probably the problem of raising wayward and rebellious kids were accentuated in the past but nowadays it's not entirely isolated by geography. there are as much good apples as bad ones you can find almost everywhere eversince globalization began years ago. and this trend in certain ways affect the values of the basic unit of society and the society at large. it's quite complex to explain the breakdown of family ties in homes because the causes and effects are diverse which means you cannot simply blame it on the lack of moral guidance from parents nor blame it on capitalism per se (internet, cable, mobile phones, cheaper flights, etc). The thing is, wherever we choose to live nowadays, new values will clash with the old values and that's the inevitable we have to face. some of my nephews and nieces in the states are independent thinkers and yet have utmost respect for the oldies. some are simply lazy brats and they're already like that in RP to begin with before they migrated. in aus, kids in grade 7 and upwards are encouraged to become service workers after school hours, plus they are given privileges and options to choose from in some cases. now i don't see anything wrong with independence training and i see that it contributes little to problems at home. rebellion is just a sign of insecurity, i know bec i've been very disobedient as a child. that's why i prefer my children to know what they want and how they can get it on their own. sad to say RP's educational system and the pervading pinoy culture don't address this well if not at all. but that is just my personal observation.