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My point is that a smack is not necessary as there are other more appropriate methods of discipline available.

I totally agree that children need attention and will rarely need disciplining if all their needs are met.

Some parents have reasons why they are unable to provide the required attention to their children and any such problems need to be identified and resolved.

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Sorry, this year has not started very well.

I was a seventies child and there was a lot more respect then than there is now.

I cringe these days when I hear the way some children speak to their parents, total lack of respect and discipline. I would not speak to my parents like that ever!

As I said, I was no angel and tried to push the boundaries, I learnt the hard way. No lasting damage. My father did the disciplining, my mother tried a few times but ended up giggling along with us.

A smack will not cause lasting damage, a beating will, that is the difference and why clear guidelines must be set.

I agree that parenting is not easy, being ‘ knackered ‘ after a day at work is a poor excuse. You must find time to interact with your children, I have an autistic Grandson who can act up when bored but when entertained is a delight, should not have favourites but I have to admit he makes me laugh.

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Fair comments. Striking the right balance is important.

Spartacus

If there is a queue of people needing a reality check you are much nearer to the front of the queue than I am!

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From what I have seen and read, other than on this thread, many parents leave their child’s ‘home education’ for teachers to take up their valuable time with, and yet, when the teacher steps in, all hell breaks loose. I am not discriminating between our States and privately educated students, there are hooligans, hell bent on causing disturbance and disruption in all our establishments.

If necessary and with a cool, calm head a teacher should have every right to discipline their pupils, a smart open hand smack, ruler on the palm of the hand may be old fashioned but it used to do the trick in my school days.

Unfortunately, school discipline of this nature can promote a hero image, making the uncool dude/ess famous with their peers for their 5 minutes of fame.

There may be a more effective way; Education Authorities putting in place a round the table venue – offending pupils meeting together with teachers, PTA reps, students and interested parents, an open forum during the school day, yes some parents couldn’t make the working hours fit, but it would in my view be worth a try.

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You need a reality check. You’ll never control how tax is spent because it’s not your money and you’re out of ideas on how to eliminate scroungers and teen pregnancy.

Those babies will be entitled to welfare as that’s the type of society we live in and they could grow up to accomplish wonderful contributions to the world given a chance so it’s not all bad.

There are other places without welfare, you might like Korea?

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Although there is anecdotal evidence to suggest some girls have children for the reasons you suggest, there is a child to consider. A baby didn’t choose to be conceived as leverage to fast track the social housing ladder. Is it right to punish the child for actions it had absolutely no control over? Even taking social issues out of the equation, from a purely cost perspective it isn’t simple. Taking children into care costs money too and some other options (like forced abortions) just don’t bear thinking about.

I’m certainly not suggesting we go all ostrich minded and woolly and just allow things to continue the way they are, but when deciding what to do with the benefits system, the States will also need to consider the welfare of the child.

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I have no issue with paying my taxes. I do have an issue though with seeing it disappear to benefits scroungers.

Don’t be so sure that benefits won’t get cut.

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That won’t be happening any time soon. Not for teenage mothers nor any benefit recipients. The vulnerable will continue to be protected no matter what. You could always live somewhere without a welfare system and you would get to keep your taxes.

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Two 15 year olds are both breaking the law. Unlikely to be prosecuted though.

If it was an accident that a 15 or 16 year old got pregnant then it would be “tragic”. As its often deliberate it cannot be described as tragic at all.

I have “normal human empathy” for accidents, but not for teenagers who deliberately get pregnant in order to get benefits.

What on earth do you expect me to do to solve the problem? I would only advocate withdraw the benefits in order to remove the “incentive”.

It won’t be long before 10-11 year olds get pregnant. 10 was maybe an over-exaggeration. 12-13 certainly isn’t far-fetched.

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If a 15 year old got pregnant by another 15 year old I’m not sure where the legal position would be.

What I am clear about though is that a vulnerable young mother and her baby would require all the support they could get.

As taxpayers we pay funds overseas to help women in poverty in these circumstances and it is only right we should look after our own citizens too. Minors are always vulnerable and our provisions are there to protect them.

I’m not condoning teenage pregnancy at all as I feel it is a tragic state of affairs but I am realistic and I know that it happens, although not to the great extent as you seem to think. Normal human empathy seems to be absent in you.

If you are genuinely concerned about this problem you would be doing something to help towards a solution.

10 year old mothers? What? Are you aware that girls cannot have babies until they have been through puberty?

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