 During the early years of the nineteenth century children and more especially the children of the lower classes, were seen as an integral part of the family economy almost as soon as they could walk, contributing by their labour however small to the family’s resources. Child labour it was said kept children out of mischief and avoided the idleness that would lead to dissipation. That it was harsh is without doubt and the discipline more often than not was extremely severe. They had few rights and a very rudimentary education, in some cases none if the money was not available to pay for it. As the century progressed, society changed economically and morally and so did people’s attitudes towards children. There was a growing awareness of the needs of children and their right to be protected from ‘the immoral aspects of adult life’. T. B. Macaulay an early 19th century politician said in his election campaign of 1832 that ‘Children cannot protect themselves and are therefore entitled to the protection of the public.’ By the end of the 20th century there were even greater changes. Children and young adults were the darlings of the media, the fashion world and the pop culture of the sixties ensured that youths who had barely left education became millionaires almost overnight; they became the icons and role models of their generation. In the past children were regarded as no different than young adults, even the clothes they wore were just cut down versions of adult clothing. During the sixties new boutiques opened up catering for the fashion-conscious youngster selling clothes in bright colours designed especially for them. This was the time of a growing youth culture, revolution, and women’s liberation movements. In the past children were protected by the natural instincts of their parents and those who cared for them; they were disciplined, and taught to respect themselves and others and those in authority. How often did we hear the phrase ‘children should be seen and not heard? Children have the right to voice their opinions, express their ideas and should be respected but along with this they should also be taught to have respect for and listen to others opinions and to discuss, not order and threaten. Now in the opening years of the 21st century as a result of current legislation children are very much aware of their rights and are more vociferous in their demands responding to anyone attempting to discipline them, be it their parents, teachers or anyone in authority, ‘You can’t touch me, I’ll report you to a social worker, I’ll tell the police’. No wonder there is confusion and the very responsible and most important role of parent and parental authority is being eroded. The result of all this is – mayhem! Children need to be given and to recognise boundaries, to know their own worth and respect the worth of others, to learn how to practise self-discipline. This kind of teaching begins at an early age within a loving family circle where these values, are or should be taught as part of everyday life. Instead what we see often and in so many cases is an over-inflated sense of self-importance – the ‘arrogance of youth’ was never more manifest than now. Stand outside any bar or club, in any town at closing time on Friday and Saturday night and you will see the results of this lack of selfdiscipline and self-respect. Young people, many of them still at school stagger out of the pub, intoxicated, paralytic from drinking too much alcohol. You can read stories in the press of young boys well under the influence of alcohol, showing off to the girls by attempting dare-devil feats only to find themselves in the hospital A & E department. Not only are they risking their lives from the effects of the alcohol and leaving themselves vulnerable to accidents and attacks but also the lives of others and the cost of extra policing demands huge resources and time. Statistics reveal that an average of nine children aged 11-15 are being admitted daily into hospital because of alcohol-related problems, the majority of these for mental and behavioural problems; a high number suffering from the toxic effects of alcohol. Government statistics show that after smoking, alcoholism kills more people in the UK than other drugs; they reveal that 33,000 people die each year from the effects of alcohol. These statistics are frightening. Many young people admit to getting drunk for the buzz, putting them at risk of physical injury. They also admit to riding in cars with others who are also drunk. Many are arrested for vandalism. It has become a major problem for society, not only in Britain, but worldwide as teenage binge-drinking is spiralling out of control. What is the future for these young binge drinkers? Many of them hopefully will and very often do find the right answers and many will go on to become responsible citizens but for the others the problems will continue into adulthood and possibly into the next generation because of the ever present threat of foetal alcohol syndrome and answers need to be found to prevent these tragedies from happening. |
