Children’s Privacy and Parents

Question

B. Haq

Grown-ups not welcome! It’s not uncommon for many parents to see such a sign posted on their teenager’s bedroom door and realize that their child is asserting a desire for privacy.

What is Privacy?
Privacy is control over information and possessions that the child considers as his or her own, such as a bedroom, personal journal, schoolbag, or cellphone. Teenagers may want parents to keep out of their rooms, stop cleaning their closets or stay away from their social media sites. However, many parents consider the idea of their children desiring privacy from them as unsafe and risky. But experts say parents should always respect their children’s privacy.

Setting Up Boundaries
Starting around age ten, children may begin to explore what they wish to keep private from their parents. Teenagers want to preserve their privacy not only from their parents but also from their siblings. Child development experts say this is a part of growing up and should be encouraged. It helps children learn about life management in the safety of their parents’ home.

Each family has some privacy rules regarding what to share and not to share with outsiders. Similar rules may be negotiated for individual family members. Parents should teach their children how to set up boundaries that other people may not step over without permission. At the same time, parents must provide structure to let the child grow into a confident individual and not think of the world as a scary place.

Balancing the Act Between Privacy and Trust
Parents have a lot more experience of the world and know a great deal more about life than their teenagers. They want to keep their children safe from the dangers out there, especially when they are online. Parents can instill in their children that they trust them but not the world, and for their safety, parents will be monitoring their online activity. Teenagers can show they are trustworthy by fulfilling their obligations and respecting the rules set by their parents. This establishes a trust bond between parents and children, and children won’t see their parents as invading their privacy but as protecting it to keep them safe.

No Spying
While allowing their children to manage their privacy, parents must follow up on a genuine concern. However, sneaking behind their children’s back to find what they are doing is not the right way to do it. Parents should take their children in confidence and ask for permission to look through their things.

If parents don’t respect their children’s desire for privacy, they risk losing their trust. Parents should also realize that their children will find ways to hide information from them. If left unresolved between children and parents, privacy issues can cause conflict in the family.

Nevertheless, parents should also remember that teenagers need the opportunity to be successful on their own and learn from their mistakes without a parent hovering over them.
Question
The author implies that teens may become dishonest if they do not have privacy at home.

How does the author develop this idea in paragraphs 6 through 8?
Responses
A by explaining why teens do not want to share information with parentsby explaining why teens do not want to share information with parents
B by describing the consequences of not appreciating boundariesby describing the consequences of not appreciating boundaries
C by describing the outcome of complicated privacy rules at homeby describing the outcome of complicated privacy rules at home
D by indicating some parents may excuse their children’s mistakesby indicating some parents may excuse their children’s mistakes

Answer 1

The correct response is B: by describing the consequences of not appreciating boundaries.

In paragraphs 6 through 8, the author discusses how failing to respect teenagers' privacy can lead to a breakdown of trust between parents and children. It also touches upon the idea that if teenagers feel that their parents do not appreciate their boundaries, they may resort to hiding information from them, which suggests that not having established boundaries can lead to dishonesty. This development supports the implied idea that teens may become dishonest if they do not have privacy at home.