Youth crime demands a mature approach

A constant stream of stories about young people losing their lives to knife crime has created a natural demand for firm answers and urgent action to tackle antisocial behaviour in all its guises. Indeed, the Metropolitan Police this month declared that knife crime has overtaken terrorism as its top priority. The public mood, both influenced by and filtered through the national press, can be summed up by the mantra "enough is enough". It's an understandable reaction that lends itself to calls for tougher sentences and punishment all round.

Addressing the Association of Directors of Children's Services conference last week, children's minister Beverley Hughes said: "Often in government you have to be seen to be speaking to all parts of the constituency - members of the public as well as professional audiences." While the Youth Crime Action Plan was promised seven months ago in The Children's Plan, its arrival has become to some degree an exercise in political face-saving.