It's not uncommon to hear people complain about the behaviour of young people today - especially those in their early teens. They're out of cotrol, they're disrespectful, they're arrogant. They act like they own the world and everything in it, and - people say - parents cave in to their demands, spoil them, let them do whatever they want. Where's the discipline? Once upon a time, there was a rant here on just that subject.
What these people probably aren't aware of is the fact that many parents these days are fighting a losing battle when they try to impose any kind of discipline on their kids
Not because they spoil them. Not because they don't want to control them. Simply because society has let the kids get the upper hand.
Abuse of children is bad. Wrong. This is a self-evident truth. But in many societies, things have got to the stage where any punishment is treated as abuse. A stage where a child who writes a story about suicide (and teenagers tend to be obsessed by death, always have been, always will be) is referred to social services as suicidal. From then on, every time you shout at them, or make them clean their room, they can yell "I wish I was DEAD" and everyone swamps them in attention, and folds to their every demand. You, the parent, may know they are just making threats, sensationalising, or letting off steam, but ignore it at your peril, if you don't want your son or daughter taken into care.
Rebellion is normal, a part of growing up, but parents are having the tools to deal with the rebelliouness, so that kids become well-adjusted adults, taken out of their hands. The thing that rebels need to realize is that sometimes, just sometimes, the person in authority has a point - and these days we aren't allowed to make it.
Balance people -- we need to strike a balance between rights and responsibilities while there is still some understanding that the two go together and a right isn't what belongs to you and a responsibility what belongs to other people.