Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Critique - Essay Example It is difficult to argue with the position Adler takes. Today’s media reports are filled with stories of children as both victims and authors of serious crimes. Both scenarios indicate that children are exposed to conduct that entirely adult in nature, with the result that the innocence of childhood is lost. Adler writes of the measures that parents and adults in general take to protect children from crime. These measures involve a stream of â€Å"hyper-vigilance† . (Adler) Fear of crimes against children are unrealistic given that there are diseases that claim the lives of children far more frequently than crimes. (Adler) This is perhaps the only point that Adler makes that invokes dissension. Fear of crime against children can never be underestimated. Children are vulnerable to crime and require adult protection and supervision. When a child is given free licence to traverse on his or her own, they are always potential victims. However, Adler is right in his observation that children have become hostages and imprisoned in their homes. There are parents who attach a leash to their children at the mall to guard against abductions. (Adler) Today’s adults have taken protection to the extreme. Children are cautioned to the point of exhaustion against the harm that can befall them. In one case, Adler notes that one family went beyond merely setting alarms in the cars and in their home. They have even fixed alarm systems on members of the family. (Adler) These kinds of measures cause undue fear and alarm for children and are entirely unnecessary. The best approach to guarding against the risk of harm is to ensure that small children are never left without adult supervision. There is no logical reason for raising the alarm with small children. Adult responsibility toward small children includes protecting them from