Dear FRONTLINE

As with all the tough issues frontline tackles, this one has no easy answers. It would be nice though, to think that people were looking for them inside themselves rather than out. It just seems the parents of these children lost their connection, their heart to heart tether. Without that, all the "stuff" really means nothing, and leads adults and children on a search for anything that offers that sense of connection they are so desperate for. Many of the parents interviewed have no one to blame but themselves. They got off on the wrong path long before their kids did. I just hope that out of that realization can come real change of heart.

G. Ingstad
Irving, TX

Dear FRONTLINE

Hi, my name is withheld and I am 14 years old. I live in Arlington, Texas and go to a private, Christian school. I was watching your program and cringed to the thought that my parents were watching it also. I believe this problem is everywhere, but not all teens are into it. I, for one, know people who drink, do drugs, have sex and and the like of it, and have tried to get me into it, but I've resisted them and chosen not to do it. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs and I am still a virgin and plan to be until marriage. I believe the girl's name was Bridget that said " Girls say they'll stay virgins, but it won't happen." I beg to differ with her. It can happen, and it will in my case, because I have made that decision. So what if you're "Curious and Expirimental?" If you make up your mind and say " I'm not going to do this, because it's wrong and it's unmoral," You will be able to stick by that for the rest of your life.

Arlington, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE

Whenever I see reports like this I am amazed. Im a 18 year old male who grew up in a

city of 52,000. Teens always complained that there was never anything to do or anywhere

to go, and I always responded with, Dont you guys see it, we live in paradise. I was

never really aware of what all went on with teens, because I wasnt of that popular in

crowd. I never really went out, and never had the friends up until my senior year and now

this past year. This story brought something that has recently hit home for me. I am a

virgin and am one of the straightest arrows one could meet, but Ive recently started

hanging out with a group of 16 year olds whom I worked with. The sex in that group is

much the same as in the show. Each week the boyfriend changes and the girl moves onto

another, and the sex continues with them. Many of them even say that they dont want

relationships, just the sex. I have about a million thoughts running through my head right

now, that its hard to focus on one, but there is one that I can see fairly well, and that is

this: My parents divorced when I was in the 3rd grade. My mother moved out, and I was

living with my dad. Someone I didnt really get along with, and rarely saw. I turned out

being an icon in my high school and in my city. I dont drink or have sex. What I have

done, is lead my school in the fight for new technology, dedicated most of my time to

singing and acting, and even did a little bit in a local 4-H club. There are so many

questions out there that seem to place too much blame on parents for not being

controlling of their kids, but my parents werent control. I could go out when I wanted to

and be home when I wanted to, and I dont have a police record, Im still a virgin, and

work extremely hard in all that I do. This isnt the parents fault, if anything its the kids.

Its called self discipline. You do what is right, because it is right. You dont do what

you feel like doing because you feel like doing it.

Jon Riemann
Sheboygan, WI

Dear FRONTLINE

I think the biggest problem that I recognized was the fact that parents were not parents. Every child that was interviewed had the freedom to smoke, go out when ever they wanted to and to hang as long as they want to. These kids were crying out for parental supervision. I am a single mother of two daughters, both teenagers. As much as I want them to have the finer things in life, I'm not willing to sacrifice thier moral up bringing. I would rather be available to them as a mother than to be a friend who gives them everything they want.I don,t believe that this is just a problem in Rockdale County. I think there are counties like this every where. I live in Coweta County and I see similar situations all the time. We have children of the more wealthy families that get drunk and arrested for disorderly conduct and have the charges dropped. When I was a teenager, there was some kids arrested for robbing a bank. One of those kids were sentenced to college. These children need parents that are not afraid to say NOOO!!!

Newnan, Ga

Dear FRONTLINE

What happened to telling your kid. "Why? - Because I'm your parent that's why." I am not naive. I realize that there is a lot of pressure on these kids to conform. But being told at 13 that if I ever wound up in jail I better carry my own bail money, and I could sit there till I learned my lesson, and I would follow my parents rules or else scared me. Enough so; that I got thru high school with one detention for talking in study hall and that's all. I can not believe the complaciencey of these parents and the total disrespect from these kids. I am not some preacher's wife from some rural comunity, I'm a biker. These kids sicken me and they scare me and that's something.

Daytona Beach , Fl

Dear FRONTLINE

There is no question and we don't need to guess because many of the adolescents in the film said it: "I was alone" "I didn't have anyone to talk to". These kids have been isolated and have emotionally isolated themselves to the point of not caring about themselves or much about others. They are not disturbed individuals. They are normal people who have separated themselves emotionally from their own feelings of lonliness by sexually acting out, by not understanding limitations, by using chemical means, by hurting others.

In my opinion there is no question what has happened to these and countless other children: The breakdown of what really matters to children in the form of families with the time and commitment to build firm and lasting relationships. Look at what the children do -- how far they go -- to get the attention of their parents and family members!

Beth Denton
Chicago, IL

Dear FRONTLINE

In my opinion the parents of a girl or a boy under the age of 16 and let them hang out on the streets at night are responsible for their children's drug and alcahol abuse, and their premature sexual behavior. These parents are to blame. Not their "children".

Castroville, Tx.

Dear FRONTLINE

I could not believe what I just saw on T.V. I just could not understand why the parents were not more involved. I am an 18 year old female and I never did the things that those girls did on that show. Obviously, the girls were pressured, by their peers, to do things that they did not want to do. You could tell that the girls regretted what they did. I was so sad to see that they were on their way to ruining their life.

P.S.- for the girl that said she was a born again virgin she also said she would do that to ensure her way to heaven, well just saying that won't get you into heaven. And drinking isn't a good way to get there either.

Jodie H
Del City, Oklahoma

Dear FRONTLINE

Seeing this program has confirmed my concerns about the tremendous amount of peer pressure and other factors influencing our children today. Having two daughters not yet in junior high, I feel such a helplessness in protecting them from what they know is wrong. I wonder who has it worse, the kids growing up in today's world or the concerned parents watching from the sidelines?!

Nichole Carpenter
St.Paul, MN

Dear FRONTLINE

some of the blame must fall on the parents...As my kids have pointed out to me, I was a softy and allowed them to get away with all sorts of things. I was the parent at home most of the time and the burden of being the rule enforcer was put onto their mothers sholders and she had a good sense of what was really going on. Now that the two boys are off to college, they have this bond with their mother. They are able to speak to her about all things that are important while with me, it seem to be just superficial and general...

My wife says that it was really a case of asking the tough questions, the questions that we sometimes don't waant answers. Listening for the truth in their answers and if need be to probe and prod the children for more information. Hugs and lots of talk seem to have been what got our children out and off to college...alive...

mark wade
santa maria, ca

Dear FRONTLINE

Wow!!!! i am a 17 year old livnig in a smaller town than what you describe but i see things here the same as in your report! we all complain about being bored on weekends some of us resort to drugs to have a good time, i mean with a population of 4000 and most of your friends living out in the country you don't have much to do.. and about the whole sex issue its quite true sex has just become a casual thing for most if not all girls 15 and under.. and alot of them haven't been in a relationship or anything close to love its just a casual event like taking a shower...

but i mean around here what else can we do.. if we hang out around town we get hasseled and staying in on a friday night is not fun at all...

its true and not only do people not realize whats going on... us teens don't realize as well and i'm going to do drugs and drink to make my life in this town as exciting as it can be.. because i only live once...

shelburne, Ont

Dear FRONTLINE

I think that people are always trying to put down the young population. They say that we don't know what's for the best. Maybe if some parents would try to talk with their children then they would understand where they are coming from. It seems like teenagers are facing so many more problems than their parents ever dreamt about. I just wished that parents would understand that they used to be young once. They were rebellious at one point or the other. Everyone is bound to show how they feel about something no matter what their parents or peers say about it.

Cora Copeland
St. Joseph, Missouri

Dear FRONTLINE

This happens in every city. It happens in anyplace. I am 17,and drink and use drugs, along with many kids my age. Most of them are worse than me. In my opinion it is unfixable! I am under control now. But still do the same things. All kids go through the stage, some go terribly wrong, while some like me get control, and realize that they need to make something of their life. There is more to life than partying.

Shelb Montegue
gainesville, florida

Dear FRONTLINE

The program hit on many points about what went wrong. To me, the underlying current is not merely the parents "not being there". It is the parents not "participating" in these young people's lives. One mom almost had it right, she said "my daughter was crying out for help". She should have said: "my daughter was crying out FOR ME".

Dean Kraft
Jamestown, ND

Dear FRONTLINE

I think there wasn't enough supervision for any of these children. It is obvious who the boss is when children act this way. Where were the parents when all of this was going on? I tell you one thing I would and could not have behaved as these CHILDREN have and I knew it and my parents were not mean and I was not abused. As a matter of fact I had great parents who were VERY involved in my life, which includes my social life. At 12 years old, I could't have been at a "party" let alone drank enough to pass out and have sex. They haven't been taught by anyone obviously. It disgusts me how these children behave. They will wake up someday, we can only hope and not pass this sort of behavior onto their own children.

Peoria, IIlinois