EDITORIAL: A Law that penalises the well behaved

The newspapers of 1898 were full of regret that the authorities seemed to be so squeamish about "a wholesome birching". In fact, at the time the birch was quite popular (and not only among middle-aged men of a certain class), but it was largely restricted to being used on boys under 14. The newspapers seemed to think older youths might benefit, too.

The word "hooligan" is still in use today, although "yob" now seems to be the preferred term - it's easier to fit into headlines. Reporting these days is probably no shriller than it used to be, except that now the term "young person" has become synonymous with "yob" and street crime. The Aberdeen Evening Express last month asked: "Is it time to ban young from our streets?" Is it any wonder then that the Government's response to the "problem", the antisocial behaviour bill, presents us with the prospect of blanket 9pm curfews in some areas, fixed-penalty notices for disorderly teenagers, truancy fines, and the police given powers to break up groups of two or more young people.