We can clamp down on antisocial children before birth, says Blair

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2 Sep 2006 09:47:32 -0000

SSRI-Research

We can clamp down on antisocial children before birth, says Blair

 

 

 

 

The (Manchester UK) Guardian - We can clamp down on antisocial

Posted by: " SSRI-Research " SSRI-Research vince_19805

Fri Sep 1, 2006 2:21 pm (PST)

 

 

 

OUTRAGEOUS!

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Vince

 

 

 

 

We can clamp down on antisocial children before birth, says Blair

 

· Intervention 'could prevent later problems'

 

· Package of proposals courts controversy

 

Lee Glendinning

Friday September 1, 2006

 

Guardian

 

Tony Blair has said it is possible to identify problem children who

could grow up to be a potential " menace to society " even before they

are born.*

 

*Setting out plans for state intervention to prevent babies born

into high-risk families becoming problem teenagers of the future,

the prime minister said teenage mothers could be forced to accept

state help before giving birth, as part of a clampdown on antisocial

behaviour.*

 

*Mr Blair defended the need for state intervention and said action

could even be taken " pre-birth " if necessary as families with drug

and alcohol problems were being identified too late.*

 

* " If we are not prepared to predict and intervene far more early

then there are children that are going to grow up in families that

we know perfectly well are completely dysfunctional, and the kids a

few years down the line are going to be a menace to society and

actually a threat to themselves, " he told BBC News. There could be

sanctions for parents who refused to take advice, he added.*

 

*Mr Blair's uncompromising remarks in a BBC interview come after the

Guardian revealed earlier this week full details of his wide-ranging

plans for tackling social exclusion.*

 

*The package, worked out at a Chequers summit meeting with ministers

and leading agencies such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and

Turning Point, covers ideas on children in care, teenage mothers and

mentally ill people on benefit - those who have been " difficult to

reach " in previous government programmes.*

 

*The prime minister will set out his plans in a speech next Tuesday,

but it his trenchant language in his first broadcast interview since

returning from holiday which is certain to stir controversy. *

 

*He admitted many people might be uneasy with the idea of

intervening in people's family life but said there was no point

" pussy-footing " .*

 

*Official figures released in February showed the conception rate

for girls aged 13-15 was 7.5 per 1,000 in 2004. Ministers are

looking at new strategies to curb teenage pregnancy and compulsory

12-week programmes for vulnerable young parents to improve their

skills bringing up children.*

 

*The leader of the government's Respect taskforce, Louise Casey, is

a strong advocate of parenting classes for people whose children

behave antisocially. *

 

*The radical proposal is believed to have come out of that meeting

at Chequers and a government policy paper on the issue is due to be

published soon.*

 

*While help had to be offered, Mr Blair said, " some sense of

discipline and responsibility " had to be brought to bear. " You

either steer clear and say that's not for government to get into, in

which case you don't deal with the problem. Or, and this is really

what I'm saying, I think we need to deal with these particular

issues and we actually do intervene and we intervene at a very early

stage.*

 

* " If you've got someone who is a teenage mum, not married, not in a

stable relationship ... here is the support we are prepared to offer

you, but we do need to keep a careful watch on you and how your

situation is developing because all the indicators are that your

type of situation can lead to problems in the future, " he said.*

 

*The Conservatives have objected to this course, saying the

government should not try to run people's lives.*

 

*Conservative policy director Oliver Letwin said: " The answer is not

more state intervention. It is to encourage the social enterprise,

the voluntary sector, community groups, to help people without

trying to run their lives for them. " *

 

*One thinktank suggested it was almost " genetic determinism " to

suggest children could turn out to be troublemakers before they were

born.*

 

*Norman Lamb, chief of staff to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies

Campbell, said: " Empty threats to pregnant mothers will do little to

restore confidence in a government that has failed to tackle

poverty, crime and social exclusion for the last nine years. " *

 

*Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006*

 

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