with todays technology and all that fun jazz, i would say not many more than we have today. i would guess that it would probably be close to the same. it is all just too available fot everyone.

they would stay off them as long as time served... now adays they stay off them as long as they can afford because time is money in the courts eyes.

Kids weren't given much respect as human beings with thoughts and feelings back then. Many of them were put to work to help the family and if they couldn't contribute that then they weren't worth shit. I hope we don't go backwards.

Those were the days when aging gracefully was the goal..when parents took the responsibility of having children seriously. Slowly that has eroded. Now parents, in a desperate attempt to hang on to youth, would rather be their kids' best friend and have ceded parenthood to any influence that comes along. These parents spend time/money on themselves and money on their kids and nowhere is "teaching how to be a moral person" on their list of "things to do for my kid". In addition, they are terrible role models..they say one thing and do another and kids are not dumb. I think fewer kids would get screwed up if parents were really doing their jobs. Just my opinion! :)

It probably wouldn't make that much of a difference really. It may discourage some, but when I was a kid if I got into trouble I would be in for much worse punishment when I got home, but it did't stop me, and others are the same.

Oh yeajh we should beat them till their skin comes off... I was abused do you all know what your saying> F'U

There were excesses and abuses back then, also; but, on balance, I'd have to say that today's environment is worse: worse for the parents, worse for the kids, and worse for society as a whole. There's no way to prove this to someone who doesn't want to believe it. Naturally, children are going to think that the less restriction there is on their impulses the better. Children seem to think that being an adult means getting to do whatever you want. Our society is in decline, and I don't think we're going to stop it. I only hope it isn't the fundamentalists who take over. (Anyone see "A Handmaid's Tale"?) P.S. This answer had been up about 2 minutes before it was DR'd -4. I had thought about saying something about the kids who would DR me for saying I thought there should be more discipline, but had decided against it. LOL :)

Let's think about some logic. Not having the living shit beaten out of you: not much need to use drugs to escape reality. VS Having the living shit beaten out of you: a fair reason to use drugs to escape reality. Hmm..

Things change...some for the better...some for the worse. The chances for "going back", good or bad, is something that would be nearly impossible to do. I was born in the late 30's and thus raised by very loving and caring parents during the 40's and 50's. The biggest change during that period was the beginning of the age of television. Television had, and continues to have a major impact on society to this very day, some of it not so good. But it's a fact of life. Now we have the Internet...and we are already experiencing the beginning of that age. One would wonder what society will be saying about that 20-30 years from now.

I think the main difference between now and the 30s is communication. Back then, people did not have access to drugs, and largely did not know that they existed. They did not have access to anything outside their community - any outside news was transmitted only by newspapers and radio. So the whole aspect of community was far more important - anything outside the community was distant, removed and far away. As a result, the community held its own hierarchy, and because the hierarchy was instant and observable, it became respected. These days, hierarchy is observable , but from a distance - everyone has seen political leaders on the telly, on the internet and on their mobile phones - but those authority figures have become more distant. And because the major authority figures have become accessible, yet distant, the local authority figures have waned in importance. Noone respects school-teachers or the local policeman these days, because they know they are subject to higher authorities. The existance of mass communication has also led to mass awareness of issues like drugs - we see our popular heroes using them and want to emulate them. These days we also have teen culture - which we did not have in the pre Bill Hailey days - in the pre-rock and roll era teenagers dressed like carbon copies of their parents - there was no inbetween teen age range - you went from short trousers to long trousers, or from long hair to short hair - those were rights of passage for young boys/girls. The existence of the teenager is a relatively modern phenomenon, and is still, pardon the pun, in its infancy. To return to the 30s would therefore involve getting rid of mass communication, returning to a community based culture, and getting rid of the teenage culture. I am not sure if I want that - but I would value a return to the respect for others which we used to give automatically, but today's youth only give reciprocally ( I don't respect him cause he don't respect me) There are some similarities between today and the 30s though - recession, heading towards depression!

This may not be the same thing as what you're asking, but reading this question reminded me of something my mother told me about her childhood. She was taught by nuns (as many were in the 50s/60s) and they inflicted so much abuse and humiliation on her that it's still visible today. ie: she has a weak bladder through no fault of her own and many times she was not allowed to go to the bathroom in school; ended up urinating in her desk, was brought out in the hall, the nun beat her head against the wall dozens of times while yelling at her how ashamed she should be of herself, how lazy and stupid she is. I then asked my mother if she told her mother when she got home; she said no, most likely she would have gotten into even more trouble, because the 'Almighty' nuns were 'always' right. That abuse and humiliation was common back then (translation: common meaning it wasn't wrong) If that was me back then, and I knew where to get drugs, I tell you-I'd be a LOT more tempted to do them then than I would now.

my kids were raised the same as my mom raised us..u get paddles at school and you will get another when u get home..they are young adults now and think the same with theirs!!! see, respect, responsibility , and rules start at home!!!!! but these young parents today are very lax and lenient with their parenting skills , they GIVE their kids way more responsibility(cars, money, computers) than they are able to handle at a young age and they dare any other adult(teachers, grandparents , aunts , uncles, etc.) to discipline or correct them....WELL , this is the PROBLEM...no respect and only parents are "the boss of me"...there are way to many "broken homes", stepparents, drugs, cars, tv trash, computers ,cell phones, etc and the parents are just as addicted as the kids...HEY , ITS 2009 ...oh well, that don't make it RIGHT....there is and never will be again , the REPECT and DISCIPLINE that was taught by parents of "long ago" ...parents today felt so "deprived" and are not determined their's will "have it all"...we were "wicked"...sad, sad...kids for the majority(latchkey) raise theirselves while moms are out "furthering " their careers..and thats all well and good...but dont forget ur family while ur so "busy being fabulous" or better yet, dont bring kids into a situation that u don't have time and patience for..their the ones who pay.. but alas, what does the Bible say about our kids and time? "the YOUNG shall laugh at the ANCIENT" and that is how it is..they know better for theirs...better to ask Spocks advice than their parents or grandparents....

My eldest daughter has ALWAYS resisted authority. My wife, who works for Child Protective Services, has always maintained it's best to reason with the child. She abhors physical discipline...ESPECIALLY from a father towards his daughter. What she failed to understand (until recently) that you children don't have the life experience to understand mature reasoning. Besides, their more interested in being "right" than being reasonable. Pain directed towards the rear end, is an effective deterrent when "reasoning" doesn't work. Unfortunately, this deterrent has been deemed "unacceptable" by the community at large, so it's no longer an option. In addition, we have the influx of children's "rights", leaving little if any resource for the parent. What we have left are out of control children. My 17 year old daughter demands respect while using profanity toward her mother, terrorizing her siblings, and letting us no in no uncertain terms that she hates us both and wishes her mother dead. I can't wait 'til she exercises her right to get the hell out.

I don't think you can go back. NOBODY used drugs in my town in the thirties and forties.The problem is in my opinion that kids have lost the values our generation had. Respect, responsibility, responsiveness and resourcefulness seem to me to be in short supply.

the problem isn't with the era, parents need to be just that NOT friend to their children