This is a very big question and anything I can say hardly does it justice. But having lived in Spain for nearly twelve years, and before that trekked around Europe (Holland, France, Germany, Belgium) in one job or another, I've seen enormous differences in the way children (where it all starts) are treated, and from that how teenagers and young adults behave. 'Baby-sitting' for example, is a rare phenomena here. When parents go out for a meal in the evening (usually that means between 10 and 11pm) all their children are taken along as a matter of course. When they're older they go to clubs and discos that run all night, finishing at around 5am ... but I've never seen any drunk kids here ... in fact I've never seen any adults in that state either. And this is a country where booze is ridiculously cheap, bars are always open, and so on. The problem isn't particularly about booze of course ... it's about respect from each generation for their peers and their elders (parents and grandparents) and 'sideways' towards other families. I think the problem is as much to do with older people as it is to do with the young. Kids don't really want the 'panacea' of the latest gadget or electronic gizmo ... they want respect. If they don't get it ... then they don't learn how to pass it on themselves. Neither do they learn the fundamental tenet 'What goes around comes around' which I've found is a pretty good way of carrying on in life. Yes, you'll get kicked down now and again ... but that's just misfortune and should be treated as such. I could continue with this but I'm in danger of rambling on for ever!!!!
