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History of sorts is being made in the Old Bailey with the shocking trial of two ten-year-old boys accused of raping an eight-year-old girl in West London. They are believed to be the youngest ever in Britain to face trial for this offence.
I’ve often said that children of today seem more grown-up than they did in my day over fifty years ago. In truth, while they remain children, they probably mimic what they see on television or on their games consoles. Whether they have much understanding of what they see and do or what consequences follow is another thing.
Sex? - I didn’t know what it meant. Rape? - I’d never heard of the word. When I was ten years old, I was engrossed in the Dandy and Beano comics. I waited impatiently for the next weekly instalment of ‘Journey Into Space’ on the radio. I enjoyed watching ‘Children’s Hour’ on the television and especially the antics of Muffin the Mule. I kicked balls around with my chums and helped to teach the Minah birds in Clissold Park how to swear and fished for minnows in the lake there.
Along with the vast majority of my chums, I showed respect or else faced the consequences. Misbehave in a public space, we’d be approached by a park warden or a policeman to whom the greatest respect had to be shown lest a cheeky answer be followed by a clip round the ear.
Increasingly it seems that we hear about crimes committed by younger and younger children; crimes of burglary, theft, graffiti, violence and even murder are among them.
Where do these children get their ideas from? What are their parents teaching them? What do they learn in school? What do they see and learn around them?
More importantly, how can their behaviour be corrected? I have no answers but I do hope someone has for the children of today are the adults of tomorrow.
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History of sorts is being made in the Old Bailey with the shocking trial of two ten-year-old boys accused of raping an eight-year-old girl in West London. They are believed to be the youngest ever in Britain to face trial for this offence.
I’ve often said that children of today seem more grown-up than they did in my day over fifty years ago. In truth, while they remain children, they probably mimic what they see on television or on their games consoles. Whether they have much understanding of what they see and do or what consequences follow is another thing.
Sex? - I didn’t know what it meant. Rape? - I’d never heard of the word. When I was ten years old, I was engrossed in the Dandy and Beano comics. I waited impatiently for the next weekly instalment of ‘Journey Into Space’ on the radio. I enjoyed watching ‘Children’s Hour’ on the television and especially the antics of Muffin the Mule. I kicked balls around with my chums and helped to teach the Minah birds in Clissold Park how to swear and fished for minnows in the lake there.
Along with the vast majority of my chums, I showed respect or else faced the consequences. Misbehave in a public space, we’d be approached by a park warden or a policeman to whom the greatest respect had to be shown lest a cheeky answer be followed by a clip round the ear.
Increasingly it seems that we hear about crimes committed by younger and younger children; crimes of burglary, theft, graffiti, violence and even murder are among them.
Where do these children get their ideas from? What are their parents teaching them? What do they learn in school? What do they see and learn around them?
More importantly, how can their behaviour be corrected? I have no answers but I do hope someone has for the children of today are the adults of tomorrow.
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