I don't think it's that they see them as innocent so much as they see them as being dependant and incapable of doing for themselves and thinking for themselves. The way you combat that is to teach children self-sufficiency. You teach them to do and think for themselves. You also teach them to take themselves seriously. I don't think everything has to be all seriousness, but when a child has a need or desire and it's treated as second class, just because they are a child, then there is a problem. So, if we take them more seriously, and we teach them to be more independant, I think that is a big first step. *s*

Celia