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Child Item

What would your solution be to stopping children committing crime?

pgj2015

Just heard someone talking about children committing crime and the fact the authorities cant really do much about it as they usually just get a slap on the wrist.

what is the solution? cut social welfare payments to the parents? tax them more? jail the parents?

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dp22250

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058438155/what-would-your-solution-be-to-stopping-children-committing-crime

It’s not just children of parents who are exclusively on the dole that do crime. You do know that.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058438155/what-would-your-solution-be-to-stopping-children-committing-crime

Why do you think that all of these kids are the children of benefit claimants? Also, if something that simple would work, it'd have been done decades ago.

I don't know what the real answer is but in the UK, a lot of areas have been economically abandoned thanks to Thatcherism, offshoring, outsourcing and technology. AI means that this is only going to get worse, not better. We'd better figure out something soon.

For the sake of providing an answer, I think a lot of these kids need both structure and things to do. At the very least, we could establish grants for local youth organisations so they could at least have something to do and supervision.

Jack Daw

Edit

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058438155/what-would-your-solution-be-to-stopping-children-committing-crime

They are only getting a slap on the wrist and the problem isn't going away. Children don't understand right and wrong the same way adults do. Give them prison sentences twice the length of adult ones as standard

banie01

This is another of those nostalgia driven tropes IMHO.
Every generation believes that crime has become worse, that children are becoming more feral and that the danger these "reversions" represent to the State must be countered by heavier policing and punishment.

From the urchin pickpockets of Victorian Britain, to the 80s joyriding and gluesniffing epidemics here in Ireland.

What additional laws would the OP propose that would improve the current situation?
Versus the actual enforcement of existing legislation?

The simple truth is, that whilst being a victim of crime or intimidation is awful.
That we are living in an era where such crime is at its lowest.
My own personal experience of criminality & violence is shaped by a childhood growing up in 80's Limerick and then doing doorwork around the city and country in my teens and early 20s.
That's not meant to be an "in my day, things were so much worse" remark.
Rather it's to illustrate that I know what "bad" is and I would agree there is still room for improvement, everywhere.
But 1 point I would make?
Is that in my time as a Bouncer and indeed as a Publican let's say '94 through to '09.
Violence was a weekly occurrence at a minimum.
Whereas now?
It's far rarer, to the point where Gardaí attending a pub or breaking up a fight in Limerick makes the local newspapers.

It's also far cheaper to intervene at the earliest moment possible when delinquency is identified.
To provide support to the family and the youth, than it is to imprison them later.
Expansion of Community Gardaí and JLA programmes, with concurrent expansion of educational supports will reap far more positive benefits than a return of borstals for minor offences.

Id also point out that those people currently in the 24 and under bracket have reached adulthood in an era that saw post 2008 austerity cuts.
With the enormous impacts those cuts had on community engagement, family and education intervention.
Then, they were hit with the impact of COVID and the impact that had as they entered adolescence.
Huge impacts there IMHO.

Cluedo Monopoly

It's always about economics. Those from economically deprived situations will often turn to crime or stay on welfare. It needs to be a rising tide for all boats. Punishing people with fines or prison never works.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124445754#Comment_124445754

Who mentioned the dole.

Child Benefit makes pretty much 100% of parents into beneficiaries.

Low paid parents even moresilo, due to the Working Family Payment.

Both of these should be dependant on school attendance and no or very little - maybe one strike and you're out) crime from the kids.

The best way to break intergenerational crime would be to sterilise criminals. Good luck with getting the public to accept that.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124445838#Comment_124445838

i think the OP was referring more to kids acting like gobshites rather than what i think you are talking about - the 'stealing a loaf of bread to survive'-type of crime

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124445754#Comment_124445754

I do. That is why I had tax them more, so I was not implying what you are saying.

gormdubhgorm

Let’s look at the solutions education- that takes decades and generations in order to have any visible success . Tallaght a prime example. It has taken years for some areas of Tallaght to have improved educational attainment. Yet West Tallaght is still struggling deprived high crime rate.

And the same patterns in rough estates seem to occur a number of families causing all the trouble. Eviction for persistent anti-social behaviour could be a last resort. But then it becomes a “a cause” for the less well intentioned to rally behind.

Unfortunately you can’t make the children docile, by doping them like the elderly in an old folks home.

Nor can you prevent certain families with low levels of parental responsibility from having more children medically. Maybe there should be an incentive financially (for those of certain socioeconomic backgrounds/ with criminal history in the family for having less children? Or even none. Therefore lessening chances of poor parenting, which is the main cause of wild directionless children.

China had a one child per family incentive and that worked. Obviously in Ireland the constitution would be a barrier to that.

Ten of Swords

This was released yesterday and the public consultation will be running until June 12th (5 weeks from now)

You cant take away what people have ie, dole or child benefit. This is an additional payment proposal on top of that.

Provide your own feedback, imo a portion of this payment should be conditional on children not breaking the law.

Anyway, this is about the most meaningful feedback opportunity in years.

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/press-releases/minister-calleary-launches-public-consultation-on-potential-new-working-age-and-targeted-child-payments/

CreadanLady

Indeed. Some of the biggest scumbags are teenagers of wealthy parents who think they can do what they like because mammy and daddy are bigshots.

And how would jailing parents make children less likely to commit crime? Broken families are a massive factor in delinquency.

Plus you cannot jail someone's family members for a crime committed by a person. That's the stuff of North Korea - if you commit a crime they put your parents, grandparents and extended family into a labor camp.

Cordell

Punishing people with fines or prison never works.

Let's abolish any sort of punishment and let's all live in that happy all singing all dancing illusion of a world that only exist in upper middle class people's mind.

The rest of us know that a criminal in prison is a criminal that can't do crime.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124447833#Comment_124447833

Is that in the majority though? Wealthy parents with scumbag children are not only going to be rare, but oddballs.
Time and again in court appearances John Doe from XYZ deprived area, multiple previous convictions since a young teenager, And it continues Joe Doe grew up in single parent family, he left school early. There is normally the mention of drugs etc.

I mean think of the cost these sort of families are costing the state? And it is rare they “turn a corner” and become productive members of society.

Alfaguy

I think reducing the age where a person is considered a juvenile in crime terms would cut out a lot of it. Currently a person ceases to be a juvenile on their 18th birthday - this should be reduced to 13 IMO - possibly introducing an intermediate category for persons between 13 and 18.

I know that a lot of people I dealt with miraculously seemed to be able to straighten themselves out once they were 18 - funny that?

TheBlock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124445930#Comment_124445930

Great Idea, Lets make already disillusioned and disenfranchised kids poorer and more susceptible to the people who pay on them. Better yet lets sterelise people who commit crimes ….would that be all crimes? Rape, Robbery, Shoplifting, Petty Theft,Fraud, Insider trading, Tax Evasion?

harr

Juvenile age to 15 , fines for parents for repeat offenders , taken from social welfare at source if needed.

Some kind of national service for those that leave school before 18 and for those that don’t go to college or take up employment after they leave school.

I don’t think it’s always the kids from poor backgrounds that cause trouble. Plenty of teenagers around here from well to do families causing issues . A lot of the time Daddy would get them out of trouble and the lad from the poorer family would be the one shafted.

TerrieBootson

Parents are responsible. So, community service for the child and parent. Graffiti? Let them spend the day/week cleaning it. Vandalism? Make them sweep streets etc. Theft? Make them work it off - including any costs associated with bringing them to justice.

dxhound2005

It's not a problem, just kids having a bit of innocent fun. At least that is what they will be saying in 40 years time when they are the ones complaining about young people. Sure, back in our day we did some naughty stuff, but it was just a bit of crack.

I have noticed in my area a lot fewer mobs congregating and taking their cue from a couple of ringleaders. Used to be common before the computer age. They are probably indoors a lot more these days on their screens.

Pauliedragon

Maybe Singapore has the right idea. Beat them in school. That'll learn 'em.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-05/singapore-approves-caning-for-school-bullies/106645716

Greyfox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448237#Comment_124448237

Its not innocent fun when the victim is an OAP. People shouldnt have to walk the other way when they see a group of youths walking there way.

Isthisthingon?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124447863#Comment_124447863

Sadly the Genie is out of the bottle, the lack of any real punishment has embolden criminals , knowing fully well that that can rack up as many convictions as they like, and as long as the game the system they will get off with a slap on the wrist.

The kids know this, their parents know this.

taxAHcruel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448323#Comment_124448323

That was exactly what was happening near where I live some years ago. Some little old ladies were verbally and somewhat physically intimidated if they went a certain short cut route. So in the end they lugged their shopping a much longer route home. Which meant carrying heavy things further or having to make multiple trips to the shops per week.

Nobody really did anything about it. Least of all the police. In the end I stepped in myself. And in the spirit of the thread topic - these "irredeemable" kids as many called them actually turned out really wonderful kids. It took some risk and moderate effort but they were definitely salvageable.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448323#Comment_124448323

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu8tX2BAD1k

tayto lover

There is a Crime Awarenes Programme that a retired Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer used to run in the local Youthreach. It is excellent and probably saved many young people from offending and possibly ending up in prison. It should be ran in 6th class in National Schools. It made them aware of the effects of crime on themselves, their family, the victim and the victim's family.

littlefeet

Which crime: Shoplifting, shoplifting, and harassing people, is generally done to move up the pecking order in the pack, or maybe a low boredom threshold need for excitement.

The emergence of the dark triads of personality, real criminality.

Intense awareness of the pecking order, wanting to belong, do a runner for a druggie, and they can afford a Northface jacket and belong, their parent can't afford to buy it for them.

Apparently, random attacks on another teenager, it's not random, they are triggered by seeing another teen who appears to have everything they do not, could be anything. The other teen is tall, sporty, from a well-off family, popular with girls, things they are not, so they internalise that and think they are evening it up by attacking the other teen.

Taking money from parents is not going to solve any of that.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448173#Comment_124448173

Apart from petty theft, then yes: repeat offenders for all of those - and first offenders first rape.

Greyfox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450104#Comment_124450104

Maybe it wont but we dont know for sure. The issue you describe is bad parenting.

blackbox

A lot of kids see adult criminals that have what they perceive as a cool and enviable lifestyle.

Tackling the adult criminals so that crime becomes unattractive will send the right message to the kids.

littlefeet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450382#Comment_124450382

That's only part of the answer, it's a mix of human biology and living in a capitalist consumerist society, maybe compulsory counselling, structured activities, changing the school holiday, the school's holiday the same length but only 6 to 8 weeks in the summer, the rest spread over the years.

In schools, instead of being taken out of class for extra support, a class of no more than 10 throughout school, so they would be getting tutoring instead of teaching, guaranteed apprenticeships or college with supports, or maybe a 50-in TV and the latest Xbox so they never go out.

Honesty about the genetic element in addictions and mental illness allows targeted interventions before issues develop.