Can we please stop blaming the police, social services, government, schools etc and focus on the real cause of feral behaviour which is dysfunctional parents/families.
In the vast majority of cases, when you meet the parent(s) you realise in seconds that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. The parents simply don’t understand how to parent and absolutely cannot say ‘no’ to their child and won’t believe a bad word said about their child.
These parents have not had control of their child since they were 3 or 4, and it’s then too late. Expectations? Boundaries? These parents have no idea what they are/what these words mean! Communication? Talking about rights and wrongs? Don’t be silly!
Why do we blame everyone else but the parents? In my line of work, I have seen enough to know that unless parents learn how to parent, learn how to say no (and understand that it’s perfectly acceptable to say no), set boundaries and expectations and have meaningful conversations with their children about behaviour and conduct, this continue for generations to come. Parents must understand their responsibilities and society should not accept feral, criminal and disruptive behaviour within their communities and feel empowered to stand up to it.
As for where the responsibility lies when an assault takes place in the vicinity of the school - the answer is that both the Police and school should act if the school uniform is worn. The pupils can be sanctioned for bringing the school into disrepute (and a good headteacher will ensure this is part of the school’s behaviour policy) and the Police should always investigate where an allegation of assault has been made. Make a lot of noise if they don’t.
Children have a right to an education, the perpetrators of these assaults should be the ones removed and sent to a pupil referral unit or educated via virtual schools.