Everything you know is wrong. - Original Post Feb 24th 2010

You might have heard the story of why I first joined Barnardo's.

'Flog young offenders, put them in stocks and pelt them with oranges.' This is a response from a member of the public to a recent government consultation on how to punish young offenders.

That's the way I used to think.

Having grown up in a fairly cushy, supportive, structured slightly strict environment, I just couldn't understand why kids cause serious trouble. Lock em up, I said.

The thing is, this doesn't work. As the Michael in the article points out.

It took a Barnardo's advert to make me stop and think. That advert literally stopped me in my tracks. It made me look into it, and realise that it's not as simple as I'd thought.

And the more I looked into it, the more I realised I wanted to do something about it.

I'm not saying that young offenders are little angels, I'm saying they need a different kind of intervention to change their actions.

I doubt any of us got through our teenage years without getting into trouble a bit - and in my case, that was even with a supportive family, and a cushy environment. For kids growing up in chaotic homes, or with parents who abuse or misuse substances or a host of other reasons, different solutions are needed than just chucking oranges at them.

It's one of many areas that Barnardo's works in, and for as long as I'd be rubbish actually out working with kids, my aim is to keep funds coming in. To pay for the staff to run these services, and all the other services, so that our kids have the future they deserve, and the chance to reach their potential.

The chance to fulfil your potential. What more could anyone ask for?

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