Preview

Personal Responsibility

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1465 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Personal Responsibility
It is said that we as Americans are born free. Americans are taught from the time we are a child that the world is ours to do with it as we want. We can be whatever we want to be, no one can stop us. Children are told that they can be a professionally athlete, a fire fighter, a teacher, and they could even become the President of the United States. Children are taught if we set our goals, if we work hard we can and will achieve our goals. What happens as we get older, how do we lose track of our goals? Why do some people never become what he or she wanted to be as a child? I believe the answer to these questions is easier than most people think and that answer would be personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is the building block of a person’s character and will define a person as he or she gets older. From an early age we children are sent mixed signals, be what you want but if you do not make it you can always blame someone else. Society has accepted that it is never their fault when something does not get done. It starts as early in life as a toddler. Children place the blame anybody and or everything for why his or her room is not clean, for why his or her toys are left out. They never find fault whenever something is missing, it is always someone else’s fault for why they cannot find it. Unfortunately, it does not get any better as they grow up, either. The excuse “the dog ate my homework” has been used for years as a reason for children not completing their assignments on time for school. Even the daily workforce has a million excuses for why projects are not completed on time, but rarely does anyone every say “it is my fault” for not getting it done.
While doing some research on my paper about personal responsibility I came across a webpage from the Brookings institution written by Ron Haskins. Mr. Haskins is the Co-Director at the Center on Children and Families at the Brookings Institution, he is an established



Bibliography: Haskins, R. (2009). The sequence of personal responsibility. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2009/07/09-responsibility-haskins Article explains how youth or young adults should set clear goal such as completing their education, start a career, get married and only then start their families. By following that simple outline every goal will become attainable. Tiboris, M. G. (2012). Youth and diminished responsibility. University of California, San Diego). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 278. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1013618381?accountid=35812. (1013618381). The dissertation argues that today’s youth are often exempt from actions. The government has designed society to believe they cannot be held accountable for their actions. However the author argues that this is bogus, children are morally responsible for their actions and should be held accountable. Petty, A. (2010). Personal Responsibility and Success: Quit Shooting Yourself in the Foot!. Retrieved from http://artpetty.com/2010/02/19/personal-responsibility-and-success-quit-shooting-yourself-in-the-foot/ This page is in a series of leadership, management and professional development produced for management excellence. It states that greatness doesn’t just happen, that it is a series of conscious choices.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Personal Responsibility

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: Psychology Today, Whatever Happened to Personal Responsibility. (2010). Retrieved September 28, 2012, from Psychology Today:…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Juvenile Justice

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In recent discussion of Juvenile Justice, a controversial issue has been whether juveniles should be tried as adults in adult courts for heinous crimes they have committed. On one hand, some argue that they should not be tried as adults and do not deserve harsh sentences but as children seeking help. On the other hand, however, others argue that those who commit such heinous crimes ought to be punished no matter the age. The juvenile court was created to handle juvenile offenders on the basis of their youth rather than their crimes. The purpose of juvenile court is treatment and guidance rather than punishment. Juveniles don't have the knowledgeable or moral capacity to understand the consequences of their actions; similarly, they lack the same capacity to be trial defendants. Juveniles today are more knowledgeable and cultured at a younger age; they understand the implications of violence and how violent weapons are used. It is irrational to argue that a juvenile, who sees the effect of violence around him in the news every day, does not understand what killing really is. The fact that “adolescent killers” know how to load and shoot a gun or use a knife to kill is an indicator that they understand exactly what they're doing.…

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Middle adolescence, ages fourteen through eighteen, could be the worst time in a child’s life for rational decision making (Merrefield 3). There is a separation of the adult court system and juvenile court system for a reason. This is recognition of clear differences between the age groups. Juvenile courts offer a greater chance for forgiveness and redemption. A 1996 Texas study found that juveniles sentenced in adult court received longer sentences than they would if they were tried in a juvenile court (PBS); so when juveniles are tried in the adult court system, they receive an even longer sentence in a much harsher environment. Children are five times more likely to be sexually assaulted in adult prisons than in juvenile facilities and face increased risk of suicide (Children in Prison). Putting juveniles in adult facilities puts them at extreme risk; being sexually assaulted affects the rest of the victim’s life. 76% percent of robbers prosecuted in criminal court were rearrested, as compared to 67% of those prosecuted in juvenile court (PBS 2). That is an almost 10% difference and that is 10% that can be repaired. The youth is the future of this nation and they need to have a chance for…

    • 1400 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Personal Responsibility

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages

    References: Ballet, J., Dubois, J.-L., & Francois-Regis, M. (2007). Responsibility for Each Other 's Freedom:Agency as the Source of Collective Capability. Journal of Human Development, 185-201.…

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Juveniles Tried as Adults

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The new arise of teens being put on trial as adults, challenges social science theories, because teens are most likely to become more criminalistics when incarcerated in an adult system. Greg Joltics who wrote the article “Trying Teens” explains how an adolescent’s brain and behavior undergoes change. How is it that a fourteen year old boy just so happens to shoot his father in the head after a beating for misbehaving? This is evidence of uncontrollably impulse control (something kids undergo through adolescents years). It is very doubtful that teen would manically kill his own loving father without any reason behind it. Most young minds cannot articulate right and wrong decisions during a threating and fast paced situation… Evidence shows.…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Personal responsibility requires one to finally accept the truth that you are responsible for your own actions. Most of the time when mistakes are made, the initial reaction is to point a finger or find an excuse rather than accept involvement. Personal responsibility is the key to College success because at times, most students find themselves falling short of what lies in between these two. Some examples of are turning in homework assignments at the last minute, running late for class, and cramming for a test. As noted by Sullivan (2011), “Personal change also requires the right timing. Just because you do not understand another perspective or have not developed a particular skill, practice, or ability does not mean you never will (, p.27).” When an individual takes personal responsibility for their actions, it can help clarify which life goals are most important and the means to achieve college success by understanding that our values support how we go about making decisions.…

    • 1232 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Question behind the Question addresses personal accountability: one of the more important issues in today’s business and society. The lack of personal responsibility is resulting in an epidemic of complaining, procrastination, and blame. The Question behind the Question is insightful, practical, and unique.…

    • 1255 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though a person taking on too many responsibilities can lead to his or her downfall, personal responsibility can lead to success in higher education. Because responsibility is the force that binds an individual to the course of action demanded by the goal, personal responsibility can incur beneficial habits and admirable behaviors that will advocate successful outcome. The state of New York once sought to raise $24 million in donations to give to poor residents as an incentive to stay in school, stay at work, and stay on track (Traub, 2006). I will be revealing some examples, to implement, of personal responsibility and demonstrating how I intend to enact them in my own pursuit of higher education. The two tools that I will be discussing and relating to myself are planning and time management. I will also divulge how personal responsibility can be damaging and lead to unsuccessfulness.…

    • 1745 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teens are not always aware of the consequences to their actions and they take risks. The general argument made by Richard A. Serrano in his work, Young killers serving life without parole may get chance at freedom, is that juveniles who commit heinous crimes are not fully aware of their actions. More specifically, Serrano argues that juveniles are not fully matured and juveniles should not be charged as adults. The author asserts, “Adolescents, because of their immaturity, should not be deemed as culpable as adults…”(Serrano). In this passage, Serrano is suggesting that immaturity leads teens to act inappropriate for their age because they have not yet become adults. Serrano also states, “But they also are not innocent children whose crimes…

    • 228 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Not too long ago the House of Representatives approved “The Juvenile Crime Control Act of 1997” which would greatly increase the number of juveniles convicted and incarcerated in adult facilities. When I was made aware of this I took it upon myself to research juveniles tried as which in turn caused me to question whether juveniles should be tried as adult. Many claim that the age of the juvenile does not matter, if the child is old enough to do the crime they must do the time. On the contrary, I came to find that not only age but mental development in terms of cognitive development, the development of mental maturity and, formulation of personal identity have a lot to do with how the…

    • 1816 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In this paper I will explore current scholarly thought to determine the effectiveness of trying juveniles as adults in a court of law. In extreme instances, juveniles of a broad range of age have committed violent crimes that the criminal justice system has deemed impossible to have been committed by the accepted frame of minds of juveniles. These juveniles were then tried in adult court and sentenced accordingly.…

    • 1907 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In today’s society, there is a national debate about what to do with juveniles in the criminal justice system. This debate is a result changes in practice throughout United States. The United States made it possible to try juveniles as adults in court after the case of Kent vs. the United States in 1966. The change in legislation is relatively new due to the fact that juvenile courts have "for most of the past century, treated youngsters between 7 and 17 not as criminals but as delinquents." The United States choose to treat the kids as delinquents because there was a major focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment.…

    • 4926 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The essay “Little Adult Criminals” by the New York Times Editorial argues that children of the age 12 or 14 do not have sufficient emotional maturity to control their own impulses or understand their actions and the consequences that come with them, and therefore should not be tried in adult criminal court. The essay gives examples of two 14 year old boys, Lionel Tate and Nathaniel Brazill, who were both charged with murder. This article also includes medical research that shows that teenagers’ brains are still developing to back up their argument that teensagers should not be tried as adults. It also includes studies that have shown that minors who go through the juvenile system are less likely to be arrested again after being released since they are provided rehabilitation, unlike those who serve time in an ordinary prison. This article advances the argument that young teenagers should not be tried in adult criminal court and uses scientific evidence and past cases to back up their argument.…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kent V America

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages

    If one looks at the background of juvenile crimes, they would find that there has been much development on the trials of adolescents and how they were viewed. Children have been described as the future, the greatest resource, and the hope for a better tomorrow. Children have been viewed as lacking in self-control by many Americans. “ Juveniles in adult institutions are five time more likely to be sexually assaulted, twice as likely to beaten by staff, and fifty percent more likely to be attacked with a weapon than minors in juvenile facilities” (White). They are usually beaten or harassed by hardened, adult criminals. For centuries, criminal youngsters have been on the wrong side of justice. In the 1800’s, the belief was shared by the public that juveniles and adult offenders should be prisoned…

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this chapter I learned the value of responsibility and its beneficial outcomes. When people keep doing what they’ve been doing even when it doesn’t work, they are acting as victims. When people change their beliefs and behaviors to create the best result they can, they are acting as creators. I learned when you accept your personal responsibility; you believe that you can create everything you possibly want. A great thing about our future is that we get to create it; we create it with our choices. The…

    • 1521 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics