UK NEWS

SHOCKING 9 OUT OF 10 PARENTS SWEAR IN FRONT OF CHILDREN

TV stars such as Jonathan Ross and Gordon Ramsay don't help

Saturday February 14,2009

By Mark Reynolds

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(5)

AN ALARMING 90 per cent of 11-year-olds have heard their parents swear.

Branded an “appalling” indictment, the research revealed yesterday that the average child hears their mother or father utter expletives six times a week.

And almost half of the youngsters polled admitted it upset them. Worryingly, the other 54 per cent said they were used to it.

The poll of 3,000 11-year-olds also revealed that children are using swear words at an earlier age now, with 41 per cent admitting they used expletives in their everyday language because they heard their parents use them.

Some 86 per cent said they felt that their parents’ swearing set a bad example for them. And the language used by TV stars like Gordon Ramsay and Jonathan Ross does nothing to help.

Peter Foot, chairman of the Campaign for Courtesy, described the findings as depressing but not a surprise.

“We need parents to be the ones to put their children right before they even get to school, with ‘please’ and ‘thank yous’, rather than leaving it to teachers,” he said.

“But this is awful, appalling really. There are some age groups now who can’t say a single sentence without the F-word in it.”

A spokesman for research site www.youngpoll.com, which carried out the study, said: “When youngsters hear their parents use swear words so frequently, it’s inevitable that they will pick up bad habits.

“Parents should be aware that children are easily influenced and will try to replicate what they say whether it’s swear words or not.

“When adults hear a young child swear it’s very easy to find it humorous, yet any use of bad language should be nipped in the bud at an early age.”

Almost two thirds (64 per cent) of those polled have been disciplined at school because of their use of bad language.

Yet a conscientious 34 per cent of youngsters have tried to curb the error of their ways and asked their parents to stop using swear words in front of them.

The spokesman added: “It’s worrying that kids are telling their parents to improve their language. Mums and dads should be taking more responsibility when it comes to their child’s vocabulary.”

More than nine out of ten adults now admit to swearing every day. And those who don’t are often too fearful to challenge those who do.

SWEARING

17.02.09, 6:12pm

I know of what you speak. My wife and I do not use such language at home or anywhere else for that matter. I believe swearing is a sign of a lack of language acuity. Surely a person should be able to communicate their feelings without having to resort to scatalogical references. Both my grown up sons have never used such language and in fact my youngest (23) won't even say He** because he thinks it is an evil word. They are by the way not angels, they do what other kids their age do but they don't swear and that comes I believe from not hearing it at home. We have a small extended family but none of their aunts, uncles, grandmothers or their one cousin use such offensive language either.

• Posted by: Archie1954 • Report Comment

SWEARING>>>>>>>>>> OUCH

14.02.09, 12:09pm

I got six of the best for saying blast at school when I a stuck a sewing needle in my hand of course that was in
the 1950`s

why bother shouting at the parents, when even the strongest swear words are broadcasted on TV and radio almost 24 hrs a day ,

and wasn`t it in the papers a while ago that in a school if the used the F word was more than three times in a day it was only then the pupil got "told off "

• Posted by: ANNR • Report Comment

LACK OF VOCABULARY !

14.02.09, 11:02am

As I am often told , " F *** " is only a word . However many people find it offensive . Probably the real issue is that the "F" words are seldom used correctly and the people who use these expletives , regularly , demonstrate a total lack of vocabularly , limited education and poor upbringing ( primarily by parents ) .Of course the TV companies and film makers promote it's use in everyday programmes and films - who wants to listen to Gordon Ramsay and guests constantly cursing ! So maybe these public bodies should accept responsibility for the degeneration of our language

• Posted by: samac • Report Comment

DISGRUNTLED.....YES, THOSE WERE THE "GOOD OLD DAYS". IN 10, 20, 30 YEAR'S TIME, THE YEAR 2009 WILL HAVE BEEN "THE GOOD OLD DAYS"....

14.02.09, 10:58am

Which tells me that things are going to get infinitely WORSE in the future.

• Posted by: ReubenMohawali • Report Comment

I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD....

14.02.09, 10:52am

...I said 'Bum', my Father took me by the scruff of my neck, put soap on a flannel and washed my mouth out, he said if he ever, ever heard me swear again I would get the biggest hiding of my life! to this day I have never sworn. I think it is sad for children where it is the norm in familes who swear. These children will grow up and think it is OK, they might go to a nice Hotel or a Wedding and use language that is not acceptable to those there, and will be so embarrassed through no fault of their own.

• Posted by: Disgruntled • Report Comment