Obscene language — curse on our culture

The informal education of children takes place in that macro culture which is reflected in the child’s behaviour, mannerism, language etc when in school.

It has been an accepted fact that children learn what they live. At school children cannot be expected to divorce themselves from the social and cultural influences of their upbringing.

Obscene language has become a normal component of conversation in many communities, notwithstanding the presence of children.

It often prevails in the home environment and children are exposed to adults engaging in conversation that is extensively flowered with obscenities from a very tender age.

This is then reflected in their conversations at school, for they have been informally educated into thinking this is the norm. Finding out that this aspect of their enculturation is socially unacceptable, not to mention illegal, comes as a surprise to many.

Compounding the issue is the media. Social media and the entertainment industry are the main vehicles through which this miseducation is reinforced. When all these factors are added together, some children now become innocent victims of a dysfunctional social order that the society has unleashed. The teacher and the school now have the responsibility to undo this ingrained but unacceptable social code. This is no easy feat, especially when parents, guardians, extended family members and neighbours persist with their use of expletives in their everyday vernacular.

The use of obscenities by children was once reserved for the expression of anger at each other, but within recent years this has morphed into normal and casual conversation among peers. It even slips out when children are speaking to teachers, for they have become so accustomed to its use in their casual conversation. Even more alarming is the extent to which the problem exists at the primary level.

Many people may think this issue is trivial, but given the level of moral decay that currently pervades the society, it is vitally important to address this issue. Accepting the use of obscene language as a social norm goes counter to the overall objective of schools producing good decent human beings.

The interactions between teachers and parents often reveal that the child is merely reflecting a conversation standard that is practised at home. These learned behaviours prove quite challenging to alter, given the limitations of the school.

That is why the efforts of leaders and the wider community must do more to lift the standard of social dialogue. Children must be able to broaden their vocabulary by listening to good decent conversation that is not characterised by obscenities in the form of nouns, verbs, adjectives etc.

While some may argue this is not a new social problem, it has certainly grown in magnitude with the advent of social media, with its anonymity and absence of standards for this communication medium.

It is important that adults around children understand that they consciously widen their vocabulary range during casual conversation.

Children can then learn a wider range of words to express themselves.

It will be useful if they can also sanction children for the use of such language, explaining the reason for the sanction.

Vitally important is the fact that parents must model the behaviour, inclusive of speech and interpersonal relations, for children to learn and emulate. The social media exposure should also be restricted especially for the younger impress ionabl e m i n d s .

P a r e n t s owe their children a responsibility to set and maintain high standards of socially acceptable behaviour.