William Beaver

Illegitimacy is a serious problem in the United States and is responsible for many of society’s ills, argues William Beaver in the following viewpoint. He contends that television is a major contributor to the problem of illegitimacy because of its significant impact on the developing values of children. Explicit sex, sex talk, and innuendo are aired on television at hours when children are listening and watching, he asserts. Children absorb and imitate the sexual messages they receive, he maintains, and because the consequences of sex are rarely portrayed on television, the out-of-wedlock pregnancy rate is soaring. Beaver is a professor of education and social sciences at Robert Morris College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Beaver, what percentage of children are born to single mothers, and...