Reflection on the negative perceptions of young people in society - and what impact this has.

Mark Easton writes for the BBC on 'The year we lost the kids'.

Following on from Time magazine's report on Brit's fear of their own children, Easton comments on the breakdown of relations between adults and kids. He identifies a clear and tangible distance between the two; on the one hand there is increasing disenfranchisment from the kids, who are seen as withdrawing (or being forcibly outcast) from society, on the other we have a society which reacts with horror when informed of child abuse cases but that devours media reports of young people as lawless, dangerous criminals, to be treated with suspicion and contempt.

"From Shannon Matthews to Baby P, we despair at the cruelty to children, but then casually describe young people as behaving like animals, as vermin which infests our streets."

Easton reflects on how as a society, we seek to protect our youngsters but then devalue their role by reinforcing prejudiced views of them as feral and out of control, thus leading to a situation where we withold support and guidance, and turn a blind eye to the situations which lead to kids getting into trouble.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2008/12/the_year_we_lost_the_kids.html