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Children regarded as growing threat
More than 50 per cent of Britons think the country's children are beginning to behave like animals and many believe they are increasingly a danger to adults and each other, according to a poll released on Monday.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:29 November 17, 2008
London: More than 50 per cent of Britons think the country's children are beginning to behave like animals and many believe they are increasingly a danger to adults and each other, according to a poll released on Monday.
A report by charity Barnardo's, which commissioned the survey, said the findings were shocking and showed a disturbing intolerance of children.
"It is appalling that words like 'animal', 'feral' and 'vermin' are used daily in reference to children," said Martin Narey, Barnardo's chief executive. "These are not references to a small minority of children but represent the public view of all children."
Concern about children's behaviour has become an increasingly political issue in recent years following incidents of youngsters' involvement in violent crime or anti-social behaviour.
In one of the most shocking cases, three teenagers were found guilty in January of murdering Garry Newlove, a father-of-three, whom they beat to death after he confronted them outside his house about vandalism they had caused.
Meanwhile, the number of teenagers being murdered, or committing murder has risen, with 28 young people dying violently on the streets of London alone this year.
Danger
The Barnardo's survey found 49 per cent of the 2,021 people surveyed thought children now posed more of a danger to their peers and to adults with 43 per cent saying something had to be done to protect them from youngsters.
The poll showed 54 per cent thought children were beginning to behave like animals and 45 per cent agreed that people referred to kids as feral because they behaved that way.
The charity said the British Crime Survey, which produces crime figures based on interviews with the public, showed that Britons thought that young people committed up to a half of all crimes. In fact they are responsible for just 12 per cent.
"The real crime is that this sort of talk and attitude does nothing to help those young people who are difficult, unruly or badly behaved to change their ways," Narey said.
Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said young people needed support, not vilification.
Split over baby P
Staff working for Haringey's social services department were split over how Baby P should be protected with senior figures overruling the views of a senior case worker and the police, the BBC reported yesterday.
The claims were rejected by the council which said decisions about the child, who later died of horrific injuries, had been made following multi-agency meetings which had involved police.
According to findings by the BBC's Panorama programme, social worker Sylvia Henry wanted the toddler to be taken into care when concerns were first raised about the boy in December 2006 and he was placed on the council's "at risk" register.
However her bosses decided that the baby should be looked after by family or friends.
The 17-month-old baby died in August 2007 after suffering a more than 40 injuries during a campaign of abuse, despite 60 visits from care workers. His mother, her boyfriend and lodger Jason Owen, 36, have been convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The BBC said Henry had found a foster parent for Baby P but senior managers decided he should be placed with family friend Angela Godfrey.
The programme cited a witness statement from Henry which said: "My impression of Angela was that she believed the local authority were overreacting" and that Baby P's injuries were caused by rough play.
The BBC also said that after being instructed to allow the baby to go home, she delayed the return for as long as possible to allow the police to carry out an investigation. However, the council said no social workers had been overruled and no concerns were raised about Godfrey.
The BBC said police had also wanted Baby P to be taken into care after he was admitted to hospital in June 2007 but after a "frank exchange of views" they agreed to sign up to a care plan allowing the baby to be sent home.
Detective Superintendent Caroline Bates told the Old Bailey during the trial of two of the three convicted over the death that police did not want the child returned to the mother.
Haringey said they expected there to be rigorous discussion and that police had agreed with the decisions made.
The council also said officers had not expressed the view that social services had become too focused on the mother.
Have you encountered badly behaved children? Why do you think such behaviour is increasing among children? Are parents to be blamed?
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