Jersey Jew:
I agree. Yeshivos do not cause 99% of the OTD problem. But the extreme the other direction is also a definite lie. No one has statistics that are scientifically reliable. We only have observation. And those who are in the trenches are work with these issues constantly have a perspective that is valuable, even if the numbers are off. There is a tendency for discussions on this topic play ping pong with the blame. “It’s the chinuch system.” “It’s the parents.” Each case varies. There is plenty of poorly exercised chinuch. There is plenty of bad parenting. Denying all responsibility is morally dishonest, and insures that big chunks of the problem will never go away.
Today’s world offers incredible ease of access to influences that are a threat to young developing minds. The schedules of parents are hectic, and make the mission of spending quality time with their children a challenge. The trends of what is acceptable and the “norm” are constantly changing, and generations struggle to recognize what is now “in”. The confusion is widespread, and nothing today is being done on a large enough scale to steady it.
Learning Torah is great. Forcing someone to adapt to a curriculum that is incompatible with his/her character is dooming the child to failure. Full time learning is bad advice for some people, and making that the yardstick is irresponsible. But trends win out over logic every time.
With all this chaos, the shortcomings of all those in caregiving positions, whether parent or mechanech, are dangerous. What do we expect from our kids?