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Imagine that you have three children who are always fighting. They are just old enough to be left at home. Except, every time they are left at home without adult supervision -- they fight.
What do you do?
You already work long hours. There's no way you can spend time at home supervising the children. Your work is important to you. Your hard work provides food and shelter for your family.
When you are not at work, you just want to relax. You see enough fighting at work. When you're home you just wish that the kids would shut up and leave you alone.
Your partner has more time to manage the kids.
Your partner works but at a less important job. They have plenty of time -- and energy -- to manage the kids.
Your partner works eight hours a day. Their income provides jam on the bread: extra money for life's little luxuries. Your partner earned enough last year to buy a new tv. This year, your partner's wages will pay for a family holiday.
Bloody hell... Who would want to take a family holiday with those three monsters?!
The monsters -- your three kids -- are old enough to take care of themselves. The youngest spends most of the day at child care anyway. The other two spend most of their day at school. It's only a few hours each day when they are in the house by themselves.
Your oldest kid has taken to roaming the streets. Why can't the older kid take care of the two younger kids?! What the hell is wrong with kids today?!
Last week the oldest took the youngest roaming round the streets. No bloody sense at all! By the time your partner came home, the middle kid had trashed the kitchen. "Trying to make a sandwich." Sure. When your partner made it home it took hours to find the two kids and clean up after the third.
Your own dinner was late.
And you could hardly hear the tv late news for the screaming and fighting of the kids.
What the hell can you do?!
"Here's $400. Go to the bloody show and enjoy yourselves. Just shut up and stop disturbing me."
Problem solved.
Here's a similar story from Hannah McGlade, chief executive of Aboriginal Family Law Services (Opinion: Stop tinkering at the edges, The West, 8 Oct 2011).
Family violence and abuse is a key cause driving Aboriginal children on to the streets and into criminal behaviour, and a focus on offending without this understanding is an exercise in futility.McGlade's solution?Our police statistics show this year alone Aboriginal offenders accounted for more than 46 per cent of those charged with domestic violence and sexual assault offending. Young Aboriginal offenders also were over-represented, with Aboriginal children and youths aged 10 to 17 making up more than 34 per cent of the offenders charged with sexual assault this year.
We believe that Aboriginal people should be empowered to take ownership and be a part of the solution for a safer community...In other words, "Here's a fistful of money. Sort out your own problems."... empower Aboriginal leadership -- a vital step in ending violence and child abuse in our communities.
Meanwhile, in another -- even more stupid -- public statement, Dennis Eggington, ceo of Aboriginal Legal Services, blames Aboriginal crime on the invasion of Australia by Europeans.
The would explain why Britain is populated entirely by murderers and misfits: the waves of invasions by every European tribe with access to a rowboat. It would also explain why India is known for its domestic violence, sexual assault and inability of Indians to do any work: they were invaded by the British at about the same time as Australia was invaded by the British.
Pull the other leg, Dennis!
Then there's the story, "Community gives kids reasons to stay" (The West, 8 Oct 2011). With a photo of children and police playing together. The message is in the first sentence of the story:
The children of Jigalong know the rules.The children know the rules. Adults keep them involved and occupied. Adults look after the children.
Adults -- adults who care -- take care of the children. The children learn from the adults. It is up to the adults to ensure that children learn... whatever the adults believe is best for everyone.
Which adults?
Are the Jigalong children being taught rules set by police? by teachers? by Jigalong elders?
It doesn't matter!
What does matter is, that children are being taught rules which will help them to become responsible -- not criminal -- adults. That is the essential.
McGlade wants Aboriginal people to be "empowered to take ownership". That's nonsense -- unless the Aboriginal people already know "the rules". Eggington supports the people who don't know -- or don't follow -- the rules. Fair enough. Just don't let that support role deny a chance for the next generation. It's time to move on.
Involve Aboriginal people, yes.
And involve anyone else who has the time, the inclination and the ability to make a difference.
Being a parent requires a lot of effort. It's not a part-time job.
Giving money to children -- or adults -- and telling them to sort themselves out, is pointless.
Do what we can for the current crop of marginalised criminals.
And make every possible effort to save their children from the same life of misery and despair.
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