59. Juvenile delinquency is clearly a serious social problem. Whether businesses must
0 ^& t7 v4 B: {5 ]0 Obecome more involved in helping to prevent the problem depends, however, on the
6 s, D, Q' w1 M, hspecific business--whether it is culpable in creating the problem and whether its owners' : I1 K( w% c X
collective conscience calls for such involvement./ V; n9 R c5 o- F
Although parents and schools have the most direct influence on children, 6 P, d# w! D3 e V. \4 r2 o4 ]
businesses nonetheless exert a strong, and often negative, influence on juveniles by way
+ L3 L4 }, X: ]$ Uof their advertisements and of the goods they choose to produce. For example, cigarette / }# K# W2 S: n
advertisements 'aimed at young people, music and clothing that legitimize "gang" sub-5 O" }% }% |1 r( |- ~/ ^
culture, and toys depicting violence, all sanction juvenile delinquency. In such cases : G8 Y" X, t+ l3 p7 W/ [# C
perhaps the business should be obligated to mitigate its own harmful actions—for 4 g) ^ O, N1 R% d( g
example, by sponsoring community youth organizations or by producing public-interest 8 [6 a( Z( P, Y
ads.
# m8 [: `, N* j In other cases, however, imposing on a business a duty to help solve juvenile
; c: U' g* D/ o8 n1 C6 v9 ddelinquency or any other social problem seems impractical and unfair. Some would 6 n. r" a8 @6 G5 Z4 v2 h& P
argue that because business success depends on community support, businesses have an + P: A# A1 ?: Z+ ^
ethical duty to give back to the community—by donating money, facilities, or services : {5 U! _, d4 \' R, S
to social programs. Many successful businesses—such as Mrs. Field's. Ben & Jerry's,
' T& f; n" h' V6 X' Y, hand Timberland—have embraced this philosophy. But how far should such a duty
! \* k# ~; p& b; J& G; Bextend, and is it fair to impose a special duty on businesses to help prevent one specific
) F9 A A5 U$ `( S5 W0 Z( ?problem, such as juvenile delinquency? Moreover, businesses already serve their
1 C4 B3 c0 F* v+ m5 u% Xcommunities by enhancing the local tax base and by providing jobs, goods and services.: Y8 U. Y# r* F2 x6 n
In the final analysis, while businesses are clearly in a position to influence young
b9 e4 |; J6 h; qpeople, whether they should help solve juvenile delinquency is perhaps a decision best $ A8 b( M' \" k/ f; p7 }
left to the collective conscience of each business. |