'Primary school children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behaviour indicating they may become criminals in later life'

[berolina]

bloody hell

I've got to go out so can't stay and discuss, but my immediate reaction to this one is horror.

Whats that phrase about people eventually becoming something if they are called/treated like it enough

It will never happen

So that would be most boys who have to start school when they are barely 4 years old and are expected to sit still and be quiet when that just isn't in the nature of 4 year old boys. Any bad behaviour, i.e. disruptive, could be classed as indicative of such potential. Horrid thought. I doubt it will ever happen.

I very much doubt that this will ever happen.

To be honest I wouldn't worry if my DNA were on a central data base.

I can't see this happening! You either have it for all or not at all!

is it the pygmalion effect sherby?

well said freckle.

what about those children who are thought to be disruptive etc when they start school but are later diagnosed with adhd or asd?

its like that film,minority report.i think some delusional fuckwit saw it and thought 'what a great idea,lets move towards punishing people for crimes they are going to commit'

Terrible, stupid, useless and dangerous idea. From a fuckwit.

Terrible. Have no doubts that this has come up again because of the recent successful convictions through DNA together with the Shannon Matthews case. Feeding on fear and using it to label children. Horrendous.

Seems this government will do just about anything to get people on a DNA database.

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/07/idcards.privacy

I stole a bag of crisps from another girl's desk when I was five

It's all gone downhill from there.

No way - putting an adult perspective on young children's behaviour could almost be classed as child abuse IMO.

bonkers dangerous, mad and sad
controlling feckers
NO

they'll be offering confinement loaf next...

This is dangerous! This isn't the first time that the police have suggested some dumb ass law. I think that it needs to be pointed out to them that they are there to enforce the laws that parliament has decided - not to go about suggesting their own.

Moreover, children have a habit of living up to expectations whether good or bad.

Instead of wasting billions putting naughty children on a DNA database perhaps that money could be used to improve local facitilies to channel their energy in a good way. Oh, sorry that involves effort!

Perhaps if the plods got off their fat arses and PREVENTED crime instead of lazily suggesting DNA databases every two seconds this country would be nicer place to live in. The police all seem to drone on about too much paper work but funnily enough it seems to disappear on sunny days and all the police are out WALKING the beat.

PHEW, sorry rant over!

I saw this too and was horrified! Talk about condemning a child before they've started! And how on earth would you explain it to a 5 year old? 'sorry darling, the nice policeman just wants to take your dna because he thinks you will be a criminal...'

Waffletrees, I think you're right about police suggesting idiotic laws. They are driven by targets, practicalities, rather than ethics. They don't care about how they get results, they just want something to write on paper. Sadly I have recently been in a meeting where they have said this openly .

Also, I am feeling more and more that our culture is treating children and young people in a way they would never do for an adult/ethnic minority/race/gender etc. (like those awful mosquito devices that treat children and young people like pests to be moved on) What if they suggested taking dna samples from adults who they thought might go on to commit a crime!!! . It would undermind the entire legal system which is founded on someone being innocent until proven otherwise. But, children... well, who cares about them...

And obviously it is a way to widen the dna database by stealth. What exactly would a child have to 'do' to be condemned? Speak out of turn? Bully someone? Swear? Disobey the teacher? Well, that will be the whole class then...

This is the worst idea I've seen in a while. The message it would send to a 5 year old would be appaulling. I can't imagine such a negetive message being given to a 5 year old. If its so easy to detect a child at 5 who is at risk of becoming a criminal then put money into positive iniatives to reduce their risk of offending as they grow up.