Dear Friends

A VIOLENT SOCIETY?

SUMMER MADNESS

During the summer it seemed that every time we opened the newspapers, or switched on the television, there was yet another case of violent crime committed by young people. The whole nation was shocked by the murder of Rhys Jones on the Croxteth Park Estate. As with the murder of James Bulger, some years previously, this terrible crime seems all the more horrific, because this was the death of a child, caused by a child. The local Vicar of Croxteth issued a statement that said, “We have slipped into some bizarre parallel universe, where the basic rules about the way human beings communicate with one another have been suspended. Right from early days, people don’t know how to communicate with one another, which means as they get older, they are more likely to get aggressive, and instead of having fist fights, we are into knives and guns.”

LIVING IN FEAR

One senses that there is deep anxiety in our nation, about the increasing instances of youth crime and anti-social behaviour. Many of us with children and grandchildren find ourselves fearful for their safety when they venture out into town in the evening. Yes, Colchester too has its gangs. High profile youth crime sadly creates suspicion of any group of young people. Teenagers innocently playing on their skateboards or bikes, are all too readily perceived as a threat. The police are in a difficult position. They have to react to public fears, and where possible, deter acts of violence, particularly those involving offensive weapons. Sadly, many decent and law abiding young people are becoming alienated from the police by an over readiness to stop and search. This is part of the price society is having to pay for the climate of fear and suspicion in which we now live.

THE CAUSES OF JUVENILE CRIME

We will all have our own pet theories about the causes of increasing violence. Many people believe it is because the courts have been stripped of their powers to award adequate punishments to really deter crime. Many educationalists point to other reasons. They say our society has produced an unskilled criminal underclass. By the age of 16, we are told, 90,000 boys leave school each year without a GCSE. There are now one million young men under the age of 24 who are not in education, employment or training. Paul Valley, associate editor of the Independent, writes, “These young people slip into a purposeless tedium – drunk and drug-sodden, hanging around street corners, with no outlet for their testosterone-fuelled energy.”

VALUES AND COMMUNITY

It seems to me that the causes of delinquency and violence are complex. Poor achievement in education and the breakdown of order in some schools, no doubt have their part to play. There is also a general erosion of respect for authority in society. Many communities have lost the traditional structures of support and mutual belonging which once gave society cohesion. There are also parents who were themselves deeply disturbed and emotionally damaged in their own childhood. This has obvious implications for their own parenting skills. Such parents may not be able to manage conflict in the home, nor be able to help their children grow in self- esteem. But I suspect there are also spiritual reasons. We live in a society where many have turned their backs on God. And we no longer have an accepted currency of basic moral values, to guide the way human beings are to treat each other. What is clear, is that youth crime cannot be solved by the police, the government, or by schools on their own. It is a challenge for the whole community. Over the past ten years, countless new criminal offences have been added to the statute books. But legislation alone cannot solve our problems. We all need to so some hard thinking about our values, about support for the family, and about the nature of community. There are no quick and easy answers. But there is a debate to be had. And the Church needs to regain confidence to believe that she too has some insights to share and a contribution to make.

Stephen Carter