4 minute video response to these questions in YouSeeU to the Lesson 1 Wrap-up Activity Assignment.  Responses should be thoughtful, respectful of others' ideas/opinions, and should demonstrate critical thinking regarding the issue. 

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