With each death the media bemoans the state of the nation and our politicians promise action. And then another teenager is murdered and the whole macabre carousel starts again.
But the awful truth is that these murders are not likely to stop any time soon since our responses remain too short-term.
These intermediate measures can help contain the problem, but until we address the root causes of this brutality - a lack of social mobility and of opportunity, family breakdown, welfare dependency, poverty and poor education - the killings will continue.
Sadly, our governmental structure works against long-term approaches. Politicians face understandable, but often unrealistic, demands for quick fixes, while public services are locked in a culture of yearly - or at best three yearly - cycles of inspection and funding. Luckily, the UK has a mechanism through which a long-term approach can be found - a Royal Commission.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
