Pre-Crime Checks for Kids?

[Urchin]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article ... 96,00.html

Looking at kids around 11 years old :

The children of prisoners, problem drug users and others at high risk of offending will also face being "actively managed" by social services and youth justice workers. New technologies are to be used to boost police detection rates while DNA samples are to be taken from any crime suspect who comes into contact with the police.

Article continues
The "early intervention" approach is part of a package of proposals on security, crime and justice produced by Downing Street which underline the scale of criminal justice reform Mr Blair believes is still needed despite passing 53 law and order bills since he came to power in 1997.

What do you think?

Will labelling them help them?
Is it the only way to try and stop the new wave of yob culture?

 

[sparky]

its really tough, cos your sort of labling them as crims before they have a chance....although that sort of social and usually economic depreviation is one of the major factors to crime.

Personally i believe the government should work more on 'building resiliance' amongst young people and doing their best to harbour a sense of responsibity and raised self esteem to give kids the hope for a better future

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

Interesting question!

It seems wrong to me....labelling kids as guilty before they have even had a chance to become adults and make thier way in life. Guilty before proven innocent? Thats scary.

I think that there are pockets of society where there is greater poverty, crime etc, and these druggies and criminals can breed kids who have a twisted view of whats right and wrong, fair and unfair etc, but not every kid raised in that environment is going to become an asbo teen or worse. I was brought up on one of the worst estates in Kent with a cokehead shoplifting alcoholic mother, and I turned out pretty crime free and with a good moral conscience, and I know loads of people brought up in that kind of environment and crime, drugs and violence doesnt feature in thier lives. Some people see it and know they dont want it.

I think what Im trying to say is that I think its wrong to label and stereotype kids just because of where they live and what thier parents are like, instead there should be more facilities and support for the families involved, give the kids SOMETHING TO DO!! I went to a fab youth club when I was a kid, we had pool, pottery, martial arts classes, film days, discos, dance and music lessons, loads of stuff, it kept us off the streets and out of trouble.

And this collecting of DNA, that has always worried me. Negative freedom is getting stronger and stronger it seems.

Anyway I could waffle on about this for hours so I'll stop now lol

 

[kimmumof2]

i totally agree with the thoughts that it is unfair labelling and this could have a negative affect on the kids. children are influenced in different ways by different people and at different points in their lives, you can have 2 siblings from the same family that grew up together, same parenting etc but both end up following totally different routes in life etc. many factors lead people to drugs and crime not just parenting, and i have come into contact with many people who are drug users or have a criminal past and that have had very "normal" secure childhoods. i think a better idea could be to target the parents on good parenting techniques and so on and not to label these kids. really good thread urchin xxxx

 

[mummykay]

i think EVERYONE should be checked out, have dna taken and put in a database, and the younger its done the better!!!
all the illegals should be shipped off to an island, politicians shouldnt be paid so much and the whole damn country needs sortin out grrrrrrrrrrr

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

Id rather keep my privacy and freedom (what we have left) then have my DNA on a database. I have nothing to hide, I just prefer to keep the most integral part of what makes me who I am private. Its my DNA, my choice. Simple as that. If the causes of crime were tackled at the root we wouldnt even be having this discussion.

Its no good treating a whole country for the symptoms of a disease, when the disease itself isnt being treated.

Oh and make sure you put 90% of the country on that island cos the majority of us have immigrants as ancestors.

I agree politicians shouldnt be paid as much though, the whole system is a shambles.

 

[SarahB]

I believe in the self fullfilling prophecy, if you are labelled something then that is what you will become. If you label a child as bad, a criminal, no good, then he will become all those things. I agree with GGG - give the kids something to do, so they don't find themselves bored and turn to crime for fun. Boosting self esteem and teaching the difference between right and wrong may also help. You can't predict how someone will turn out, no matter how they are raised, but labelling them is not the answer.

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

I believe in the self fullfilling prophecy, if you are labelled something then that is what you will become. If you label a child as bad, a criminal, no good, then he will become all those things. I agree with GGG - give the kids something to do, so they don't find themselves bored and turn to crime for fun. Boosting self esteem and teaching the difference between right and wrong may also help. You can't predict how someone will turn out, no matter how they are raised, but labelling them is not the answer.

well said, kids look to "grown ups" to define thier role in life, its a shame when they are not even given a chance to reach thier potential because of a lack of encouragement and confidence.

 

[sparky]

i agree totally, and will fiercely contend the right for my DNA to be private, i dont even have loyalty cards because i hate to think that my spending habits are being monitored in order for stores to employ their devious marketing techniques on me!!

The govenment seem to be on crack or something, replace the cabinate with normal people and the country would be a better place!

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

i agree totally, and will fiercely contend the right for my DNA to be private, i dont even have loyalty cards because i hate to think that my spending habits are being monitored in order for stores to employ their devious marketing techniques on me!!

The govenment seem to be on crack or something, replace the cabinate with normal people and the country would be a better place!

me too! I was furious with sky, they threatened to cut us off because the telephone line wasnt plugged in (it was impossible while we were laying new wiring and floors etc) and when I asked why they had to be plugged in they said it was because thats how they collect data on what we watch for thier ratings etc! There were other reasons but none of them applied to us (we never used box office or interactive services for example) so basically they were telling us we HAD to let them collect data on what we watch. Sod that!

 

[mummykay]

not illegals as in years ago GGG, i mean the illegals who come over here and drive without licsenses or insurance and knock down british kids
as for the dna database, if u dont have anythin to hide then why not?

 

[Urchin]

My sky box has never been plugged in, it's too much of a pain in the bum.

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

not illegals as in years ago GGG, i mean the illegals who come over here and drive without licsenses or insurance and knock down british kids
as for the dna database, if u dont have anythin to hide then why not?

I understand who your refering too, and id be quite interested to see how many have actually knocked down british kids?

As for the DNA, well lets go all the way if we have nothing to hide - satelite tracking in our cars, more cameras, hell why not let them put cameras in our homes if we have nothing to hide!

I dont mean to be confrontational, I just feel very strongly about our personal freedoms being compromised and then them feeding us endless propoganda, scaremongering and hype to justify it

 

[Urchin]

I can almost see the point in something like this. How many times have we heard of people "knowing" someone was "bad"? I'm specifically thinking about Jamie Bulgers killers. They were known for torturing animals etc, as were many other murderers. clicky
I don't really agree with the DNA bit, but why not keep an extra eye on these kids? they say 65% of kids who have a parent in jail will become and offender themselves. Why not step in early to help them go on the right path.[/devils advocate]

I suppose it all depends on what SS would do and whether it would be a casual thing or not.

 

[sparky]

another problem is DNA testing with regards to crime is still sketchy at the best of times and theres always room for human error...we've all seen miscarrages of justice.

So...how would you feel if the police knocked on your door and you were charged with a crime you didnt commit?

I agree help should be given to kids with family in prison, its not their fault and they have to put up with stigma from their own communities and are often excluded...no wonder they turn to the bad side!

 

[mummykay]

i would just like to live in a nice world and not have to worry about bein stabbed etc!!!!
not havin an argument with u GGG, i just get pretty wound up by it all too!!

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

no argument here mummykay, I like debating these kinds of things