10-year-old terror

[AB Asks]

Lewis Green is only 10 but has a string of criminal offences behind him including smoking cannabis, threatening children with a knife, vandalism and burglary. He has been excluded from several schools and is beyond the control of his parents. His mother claims she has tried to give Lewis a good upbringing and her husband has tried to pull him off the streets but nothing has worked. . Lewis is now on an anger management drug after he was diagnosed with a mild case of Asperger's syndrome and this has apparently helped. What do you think? Would you let your child get to a stage where they have no respect for others and run riot causing terror on the streets? Is it lenient parenting that let this boy to think its OK to smoke, drink and cause criminal damage at such a young age? Or is a child's behaviour out of a parent's control ultimately?

[jump79]

I think the boy needed to have a stable home and parents, and taught discipline, manners and respect for others as soon as he could talk/speak/think. And if he ever disobeyed or was rude, he should have been smacked and sent to his room and if it happened again, then grounded for a week.

This cycle would have registered in his little mind his boundaries and also the difference btw what was right/acceptable and wrong. I'm guessing the poorly skilled parents did no such thing which is why he's so out of control now. He should be put in foster care, and maybe under the care of more expereinced parents, he may still have a future.

[Joe_the_Lion]

Dear Noxy Sir, I hear what you are saying and yes I quite agree that hitting children should be a last resort. I think what we have here though, calls for a last resort. If he has been shown love etc, then what else is there?

You were beaten as a child and went off the rails as stated, but were you off the rails already?? If not then that is child abuse. I can fully understand why a child becomes a little unhinged if he or she is subjected to systematic abuse (in whatever form).

Although the human form is considerably different to, lets say, a car, I shall attempt to make a compasion.

If you have a perfectly normal car, running smooth and start fiddling around with the engine management system, there is a real poosibility that you may worsen the vehicle.

If you have an old banger, well hacked and already rusty and you start fiddling with it, 2 things may happen.

1) You may improve the car
2) You may finally ruin it completely.
3) There is no change

You Noxy, seem to be more in favour of point two whereas I am in favour of point 1.

If this little scenario can be validated, there is just a 33 percent chance of making matters worse. Where there is a 66 percent chance of either doing good or maintaining the same degree of naughtiness. I know where my chances will lie.

Also, people need or demand some kind of restorative justice.

I would be interested to know what you view would be if this little scallywag did harm to your loved ones or possessions? Could you have the same degree of compassion?

Knowing a little about you dear Noxy, I imagine in your huge heart you would. Sadly mine, and appears many others want more draconian measures implemented!!

[libertie]

This child and his family have been receiving help from a couple of different organisations, mum has been going to parenting classes and Lewis has been seeing a child pyschologist. His behaviour is now much better and he is doing well at school! nterestingly his sister is a well behaved child so it seems his mum is not completely useless! Apparently his family are dissapointed that after six months of good progress the council are now issuing this asbo for bad behaviour which happened before lewis began treatment! They feel it's a negative move!