It was shocking to see so many frenzied young people among those looting in our cities, driven by greed and intoxicated by the gangland culture.
The question I ask is “what about their parents?” I couldn’t believe how the parents of one 14-year-old girl couldn’t be bothered to turn up in court, and some are reportedly not concerned that their children face potentially lengthy custodial sentences.
I understand that a juvenile is a child under the age of 17, and thought it was mandatory that a parent had to turn up in court with them, or a responsible adult acting on their behalf.
I believe the government should make it mandatory for both parents to attend court with their rioting kids; in the case of single parents, all reasonable efforts should be made to track down absent fathers so both parents face up to their responsibility. They brought a child into the world, they should both be involved with the consequences of any actions which involves the child.
I am against giving these kids (except in worst cases) custodial sentences for the following reasons, and have an alternative solution:
1. These kids will have to return to any troubled homes after a custodial sentence. Nothing will be any different unless changes there are made and parents face up to their responsibility. A custodial sentence is a short, sharp shock, but it’s not the long term solution to the underlying problem.
2. These are the parents that the government should be targeting for its parenting courses, and that should be included as part of their kids’ sentence. These kids need to understand the importance of a good education and be supported at home. If the parents are not educated, or understand the difference it can make, how can that happen? It would be like a rehabilitation process.
3. I suggest that the parents and their looting offspring should be ordered to return to the scenes of devastation in our cities and be made to clear it up as an alternative to a custodial sentence. If it is known which shop the kids looted, they should return to that shop with their family and work their socks off to repair the damage they caused, as well as paying for it. It’s a community service order with a difference because the young offender is making right the damage he personally caused.
4. Putting the kids in jail is an easy option for parents who refuse to face up to their responsibilities. Being part of the punishing and rehabilitation process means they can’t wash their hands of it.
Ultimately, I know society and the government can only do so much, that there are many complex issues behind these problems. At the end of the day, it’s down to individuals to see the error of their ways, to learn from it.
Good to read some sense about this, Ellee.
Did you see that Dolt on Question Time insisting rioters should be deprived of benefits and made homeless? It sounds really good till you realize this is a convicted tea leaf who patently doesn’t care for the mores of the society she or he lives in. So what are they going to do if made destitute except turn to even more crime. And Mr Paddock, formerly of the Met, described how we already have a system for taking money out of people’s benefits; it’s called a FINE. It’s a good thing the Sun newspaper’s just taken a kick in the guts. I think they were still too winded to blow their top, following the News of the World scandal, the way they would normally do.
I have to say I’ve given up reading The Sun now I know they’re probably too scared to pay for inside information. I only read that newspaper because it was so vulgar anyhow. If they degenerate any further they’ll just be a twin paper to The Star. All the downmarketness without any of the prestige.
“in the case of single parents, all reasonable efforts should be made to track down absent fathers so both parents face up to their responsibility. They brought a child into the world, they should both be involved with the consequences of any actions which involves the child.”
I think this is an appalling solution. You see, some single parents are single because the one not there is a danger to the children or the one who stayed. Whilst I’m sure there are some feckless single mothers I don’t think legislation should be based on a stereotype. And in many cases the one who stayed is doing the best they can against a backdrop of fear of the State – enforcing discipline isn’t easy nowadays. And it’s not easy to raise children and run a household on your own, especially in poverty. The Daily Mail probably regarded it as a journalistic gift in a quiet month.
And are the looters all from broken homes? Are they all the children of single parents? What is the proportion of rioters from single parents to two-parent households?
Are they all from poor homes?
No they’re not.
Some are from rich households with married parents who did this for the crack. As I’m sure most of them did.
On the Jamie oliver school thing I remember one lad from a middle class professional married home was a right handful. Should those parents be marched to parenting classes? They had other children that were just fine :-/
David Davis is from a single parent family. Hitler was from a married family. And Fred and Rose West were married and had children in a *secure* household. #justsaying
Pip, there are no perfect solutions that fit all situations, and what you say is right. I do believe both parents should be responsible when possible. The difficulty is you can’t force someone to be a parent simply because they are the biological parent. Yes, there were some looters children from rich families too, and I don’t exclude them from my suggestions,
David Davis might have had a single parent, but didn’t become a looter.
Gledwood, you are one step ahead of ahead of me here as a non-Sun reader.
“in the case of single parents, all reasonable efforts should be made to track down absent fathers so both parents face up to their responsibility. They brought a child into the world, they should both be involved with the consequences of any actions which involves the child.â€
And what happens when the absent father is dead …. I know from experience how hard it is to discipline teenage boys especially when you have 2 jobs and a house to run … you just have to hope and pray that you have taught them right from wrong and if not then you punish yourself for going wrong somewhere
Hi Sally, you’ve done a great job as a single mum, and been lucky to have Geoff supporting you and the boys before and after they lost their dad. Hopefully, the extended family on both sides have supported you too.
Hi Ellee
As you know Geoff has been my rock, I would hate to think where I would be without him !
Hope you enjoyed your walk on Sunday x x
This article is great and sane. I was so shocked, as an American, to read about these looters. I always consider England such a calm and respectful place. It makes me feel as if we are a bad influence on the kids across the pond.