| Children's extreme behaviour begs the question, 'How | | | | a rite of passage... Numerous offences are listed |
| has their behaviour been allowed to deteriorate to | | | | including drunken behaviour, drugs, violence and theft. |
| where adults in schools and homes are so desperately | | | | What happens then? Well, usually pretty much nothing |
| out of control of the situation?' | | | | that has much of an impact... Nothing that encourages |
| There's not doubt that some children have had | | | | or makes them change their behaviour for the better |
| dreadful experiences in life. Abuse, neglect, drunken or | | | | anyway! |
| drug addled parents, numerous itinerant 'boyfriends' | | | | In short, there aren't any effective consequences to |
| strolling in and then back out of their mothers' lives are | | | | punish these kids' actions. Even if there were |
| a regular part of their daily lives. So many kids don't | | | | consequences, their life experience would be |
| know their fathers, others have parents who don't | | | | unbalanced because consequences have to be |
| want to be bothered with them and many have been | | | | coupled with care -- the proper kind of care. Most |
| put into local authority 'care'. | | | | people would recognise that punishment for doing |
| Why is the word 'care' in inverted commas? Because | | | | wrong is essential. But punishments doled out on top of |
| most of them in the care system don't receive what | | | | a life that's almost totally negative to start with -- well |
| most people would recognise as the care a child | | | | that's completely demoralising. |
| needs to flourish... | | | | It has to be recognised that kids need care along with |
| Children with behaviour problems are often shuttled | | | | boundaries and limits put on their behaviour. Kids need |
| around from one family to another once they're | | | | adult guidance and support and they need to be |
| subjected to the 'care' system. They need carers with | | | | stopped when their actions are going to cause them |
| the toughest dispositions and the highest levels of | | | | emotional or physical damage. Kids need adults with |
| behaviour management skill otherwise they have little | | | | the courage and will to say, 'I won't allow you to |
| chance of being raised to successful maturity. It's | | | | behave like that!' It doesn't matter whether the adults |
| enough of a battle for carers to manage problems | | | | involved are 'carers', regular parents or teachers, it's |
| within the care system without having a child in their | | | | what is needed. |
| home with problem behaviour. Unfortunately, such | | | | Unfortunately, that isn't the way things are done in the |
| carers are rare... | | | | care system -- or in many homes or schools either! |
| A further problem is that schools can't manage these | | | | The care system workers are too busy ticking boxes |
| kids' behaviour problems either... So, exclusions from | | | | and making sure children's human rights are met. But, |
| school follow and the situation soon descends into | | | | that isn't care. Kids' behaviour has to be actively |
| chaos! Then more professionals come knocking on the | | | | managed. Adults have to control children's behaviour |
| door in the form of mental health, family workers, | | | | until they establish self control and are able to manage |
| therapists, educational psychologists and others. An | | | | their own behaviour. |
| endless list! | | | | If adults don't do what's needed then these kids will |
| To add to the situation some of these kids' behaviour | | | | have a bleak future... Then they'll be having kids of their |
| deteriorates so much that they can't be managed in | | | | own and it's inevitable that the same story will be |
| the fostering system so they end up in a children's | | | | repeated! |
| home. Actually, 'home' is a bit of a misnomer because | | | | Could things be different? Yes of course it they could. |
| such places are more like a drop in centre in between | | | | However, for this to happen adults must get a grip and |
| trips out to meet their friends (to get drunk!) and | | | | take control of kids' behaviour, learn how to manage |
| frequent visits to a police cell (as a result of getting | | | | behaviour properly and give kids the care they need... |
| drunk!). Some 'care' staff in children's homes say they | | | | Will it happen? Who knows, but too many kids are, at |
| haven't the right to stop their charges leaving the | | | | present, being denied a worthwhile future and it's |
| 'home' whenever they want to. Well, it's probably | | | | heartbreaking. |
| against their human rights or some other politically | | | | So why is it any surprise that these poor kids don't |
| correct nonsense! | | | | achieve well in school? With all their problems, |
| Let's fast forward -- you don't have to go too far into | | | | insecurities and intense vulnerability, a teacher telling |
| these kids' futures to see them enter the judicial | | | | them to get their reading book out must be well down |
| system and in other instances, the prison system. Time | | | | their list of priorities... |
| and time again they offend and visit court -- it's almost | | | | |