Rural America continues to be a great place to live. But, it seems to be increasingly more common to hear that a neighbor's property was vandalized, items were stolen from a relative's garage, or violent acts were reported. These incidents are threatening the very safety of our communities.

Michael Josephson of the Josephson Institute of Ethics says we have a hole in the moral ozone of our country and it's getting bigger. Surveys conducted in 2002 with thousands of middle and high school students confirm that the ethics of our nation's youth (those who will soon be in charge of our communities) is declining.

• 74 percent of students reported they had cheated on an exam (up from 61 percent in 1992).

• 46 percent of students reported they had lied to save money (up from 36 percent in 2000).

• 39 percent reported they would lie to get a job (up from 28 percent in 2000).

• 38 percent of the students said they had stolen from a store (up from 28 percent in 1992).

More disturbing may be the numbers of youth who see violence as a viable solution to problems. In the 1999 report, 31 percent of high school students agreed that, "It's sometimes O.K. to hit or threaten a person who makes me very angry." Unfortunately, 70 percent say they have actually hit a person in anger at least once in the past year.

How do we change these trends? First, we have to recognize that we're all in this together. The African proverb that states "It takes a village to raise a child" is true. Whether you have children living in your household or not, your actions affect future generations. The CHARACTER COUNTS!.^SM Coalition suggests we use the TEAM approach (Teach, Enforce, Advocate, and Model.)

Teach: We not only need to walk the talk, but talk the walk. Verbalize why you returned the extra five dollars to the clerk when he gave too much change. Compliment and encourage children for ethical decisions and actions. "I'm so glad you were responsible and studied your vocabulary words instead of watching TV. That helped you get a good score on your exam."

Enforce: We can't let the "good" kids off or overlook broken rules or laws. We're sending the message it's O.K. if you don't get caught. If the rule is not good, consider getting rid of it, rather than enforcing it part-time. If we look away, we're sending the message it's O.K. to bully others or destroy property.

Advocate: We need to continually encourage and expect children to be respectful and caring of others. We can't be neutral about the importance of character or casual about improper behavior. To do so sends a message that character is not important.

Model: Possibly the most important part of this approach is to examine your own behavior and strive to do better. If you make a mistake (and we all do), model what you'd expect from children: take responsibility for your actions, apologize sincerely, and resolve to do better next time.

Look for opportunities to teach, enforce, advocate, and model good character throughout your community. If the schools in your community have a character education program, support it. If they are celebrating CHARACTER COUNTS' Week, October 17-23, participate. Help your community remain safe for the long term by helping the next generation become people of character.

Judith M. Taylor, Youth Development Educator, University of Illinois Extension, Springfield Center, P.O. Box 8199, Springfield, IL 62791, (217) 782-6515, jmtaylor@uiuc.edu.

14 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop