Nursery World - It's criminal

Can you really spot tomorrow's offenders today - in the nursery? Jennie Lindon takes a hard look at Government policy direction The new youth Green Paper on the future development of youth services (see 'A tough challenge', Nursery World, 4 August) is the latest in a series of policy initiatives that raise questions about the Government's attitudes to children and young people.

The new youth Green Paper on the future development of youth services (see 'A tough challenge', Nursery World, 4 August) is the latest in a series of policy initiatives that raise questions about the Government's attitudes to children and young people.

The proposal that attracted the most criticism was the 'youth opportunity card'. Under the scheme, all cardholders would receive a one-off payment of 12, with young people who make positive contributions to society receiving top-ups and those who commit crimes having their cards suspended or withdrawn.

Child and youth crime also featured in the unpublished Home Office document, Crime Reduction Review. The 250-page report included a proposal that children as young as three years should be identified and monitored when their behaviour or family circumstances marked them out as potential future criminals ('Toddler tearaways targeted', Sunday Times, 12 June 2005).

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