Overview
- The Mott national poll reports 47% of parents say children should never swear, 35% say it depends on the situation, 12% say it depends on the word, and 6% consider it no big deal.
- About 24% of parents say their child swears at least occasionally, rising to 37% among teens, though most still report their kids never or rarely use profanity.
- Parents most often point to friends and classmates (65%) and popular media (58%) as sources of curse words, with 45% acknowledging their own language as a contributor.
- When kids swear, parents typically tell them to stop or explain why it’s inappropriate, fewer ignore it, and a small share punish; parents of teens are more likely to ignore it (21% vs. 8% for younger children).
- Findings come from a nationally representative survey of 1,678 parents of children ages 6–17 administered by Ipsos KnowledgePanel in August 2025.