|
Memorandum submitted by Save the Family (CP 09)
Child Poverty
Social history tells us about poverty in
simple terms - no money, awful living conditions, no food, poor clothing and so
on. Today, we see that kind of poverty
in moving news items about parts of Africa; not so much in Europe or
particularly
We are acutely aware of different social indicators - lack of achievement in school, hospital referral, social service involvement etc. In short, in our society we are re-defining the notion of poverty. Where does this "new" poverty begin?
In trying to answer this question, I have to go to parents and families. The child of today being raised (?) in a poverty "pod" is, as much as ever, dependent on its parents or, sadly, in many cases parent - usually mother - usually too; a very young mother!
It is possible, in the context of young motherhood to describe a typical scenario. In this case, the girl has been "brought up" in a "home" that is disorganised; probably the correct word is chaotic! No routine, no rules, no compulsory school attendance, most definitely no books, but definitely 24hour television! No dietary constraints, no cooking... and this can go on for generations in areas that must be described as ghettos - centres that every city has which are concentrated the "untouchables", and it is true to say, the "invisibles".
So what are the expectations on this young girl? She lives a disorganised life in a disorganised society; in a society within a society that has little knowledge of her life's conditions.
Ask her what she wants - she wants a dream - a little house, two or three children - a husband who has a job, located in a quiet area. She has seen her dream but she lives in a nightmare.
Ask her mother what she wants for her daughter - "something better than I've had!" - "They" will have to do something for her!
Ask her father - does she know who he is? Sadly - does her mother? It is not at all uncommon to have a family with several children, all of who have different fathers"
Basically, she is on her own from the age of say, fourteen - deprived of love, looking for a dream, living for the day, even the hour. An exciting life, strangely, on the edges of criminality, on the edges of adulthood, running thoughtlessly from crisis in to crisis, into alcohol, into heroin, without a doubt into nicotine, inevitably into full sexual relationships and then motherhood and further poverty. And the cycle continues.
Is it that much different for a boy? What sort of model does he have? The older lads in the street who are not hampered in any way by "rules"? A father figure? The later are often temporary!
The life of our young man can be fun - no constraints
of any kind from the age of 5 or 6! Bed times? Meal times? School time? In short, a life of no rules or routine or morals or quality - although he would argue this point!
Television can only give snapshots but what must it be like to live this life? So - it might be an idea to ask what it is we(?) want of our children. This has been done before, and refined, and the delivery is available - health, schools.
Availability is only a small part of the answer; even accessibility adds only a small part; legality is only too easy to avoid. But it is a society that can produce "science fiction" it should not be impossible to solve the problem given the will.
Many point the finger at 'political correctness' as being a factor in hindering even a search for a "new way".
Possibly, there is a fear, politically of upsetting traditional support.
And then, what do we expect of social services? As a citizen, we all expect that everyone in our society is looked after by someone, but, all too often, there is a neglected old person dead for several days; there is a child "known to the authorities" dead. Should we expect more? Should the directions given to these "professionals" require more front line knowledge of the vulnerable?
"Frontline?" "Knowledge?" How do we get to this frontline? What can we learn that is not described in the books?
These are huge questions and there are no easy answers.
How many of us have sat on multi-disciplinary committees where "knowledge" has been shared? Teachers have! Social workers often! Nurses, psychologists, and the whole range up to and including police - still we see TV Programmes about 'Booze Britain', etc - at which we are appalled then bored by the mindless antics depicted.
The answers given by case conferences, all too often involve "monitoring" that becomes "care proceedings" and then adoptions...revisit some of these from the point of view of the focus of the "review" - I almost write 'victim'.
Can he/she/they -
1. Understand? 2. Compete in verbal dexterity
Have they got the equipment?
1. Mentally 2. Physically - to put into practice recommendations - decrees, edicts, orders.
If the answers to such questions are negative, does this have implications for our "monitoring" processes?
We - i.e. society - have the resources. Are we using them to maximum efficiency?
It's easy to write this but we can contemplate dismantling a huge Social Industry and rebuilding it?
October 2009
|