Personal responsibility was the political buzzword of last week. The prime
minister urged us to take personal responsibility for global waste, poverty
and pollution by eating up our greens –- I hope he himself left a clean
plate after consuming his 57 varieties of high-status food at the G8.
Less absurdly, David Cameron spoke of personal responsibility at a by-election
launch in the miserable depths of Glasgow’s Gallowgate about “broken”
Britain. It is a society, he said, that is “in danger of losing its sense of
personal responsibility, social responsibility, common decency and yes, even
public morality”.
It is remarkable that a Conservative politician can now talk like this without
being ridiculed. No one disagrees any longer that Britain is in parts and in
places broken; Gallowgate is a horrifying microcosm of broken families,
broken spirits, broken health and broken schools; it is a dark place of
chronic unemployment, violence and crime, of disorder and fear –- a disgrace
to the supposedly developed world.
It’s also true that at long last people of all persuasions are beginning to
recognise that this social breakdown is due in part to the abdication both
of authority and of personal responsibility that began some time after the
war. Some are inclined to emphasise the demoralising paternalism of the
welfare state, others the permissiveness of the 1960s, but few now question
this abdication, at all levels. Not only that –- taking personal
responsibility is sometimes forbidden, or punished, as when misguided adults
try to control delinquent children in the street.
However, while personal responsibility and shared morality are essential to a
good society and the only glue for a broken one, neither can be had just by
whistling for them. Both depend on an instinctive sense of a social
contract. Conventional morality is meaningless to a boy who has nothing
whatsoever to gain by good behaviour. Personal responsibility means nothing
if you have grown up neglected, abused and powerless among adults who hardly
know what it is and feel powerless themselves.
Cameron said in Glasgow that “social problems are often the consequences of
the choices that people make”. There’s truth in that and a truth that has
been wilfully neglected for decades. But the countervailing truth is that
free choice – and real personal responsibility – barely exist for some
people, least of all for those who are most likely to cause problems.
Take knife crime, an emblem of what is wrong with British society. Imagine the
history of a boy who gets a knife and might well use it. I always think of
Jo, a Notting Hill boy I used to know, but there are countless others like
him. Everything that happened to Jo could have been designed to turn him
into a social menace.
He came here from Latin America with his single mother, “for the NHS”, he told
me. His mother worked in a bar here and produced other children with other
men, with whom she shared a council flat. Jo and his brother lived on their
own, as young schoolboys, in another council flat.
He went, sometimes, to a notorious school where he learnt nothing but, being
bright and charismatic, he became a leader of others in the street. He
turned to petty crime and then to worse; drug running or dealing is the
usual activity round here. He became a notorious bully and actually tortured
some boys I knew of to stop them giving evidence against him in court; the
case collapsed. Having impregnated a girl he was later removed by social
services to some other unlucky borough.
The point of this all-too-common story is the damage that was done to Jo from
his earliest years. It is not to excuse his crimes or the damage he has done
to others. My own son has been mugged many times and not long ago called me
from A&E in the Mile End Road, east London, where he was being stitched
up by a doctor; a group of youths had attacked him, beaten him and slashed
his head open with a beer can. So I do not feel soft on street crime; it
terrifies me.
However, I do believe that boys like Jo are in an impossible position. Either
they are so damaged by early neglect – and there is a lot of evidence that
neglected babies fail to develop, cognitively or emotionally – and so led
astray by delinquent parenting that they are incapable of living an orderly
life or holding down a job.
Libraries of research have been done into this. For babies and young children,
a failure to bond with their mothers, or constant separation anxiety, lack
of attention and stimulation or actual abuse do permanent damage to the
brain, just as bad parenting and lack of good male role models do other
kinds of damage. Two common outcomes are a lack of empathy and impaired
impulse control, both of which are associated with violent crime. Such
children may be very much less capable of personal responsibility, or of
rational choice, than children from more normal homes.
Alternatively for bright, ambitious boys such as Jo, hungry for life’s much
advertised pleasures but too illiterate and unemployable to earn them, crime
does seem a rational choice. “The world is not thy friend,” Romeo said to
the poverty-stricken apothecary as the way to persuade him to commit the
crime of selling poison.
What can anyone in youth offender rehabilitation schemes offer such boys as an
alternative – shelf-stacking at a supermarket, cleaning the streets, the
contempt of his peers? For a young, vital, angry man an Asbo often seems
better than Asda. A criminal conviction means almost nothing to someone who
has almost nothing to lose but his benighted freedom.
Morality depends on having something to lose. It isn’t just a matter of
learning right from wrong, least of all in a post-religious society.
Morality is socially constructed. I will respect your property and your
person because I want you to respect mine. We both have something to lose.
One does not have to be educated in political philosophy to understand that
ancient deal. But if I have neither property nor respect from anyone, what’s
in the deal for me?
That is Jo’s problem. Neither an appeal to morality nor the threat of a
community sentence or the brutalities of jail – 90% of prisoners are
mentally ill – will solve it for him. Nor will any of that solve the
problems he presents to the rest of us. It seems to me heartless to suggest
that it might.
Unfortunately, the decades of well-intentioned social folly that we have had since the 1960s have caught up with us. There are no simple answers now. What is vital is to re-establish the hard authority of the state, we as citizens are going to have to accept this if we want meaningful change.
paul, Carlow, Ireland
Why SHOULD there be incentives for good behaviour for Christ's sake?? As ever the chattering liberals have twisted the reality. Perhaps i should go around fire-bombing Council offices. I promise to stop and be a good boy if you give me a nice new 4-bed council house. Idiots!!!!! Mafia rules OK?
Strap, Epping,
An absurd theory: having property leads to mutual respect!
The poorest are often kindest and most respectful: wealthy socialites generally the most sociopathic. The field of epigenetics reveals parental lifestyles affect the DNA of children.
Hoodies are simply the descendants of materialism!
iain carstairs, bedford, uk
The minority of kids in trouble may have no guide in their life so are lead into stupid and dangerous situations. Police will have to deal with the immediate problem butlong term children deprived of a stable home routine should be suported into something that will keep their focus away from harm!
Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England
If you read Steven Levitt's book 'Freakanomics' you'll see that increased police and increased prison sentences significantly reduced US crime rates in the 90's.
Being told prisons are full, and early releases only encourages crime. People are rational. Fear of prison results in less crime
marcus, brixton,
Oh, by all means cross the pond and all the children problems go away. Our children are much more efficient in that guns are used much more than knives. And why not. With such wonderful role models like 50 cent and other thug rap stars being available to be idolized by Western youth.
Richard, Savannah, USA
Let's get this right ! Britain isn't creating this, its our incompetent governments which HAS created this. Its about time we had less of this WE . If the average law abiding, tax paying, car driving, council tax paying person was allowed their way, Britain wouldn't be the cess pit which it is now
Phil de Buquet, Newport,
Consider for a moment the vast public expense Britain must pay (and has already paid) for the lucky privilege of having Jo and his family. The council flats here and there, the schools and counsellors, the courts and, yes, the NHS (the reason they came). And it will increase, over generatiions...
Mary, London,
"The Devil finds work for idle hands to do". I think this sums up what is happening in Britain. Because greedy big business has taken all the hands-on jobs away - and lots of others too - there are hundreds of thousands of superfluous people around, especially young people with no work and no hope.
Judith C, London, UK
If you read Steven Levitt's book 'Freakanomics' you'll see that increased police and increased prison sentences significantly reduced US crime rates in the 90's.
Ben, Auckland, New Zealand
It all goes back to that twit Rousseau, who alleged that everyone is born good then ruined by "society". If you believe that, your task becomes one of washing off the superficial filth to find the angel below. But we are apes, not angels, and our behaviour - good or bad -reflects our conditioning.
Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,
It's nothing to do with different coloured skin. It's poverty, lack of education and opportunity. Victorian London was the same. We need discipline, good role models should be promoted and get tough on those who aren't. Stop putting profit before public health and well-being (eg. alcohol).
Robert, Manchester, UK
True it is to say that jobs have mostly been sent to the 3rd world as they are cheaper. Why did we mark up our own worth. If we still had the jobs even poor paying ones, then the work ethic would have prevailed and not the welfare state mentality. Then we wouldn't have youth not knowing what to do
Glynn, Kingston,
When condoning illegitimacy, Leftwing nation wreckers willfully ignored the civilising effect that marriage has upon young men. Raising a familiy is something that girls and poor women should never undertake alone if at all possible. But Elitist Feminists in ivory towers care nothing for the poor.
glen, Houston, USA
There are an awful lot of comments posted to this article from American Christians. As a Christian, may I point out that Christianity does not have a monopoly on morality- think of the peaceful Buddhist societies in Asia for example.
V Smith, London, UK
Paola in Milan, you are right. Notice the proliferation of holiday resorts etc in the UK that say 'no children'. How about 'well behaved children welcome'. Similar to the curfew, which should only apply to the misbehaved. Where is the incentive to behave well when there is no reward?
Carol, Leicester, UK
Mass immigration of incompatible cultures is the problem. Jo and his mother never should have been let into the UK in the first place. "Diversity" is not a strength -- if you'll read up on the invididual state stats of the US you'll find the least "diverse" states have the lowest crime rates.
MaryJ, San Francisco, USA
Wasn't Hitler the one who started political correctness...to get his way. How to be civil in an uncivilized society. The fun's just begun,especially with dwindling resources...like food...
Robit, Providence, USA
Morality is not universal. It changes constantly and across continents. We don't need morality. We need laws which are agreed on by society. Young people are treated like kids for too long - let them leave school at 14 like I did and get jobs, that will teach them responsibility.
Brian, Leeds, UK
There's one cure here and that is Jesus. Not a PC thing to say, but I think you'll find that the bible has the moral code for how to live. People will reject it because they'll determine that parts of it aren't applicable. I know this comment will get critized.
Peter , Costa Mesa, United States
Despite admonitions to seek social services 'answer', or simplistic directives for parents to step up to the plate and resume parenting, neither of these will work. Only heart-change from God Himself will work - humble submission to the Maker's ways in the Bible and the Gospel of peace.
Kathy, Indiana, USA
Respect is what is missing in young lives and as such seem to be allowed to get away with any thing! You only have to read Camilla Cavendish's excellent articles in last weeks Times to understand what is at the route cause of all this.The Law makers seem to have a blind spot in Family Law matters!
Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England
The powers that be have steadily and relentlessly eroded authority both in school and at home. Adults are now forbidden to chastise the children in their care or nip inappropriate behaviour in the bud before it gets out of control.
Schools therefore struggle to find teachers & heads that'll stay.
Philip Sudron, Chorley, England
I agree with Ken Meyer.
Philip Sudron, Chorley, England
Kids today need a focus but alas it stems from the shortfalls in families and family law as seen in the times last week. Someone said on Trish or similar keep the kids busy with what they should be doing instead of keep critising them for what they get wrong. It could take a generation to put right!
Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England
In the old days, non-university youth in the U.S. and Britain could easily get jobs that paid or soon led to wages that would support a family. Those jobs have mostly been sent to the Third World. Corporations have helped their bottom line at the expense of society's health.
Karen, Minneapolis, USA
I am quoting "Teaching self interest and bolstering its pursuit through competition, without morality is teaching crime.... "
Morality will always have abias of host or local culture , and that is perfectly OK. There does not exist any objective morality independent of value
judgement.
Dilip Kale, Delhi, India
Right. How to you get to have something to lose? Individualise welfare provision. National Insurance paid tax free into citizen's own account. Interest paid on it tax free. Withdrawals allowed for government determined purposes, first financing of retirement. Balance on death to estate not state.
Michael Evans, Midsomer Norton, Uk
What MM says about her son being mugged 'many times' flags up a basic truth - Londoners accept mayhem as the norm. In Edinburgh it is still front-page news in the local paper if a young man is assaulted so badly that he needs hospital treatment. London is not Britain. There are still good places.
Jenny Wilson, Edinburgh,
People need<B> jobs</B>..... Once people have jobs and can provide for a family, I think you will see less broken families. Get some jobs for the people , or this will continue. & Thank you Margret Thatcher.
Anne, Philadelphia, USA
Seems to me you have reached the conclusion. A society without religon is broken and can't be fixed.
John, Houston, USA
These problems all have arisen in both in American and in Europe after the floodgates of immigration were opened to regions of the world with cultures vastly different from the host society. There have been no problems in America from western european immigrants.
Locke, Missouri, USA
Well, what do you expect to happen when the government prosecutes parents for attempting to discipline their kids. Spank them and go to jail. Speak harshly to a child and when a "social worker" finds out about it, the child will be removed from the family.
You reap the society you sow.
Enough!
Scott, Durham, NC, USA
The truth is your nanny state has demoralized you and taken away your identity. Where is the personal responsibility indeed? From whom is it required? In what realms of your personal lives are you allowed to exercise your rights? Do you have any anymore? Look to Ireland, brothers and sisters.
Bedingfield, Georgia, USA
Having lived in the USA and the UK/Ireland. I can say that youth crime in the British side is far worse. Youth here have no fear what so ever of the police. They commit serious crimes in public sight with out any fear of adults. Try to get involved and the youth can attack you. It is really scary.
Nick Knight, Laytown, Ireland
You say Jo is bright, ambitious, how do you know this?.
wayne, huntingdon, cambridgeshire
Hi All.
I have for years now trying to get some sense in our education system where competition is taught from day one.
Competition in schools is disastrous because it is focussed on self. You can only be number one if you destroy all others.
Change education too coperation and things change.
marinus, whakatane, new zealand
We need the tough unforgiving stance shown to those who commit motoring offences or fail to put their recycling materials in the right bin if we are to solve crime. Work must also no longer be rewarded by state exploitation of the almost poverty earner to care for for the "poor" or the environment.
David Cage, Highworth, UK
This is a really excellent article. It finds the central truth- that children are getting neglected by parents, who imagine away their true responsibilities. The parents need to set the boundaries and then intervention by schools and the police will be effective. Only morality can make society safe.
G Davidson, Kashiwa, Japan
Two ideas:
Both parents should be held responsible for their children's behaviour, whether they live with them or not.
Nobody, innocent or guilty, who is taken to court for any crime, should be allowed home until they can read fluently and have proved it by reading a whole book for pleasure.
Ross, Bristol,
The most important thing to teenage boys is "respect".
If they don't get it from society, they will look for it on the streets.
Tolodony, San Jose, USA
Contracts are external to the person.
External events change the imperative to keep them.
Morality needs to be internalised - believed!
As strongly held belief can transcend events.
Nathan, Cambridge, UK
Carrot AND stick, folks - Carrot AND stick.
Roger Bingham, Lauzun, France
The products of an evil and divisive ideology - multiculturalism - are surfacing. Immigrant communities struggling with out of control poorly educated youngsters who are spilling blood daily on our streets. The rivers of blood are flowing just as Enoch Powell predicted.
Richard K, Nottingham,
Enoch Powell really should have been listened to and not hurried off the stage to a chorus of sanctimonious tut-tutting. Bit late now.
There was an article recently in the Times about how parents are held to ransom by their oh-so-spoilt-got-it-all kiddies, seems as though very few can get it right.
Sarah, france, france
Very good article. There is much we could do.Some is being trialled. Family nurses to help families at risk of troubled parenting of an infant. Community based Social Services which offer support but also demand good standards of parenting. Camila Bhatmangelidh knows a great deal. Ask her.
Poppy, Southend, UK
Sometimes the most important relationship they have is with the local drug dealer. For their sake and ours we need to do better than that. We need to offer them a relationship with someone decent. who can mentor. Worry about paedos has put people off volunteering with kids.
Richard, Huddersfield,
If someone had the answer to this problem they'd be very popular. I don't know what it is but if fathers made sure they were around, after sepearation or divorce, for their kids more often, and set them a good example I'm sure it would help.
Clinton Burwood, Paignton, UK
In Britain everyone is measured by their cash value. If you are without money you are judged of no value. A young person thrown out from school with nil quals is stuck at the minimum wage. They are permanently poor. Joining a gang provides value/respect in a different way irrespective of money.
Colin , Carmarthen, United Kingdom
Having children out of wedlock is causing major problems all over the world. It is difficult enough to properly raise a child when two responsible parents are involved. Let us go back to morality and faith.
P. Holian, White Plains, N.Y., USA
If we take a close look at the perpetrators of knife crime this year in London we will see that there is a direct link to immigration, similar to your Jo. Pc prevents this being disscussed by the very people that have the power to stop immigration from the 3rd world. This is outragous.
G Williams, Swansea,
This is all the fault of useless parents. The parents of yobs and the yobs themselves should be sterilised to get rid of this disease of society. They are parasites killing the decency of our country.
ken meyer, london,
Not a solution in it's self but a help would be to created a banned list of 'drug fueled celebrities' and prevent the press from advertising their way of life by not allowing any reference to them what so ever.
D Case, Newuay,
Hopefully you'll be just as PC when a "Jo" stabs your son to death.
Steve Jacks, London,
Tony Blair, George Bush, Gordon Brown, Dick Cheny are the role models offered to our children : murderers all : no surprise then that the children feel hopeless in the face of our greed, our willingness to let others die for our comfort. The adults have sold their kids futures and so it goes.
corneilius, harrow, uk
"He came here from Latin America with his single mother, “for the NHS”, he told me"
Clearly the vast amount of criminal activity he (and possibly his half siblings) have generated along with the financial costs would not have happened had his mother been refused entry into the UK.
Don, Richmond, UK
When are we going to stop making it so easy for people to damage their children? Born to damaged & damaging parents, likely they will become damaging parents themselves. I was part of the 60's sexual revolution & hailed it right & just that society support single mums. I eat my words. We were wrong.
Chris, Bury St Edmunds, UK
Children lack discipline in the home, in the schools and on the streets. Why? - because parents, teachers and police cannot apply it without risk of being prosecuted! Doaway with the Human Rights Act and bring back National Service and we might start to resolve some of this country's problems.
Derek Wiley, Poole, England
One is constantly saddened by pontificators' lapses of memory on this topic. Remember Mods and Rockers, Razor Gangs, 'No Mean City' (Glasgow between the wars), Ice cream wars (Glasgow ), Liverpool in the forties and Toxteth. Edwardian yobs raiding the East End to beat up Jews? Plus ca change.
Noel Thompson, Tavistock,
All going according to plan I see.
Lilith Barrett, London, UK
Part of the problem is that the young people who do this fear no one and nothing but know that others fear them. Authority - and fear of it - needs to be re-exerted, with a zero-tolerance type crackdown. Then the long-term social causes need to be dealt with separately over a long time frame. Simple
David C, Brussels, Belgium
Bev correctly identifies why nothing serious will be done.
Big trouble would arise for quite a while from any serious transition away from the present welfarist disaster. What politician will risk the public complaints?
The most likely outcome is another few years of futile 'initiatives'.
Mike Newland, London, England
Thoughtful and interesting piece. My own opinion is that a thorough overhaul is needed in every corner of the British system, from schools and welfare to prisons and rehabilitation programs, with a streamlined tough but compassionate common sense approach and zero tolerance.
Martin , London,
If as the author suggests, significant numbers of people do not have free choice and personal responsibility, then presumbably others who do should make decisions for them.
John Smith, London,
"Bring back fathers". What a wonderful idea! John Cramer - would you please advocate your position to the father of my children who hasn't bothered contacting our children all year so far? All these wonderful men and potential fathers...where are they?
Midge, London,
Middle class solutions for working class problems never work. The definition of class here has nothing to do with social status or financial standing but as a state of mind. It is time we recognised that reasoning and talking are pointless where these mindless idiots are concerned.
Keith Downer, London, UK
Does anybody know a time when there were no youth gangs in the UK?
haralambos, joburg,
If the next administration gets it wrong we are very likely going to see a moral blow like in Germany in the interwar years. If the kids need GOOD role models and CLEAR boundaries this is what they need, no more & no less - a very fine line and social disaster on either side.
kevin, Lincoln, UK
And that's why if you take away the benefits,they will get worse.They won't go get a low paying job,crime will get worse and more violent.I'm from S.Calif,and those poor choose gangs and crime over low paying jobs.Britain will follow and get worse.welfare state is better than car jackings/gun crime
Bev, Conwy, Wales
I have maintained for 40 years that the bulk of the English don't like children - simple as that. The crime and bad behaviour of youths especially in England reflects that lack of love and alienation. A Society which tolerates kids is no substitute for one which invests itself in their future.
Paola, Milan, Italy
When a society returns to "natural selection", Jason, civilisation is finished.
Tom MacFarlane, Thornton, UK
Why is it less absurd for Cameron to mouth these purile inanities than Brown? How would YOU react if you were sixteen and through no fault of your own caught in a web of poverty, ignorance, crime, drugs, disfunction, depression and despair in dismal, dirty, and degenerate from the top down Britain?
Jo Geogfhegan, Ipswich, U.K.
jaqui smith has come up with another non starter,which will waste more taxpayers money,visits to victims and offenders in prison,the only thing that will get the youth in check,national service,in Gods name why is no one in government strong enough to get this talked about.Discipline,respect.come on
carl clark, thetford, u.k
Travelling through European countries 200 days a year, my observation would be that indeed this problem is worse in the UK. Reasons are probably many, but at least part of the solution lies in a better state school system, and looking at the Scandinavian Kindergarten model.
Henk, Stockholm, Sweden
A great article, but 90% of the prison population are not "mentally ill" in any meaningful sense of the word. Some do have a mental illness and need proper psychiatric treatment but many are simply the the casualties of our broken society and medicalising them tends to lead to the wrong solutions.
Charlie , Portsmouth, UK
Bring back fathers - the once policemen of society
and dump social workers
john cramer, strathfield, australia
The school system is near collapse, but is repaired by sending nearly 50% to higher education.
The problem is that the 50% who don't go are then locked out. It is very difficult for them to be successful in legitimate employment.
Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK
Friends fled Zimbabwe with only the clothes on their back; went to England but were denied residency, hence are now in Australia, working and contributing to Australia's economy and building a new life. Perhaps being less liberal about who comes to the UK (aka free NSH) might help.
L. Smith, Perth, Australia
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
Bob Dylan, Greenwich Village, USA
This is partly the result of society devaluing motherhood. We continue to ignore scientific knowledge now available re the importance of confident parent-care for children's development. We even discourage girls from developing the mothering qualities they will need -sensitivity, kindness, care etc
M Peacock, Salisbury , UK
Nothing new - the razor, hatchet and sharpened cycle chain gangs of 1930's Glasgow were destroyed by the no nonsense policing tactics of Chief Constable Sir Percy Sillitoe and his tough officers. He later became Head of MI5. We need another such achieving personality in charge of our Police.
Robert El-Cid., Hull., East Yorks.,
In the days of National Service the RAEC did wonders, transforming illiterates - through a disciplined environment - into functioning adults. By brining together youths from all walks of life National Service opened minds to new ideas and perspectives.
Who can deny that it did more good than harm?
Lewsi Thomas, High Wycombe, UK
I continue to marvel at the British psyce - it cries at its own cultural decline, too late, when it has brought most of the problems on itself. by an uncaring attitude to its own culture which left its borders wide open for the rest of the Worlds problems to walk in and spoil a good thing.
graham casey, Perth, australia
i don't buy this rhubarb that 90% of prisoners are mentally ill - i have spent my working life around prisoners - a heightened sensitivity of how the behaviour of others impacts on the self and limited concern for how the behavour of the self impacts on others does not constitute mental illness
Andrew, southampton,
Moral bankruptcy: we have been fooled into thing that niceness especially of the sort that is by diktat has left us in a state of moral perturbation. Society has a problem. Knife attacks seem to suggest that we should treat people as we find them and not apply the Government’s rule on sociability
Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England
Minette in your 'Why oh Why' world male youth crime is unique to the UK. A little look at non UK media might inform you that such disaffected youths are to be found plentifully in, say, the banlieues of Paris. There, however, his name is more likely to be Raschid than Jo.
Dectora, London, UK
Consider New York, a few years ago it was notoriously worse than London or any other city in the UK. Now it is totally different, you can walk safely. I'm sure that many of the youngsters there are now growing up with a better work ethic and to better futures.
Glen, Melbourne,
Jo's mother should never have been allowed into the country. That's where the abdication of responsibility happened. At the border. Thats it. The rest is nonsense.
tom, london, england
Most of the UK's youth have no future,
They would be better off in Jail,there, they could study, come out with a university degree, and get a real job, that their education to date has denied them. the division beween rich and poor in the UK will only get worse. So will crime and violence,
Charlie Peace, Rammsbottom, England
I have said the following numerous times. Radical egalitarianism and radical individualism equals nihilism. Lock them up, get rid of the social workers and hope for the next generation. You cannot teach a bad dog new tricks. These animals need fear in their lives, and PC will not do it.
Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA TX
Excellent analysis. Many suggestions needed.
Bernard Carney, Wakefield,
TOUGH should mean TOUGH when it comes to law and order !!!! At present TOUGH means SOFT !!!!!
Ian Payne, walsall,
We are moving to a victorian society, knife crime, violence, those with money looking the other way and blaming individual choices and ignoring environmental factors. It is a mix of factors, but natural selection will ensure some survive and some do not.
jason palmer, london,
The term 'male role models' shows that men are not permanent fixtures in society and implies that they're not really important. Boys pick up on this, and will internalise it and act accordingly. They want DADS from an early age to give them physical boundaries, and mums for more tender attachment.
Natalie, London,
A very well written article which -in my view- accurately identifies the main cause of most youth crime and antisocial behavior. There must be more education to help bring down the number of unexpected pregnancies, especially amongst teenagers who are often not ready to shoulder the responsibility.
Fredrik, London,