That damned Nanny State!

Thousands to get lessons in parenting
A Government scheme that sends parents of violent or misbehaving children to parenting courses is to expand to up to 15,000 more families. Officials estimate that children with severe antisocial behavioural problems each cost society $3 million during their lives through crime and other state spending. Parents of chronically disruptive children are now being sent on state-run parenting courses in a bid to address their children's antisocial behaviour - some through court and Probation Service referrals. The 12 to 20-week group courses, which include homework assignments on how to play with children, teach parenting skills such as rewarding good behaviour, setting boundaries and discipline. Hundreds of parents have taken part since last year. Officials intend to expand the scheme to the parents of 15,000 children thought to have chronic behavioural problems, who amount to 5 per cent of the country's three to eight-year-olds. Initial research involving about 200 parents suggests the courses - known as the Incredible Years programme - have resulted in vastly improved behaviour for up to 75 per cent of the children whose parents took part. Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft praised the broadening of the "excellent" initiative. He said early intervention was crucial in preventing children from growing into a life of crime.

Now parental lessons falls into one of those categories talkback radio love to decry as the politically correct storm-troopers of Nanny State socially engineering a massive waste of taxpayer dollars and may well be the kind of thing Rodney and his razor gang would love to trim so they can afford their $3.5Billion-$5.5Billion three strikes and you’re screwed medieval vengeance law and order policy, but seeing as the results suggest a 75% vastly improved behaviour in those kids whose parents have gone through this course perhaps we could put that $3.5Billion-$5.5Billion into early intervention rather than funding a mandatory 25 year prison industry that will benefit a corporation.