The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

It has been suggested by a Dr Maggie Atkinson that the killers of James Bolger should never have been tried in an adult court for his sadistic murder, and that the age of criminal responsibilty - in other words, the ability to know right from wrong - should be raised from 10 to 12-years. Do we have a concensus on this, or is it just another case of politically correct madness being exercised by someone who should perhaps know better?

:mosher:

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

should be lowered to 8 years old theres plenty of 8 year olds that throw bricks at cars knowing full well its wrong but know they cant be prosecuted for it and i dare say a number of other crimes too

its pretty ,essed up that kids so young commit crime but they do so somthing needs to be done about it instead of just patting them on the head and saying please dont do it again

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

If kids are brought up with at least the basic tenets of a society, they can understand at an even earlier age the difference between right & wrong. Why else would an eight year old lie about something or blame someone else ? because they know they've done WRONG & want to avoid punishment.

So the blather about them not knowing the difference is pure drivel & Mrs (Dr) Maggie Atkinson, should crawl back under the stone that half wit "Balls" pulled her out from. Each case would be better served if just facts & the outcome were judged & not the age of the accused. Although Thompson & Venables were 10 years of age it doesn't make their crime any less horrendous than those of Brady & Hindley 28 & 24 respectively.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

England and Wales and Northern Ireland has one of the youngest age of responsibility in europe .. being set at the age of 10 .. Scotlands is even younger and is set at 8 but is being changed to the age of 12 ...

BBC News - Calls to raise age of criminal responsibility rejected

No i dont think it should be changed you know what is right and wrong at that age .. in fact i would go even younger especially nowadays .. seeing as quite a lot are 'streetwise' and do know what they can get away with.

BBC - Have Your Say: Should the age of criminality be raised?

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

I find it quite strange how an adult knows how a child thinks,Maybe I could put the imbecile right or at least point her in the right direction.

I remember as if it were yesterday being in Accrington police station at the age of 5.

On the left as you entered the building there was a big red Fireman's Axe and I was told my head was to be chopped off.I was taken down to the cells but let off.

May just work again,sure did for me

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

What is the point of it when the little buggers just get a feather tap on the wrist and told not to do it again. Hell even the serious stuff is rewarded with a full selection of goodies even if locked up.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Another factor to bear in mind is the influence directed at today's youngsters by violence shown on TV, in films and portrayed in computer games. I can remember 'X' and 'A' Film censorship, and the banning of so called Horror Comics because they were deemed to be a malign influence on kids. Today, even news bulletins are bombarding us with graphic violence - and the so called TV Watershed is a nonsense. Kids of 10 and 12-years are more enlightened today than my generation were at twice that age. I don't profess to know what the answer is any more than the politicians do, but based on the evidence available I would suggest reducing it rather than the alternative.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Dig up Mary Whitehouse......she was right.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Seven.

Give me the child, blah, blah, blah, and I'll show you the man.

If you haven't been taught right from wrong by seven, you'll probably never know.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Oh dear.. so now all of a sudden you join the "PC brigade" ... i'm not having a pop at you Stumped.. just pointing out that we are all right thinking people.. but some of the ones who call for "right thinking" are labled as the PC brigade.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Children can find a snuff movie on the internet, quicker than they could look up the word snuff in the dictionary.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Was she the for runner of the PC brigade?.. any mention of sex and god forbid gay sex was to be banned?.. but I never heard her opposing anything regarding the racial discrimination.. nothng said on how black kids in school got a bad time because some of the history they were taught calling them niggers and slaves.. she was the forebearer of thatcher.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Mary Whitehouse wasn't PC, she just wanted TV that anyone could watch at any time. I never agreed with her views much when she was around but we could do with someone like her now to balance what we've got on the box. I dread the day when the TV license in abolished because it will be the absolute death knell for British television and radio. Just look at America if you want a good argument for keeping it.

A BBC producer once said that in his bedside prayers he hoped that Mrs Whitehouse was watching his programmes and stating publicly that the were too violent because it immediately put another 2m on the viewing figures.

Don't confuse the PC Brigade with someone just having a good old rant about something.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

It was the same with George the Slipper for us at school. It was rarely wielded by the fearsome Mr Delaney but the fear of a 15st man thrashing your bare backside to ribbons with a plimsoll kept most of us in check.

These days, even the threat would be grounds for dismissal. The parents are largely to blame for seriously disruptive children and if we didn't live in such a letigious society the system might have more power to control it.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

I can remember getting the cane at school didn't do me any harm either Ken, but since discipline in school was stopped in schools society has gone belly up:(

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

I think corporal punishment is a good deterrent, from behaving badly, and help children learn right from wrong.

It must also help character building...for those fooolish enough ever to be caught.

:D

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Seems you were foolish like me:D

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

I was never caned, or had the slipper at school, as I was never caught.

:rolleyes::p

At the time I did think it was a bit unfair of my dad to give us a smack before we set off on our holidays, 'just in case' we were tempted to play up while he was driving. It worked though!

:eek::p:eek:

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

A pre-emptive strike? That's never actually occurred to me before!

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Think it originated in the States Ken:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

I never got canned at school till the second day and it may come as a surprise but the last day as well.::o
In fact pretty much every day in between.:D:mosher:

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

I thought beer only came in bottles then:confused:;)

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

No that was under the Aqueduct bridge in Lancaster on cross-country run days :D:D

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Goodonya, Mancie. I certainly brought up my flock of four to know right from wrong, but there comes a time when you have to allow them to make and learn from their own mistakes. But I would suggest that today's average child of ten is well capable of sussing out the weaknesses, etc., of the adults within their sphere of society.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

There is a difference between "Right thinking" & The PC Brigade (Thinking they're right).

You have a child who will not behave, you slap them this is a discipline action to make them realise what they've done is wrong & the slap was the consequence of their action. A lesson is learnt & the incident isn't repeated (this I class as right thinking).

You have a Child who will not behave, you don't slap them, no discipline action, no realisation of their wrong doing because there was no punishment, ergo no consequences to their actions. No lesson learnt & the incident is repeated or a more serious incident occurs. (this is PCB thinking)

Result ? two divergent ways, one Child may well go on to be a good upstanding citizen, the other another Venables,Thompson or one of the 2 things from Edlington.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Couldn't have put it better myself Dave:mosher:

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

My father only ever struck me once for giving him 'lip' - and on reflection I reckon that I deserved it, though I didn't think so at the time. At nearly 70, I still remember the incident as one of the sharpest lessons I ever learned in my youth, since which time I have always shown respect for my elders and betters.

Doesn't work with today's kids though, does it! The word 'respect' has been given a whole new meaning in the violent drink and drug addled society that they are practically forced to adhere to.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Oh I don't know. There is a respect out there as you so rightly put it, but it is aimed towards the wrong people. If this idolising & desire to be like, can be focused in the right way maybe the Kids can be turned around, redeemed & brought back to the fold.

Sadly a lot of these Kids look to their Peers & Celebrities for their examples, which if you pick up a paper most days you find them embroiled in some scandal or fracas or other, hardly conducive to setting an example, but this is what they see & aspire to.

If on the other hand some of these Parents were more interested in their Kids as opposed to their own interests & needs. Spending time encouraging, cajoling & taking or sharing an interest, how much better would it be ? But until more people adopt this approach, we will continue to be stuck with these depressing headlines.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Seems like we're back to the media again, not forgetting the self promoting ego's that court publicity by whatever scurrilous means that they can. Katie Price aka Jordan, Naomi Campbell, Amanda Holden, foul-mouthed comedians, and bling enhanced footballers, to name but a few. We no longer appear to be engendering standards into our youngsters by setting them examples worth following.

Call me old fashioned if you will, but these so called 'enlightened times' are little more than an excuse used by the pundits to absolve the status quo from any form of responsible approach to the ultimate wellbeing of society.

My sermon for today is now over.

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

Just read this so have brought this thread back into view.

Government has no plans to raise age of criminal responsibility - Crime, UK - The Independent

Re: The Age of Criminal Responsibility
 

If kids of ten can attempt to commit rape then they or full aware what they are doing is wrong, better to catch them at that age and try to put them on the straight a narrow than to pat them on the head and give um a sugar lump. The fact that they have been taken to court could well do the trick, but saying they are to young to take responsibility lets them walk away scot free, and thumb their nose at society, and thumb their nose they will