Recognizing that knowing what parents value most provides insights into what society values and what can be expected of future generations, this report details a study exploring parents' goals in raising their children and focusing on parents' attitudes regarding the difficulty of raising children of integrity and character in America today. Data were gathered through a random sample telephone survey of 1,607 parents of children between 5 and 17 years old and through 12 focus groups of parents conducted at various locations throughout the United States. Five major findings are discussed in this report: (1) parents say that our society barrages youngsters with harmful messages and even poses physical dangers for children, providing a source of constant worry for parents; (2) although television is considered inescapable and sometimes offers offensive, disturbing messages, few parents seriously consider doing without television; (3) there seems to be a special urgency to making sure children attain character traits of independence, self-control, honesty, and politeness to mitigate negative social influences; (4) parents believe that love and encouragement as well as structure and boundaries are critical to child rearing, with four types of distinct parenting styles identified--overwhelmed, "softies," parents-in-chief, and "best buddies"; (5) parents of teenagers are committed to the idea that their children must make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes; and (6) although most parents share similar goals for raising their children and have similar fears regarding society's impact on their well-being, low-income and single parents have serious worries about their childrens social milieu, economic concerns, and concerns about obtaining health insurance. Information on the methodology, the complete survey results, and a list of related publications complete the report. (Contains 16 endnotes.) (KB)