Character education is the process of learning common attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that are important for people to have as responsible citizens. Good character education can provide ground rules for life for adults and young people, and it stresses the importance of helping children learn and practice behaviors that reflect universal ethical values. Conscious of the right thing to do. Committed to doing the right thing. Competent in doing the right thing.
Many people are concerned about the breakdown in the healthy moral development of children.
Increases in delinquency, pregnancies, violence and substance abuse continue to climb among adolescents. Surveys have shown astonishingly high levels of cheating, lying, stealing and drunken driving among teens and young adults. Adults clearly need to do a better job of teaching and modeling high standards of behavior in the family, school and community. One organization created to take action in this arena is the Josephson Institute of Ethics. Since 1987, the Institute has conducted programs and workshops for more than 100,000 national and community leaders including legislators, mayors, public executives, judges, lawyers and police officers.