Quotation by C. John Sommerville

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as quoted in The Rise and Fall of Childhood (rev. 1990)The Rise and Fall of Childhood (rev. 1990)

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parenting through history (14) adolescent development (14) growing up female (6) adolescent and adult relationships, general (6) parents on living with teenagers (6) adolescent development of girls, influence of pare (5) adolescent development in girls (4) adolescents' friendships and peer groups (4) discipline (3) parenting across the years (2)

Ambivalence reaches the level of schizophrenia in our treatment of violence among the young. Parents do not encourage violence, but neither do they take up arms against the industries which encourage it. Parents hide their eyes from the books and comics, slasher films, videos and lyrics which form the texture of an adolescent culture. While all successful societies have inhibited instinct, ours encourages it. Or at least we profess ourselves powerless to interfere with it.

C. John Sommerville

C. John Sommerville (20th century), U.S. professor of history, and author. The Rise and Fall of Childhood, ch. 1 (rev. 1990).

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