Preventing a recurrence of the UK riots

A 'thug culture' in Britain led to the looting and vandalism, but prevention is better than cure

While the recent riots and looting throughout the UK were entirely unacceptable by any reasonable standards, they should not have been entirely unexpected. We live in a society where authority has been undermined by, well intentioned, but often misguided human rights campaigners.

Teachers now live in fear of recrimination, if they use appropriate measures to protect themselves or others from bullying, and we have condemned rather than supported the police when they have had to apply strong measures to protect the public from overzealous protestors. Hopefully the balance has, in part, been restored as the public and our politicians come to recognise the need for firm measures to combat the thug culture that has arisen from the lack of respect for authority figures.

We should not, though, assume that by simply re-establishing respect for authority we will prevent future problems of this nature. Many of those involved in the disturbances and looting were young children and teenagers are already beyond the control of their parents. The solution, therefore, must incorporate clear practical measures to help parents understand how important their role is - not just within the family home but within society.

We need to establish a culture in which respect for others is seen as a positive trait and not a sign of weakness. Respect starts in the family and the role of the parent is one of the most important - if not, the most important - role in society. This is a role that we are taught very little about in school and one where we only learn from our own experiences as a child.

Even if we are forced, by circumstances, to hand over responsibility for the care of our children for certain periods - it is essential that we bond with our children. This bond will make it far easier for us to ensure our children make decisions we are proud of as they grow up. Many of us have grown up with a firm determination not to do anything that would disappoint our parents and would never have participated in the horrific behaviour that characterised the recent riots. We need a society where pride in our family, community and country make us all think twice before taking action that will harm or upset others.

The bond between parent and child can be formed when the child is just a baby. And there are a growing number of classes which parents can attend with their babies to help to create this bond. It is always better to prevent problems than it is to try to fix things after they have gone wrong. Helping parents to bond with their baby is a preventative strategy, which is the reason Sure Start Centres have provided such a great service.

Though, unfortunately, some of the funding for these programmes has been cut during the necessary government spending review. While it is easy to see the effect of saving a few pounds in the short term, it is far harder to evaluate the long term social cost of stopping programmes that were making a real difference in their communities. It will be far less costly to society to provide families with the support, encouragement and motivation to give their babies and infants the best possible start than it will ever be to prevent and manage the consequences of disorder.

Ian Sharland is a director of Baby Sensory, in the UK