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LadyEllen -> RE: The Mosquito (4/3/2008 4:22:43 AM)
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It will be banned whatever. I would be very surprised if it could be held not to violate one or other of our human rights laws, health and safety laws or environmental laws.
But the problem remains; children congregating on the streets because they dont want to or cannot be at home and have nowhere else to go - and they wouldnt be caught anywhere near the small and declining number of "youth clubs" and the like. Some of them cause trouble - the sort of trouble for which an adult would be arrested and charged, and some of them just hang around; but regardless of the criminality or lack thereof of their behaviour, they provoke fear for everyone else. There's no point arresting them - theyre underage, they can be moved on, but they just come back later or go elsewhere. And they know this all too well, as well as knowing all too well that no adult dare so much as look at them askance, because when the law gets involved it will be on their side.
But also importantly - these are children. They may be full of the bravado of youth and street-cred and all that, but they're kids lacking emotional and psychological maturity. As such they're at risk from all sorts of adult scum.
In an ideal world, they'd all be at home by 7pm, and curfews have been discussed (imposing them is another matter). But for many of these kids, the street is safer than home.
E
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