YES: Pauline Batstone, chair, Association of Youth Offending TeamManagers - A considerable body of research has shown that the mostimportant predictors of being arrested are low achievement at school,family problem behaviour and peer problem behaviour. We're in favour ofpreventative work and everything to help children cope with society isapplauded. But this is rebadging what already happens. Health visitorsvisit children for five years already so will the two-year programmemean they see them less?
NO: Anastasia de Waal, head of family and education, Civitas - It's notpossible to identify babies that are going to be a problem - what'spossible is to identify indicators that suggest their upbringing will beproblematic. Trying to identify 'problem' babies is not useful. It's nota question of inherently bad parents or children but the circumstancesof their backgrounds. The emphasis needs to be on why the parents have'at risk' children. The way the problem has been framed makes itworryingly deterministic.
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