Under the Tories serious violent and sexual crimes have escalated. It is particularly bad in Northamptonshire, where we are rated as one of the 20 least safe areas in England and Wales.
With violent and sexual crimes men make up the majority of perpetrators.
We clearly need to change the culture of entitlement that boys grow up in.
What are the unmet needs men have, that cause them to behave badly? Are they real needs or culturally bound needs? What must society do to ensure we have generations of kind, reflective, productive men?
This is an issue when the police force itself and many partner organisations exhibit the culture of white male entitlement, which breeds misogyny, homophobia and racism. It is a culture that affects all of us.
So, for example, little girls are brought up to be “men pleasers”, with dire consequences if they fail at that task-name calling, being graded 1-10 by school boys, assaulted etc.
Girls who do comply, are also attacked and name called, for not being attractive enough, for being too available, not available enough. We have a serious problem with sexual violence in our schools.
Responses to Domestic Abuse seem to prioritise the perpetrators-usually men. This is driven by funding. Femicide and gender-based violence is a global issue. https://www.womankind.org.uk/resource/a-femicide-factsheet-global-stats-calls-to-action/
Court delays make victimhood a prolonged and traumatising affair.
Disinvestment in probation means that violent men are released from prison without adequate support to make the changes they need, in order to live an abuse free life, leaving women and children, and other men, at risk.
The Family Courts scandal regarding giving abusive men access to their children is the outcome of deep-seated misogyny in the system.
Red flags, like up-skirting, are dismissed as trivial, when in actual fact they are deeply abusive and if unchecked lead to even greater violent and sexual crimes.
The majority of the 2.9 million lone-parent families in 2022 were headed by a lone mother (2.5 million, 84%), with lone fathers now accounting for 16% (457,000) of lone-parent families.
These women often face the issues of serious violent crime either as victims or mothers of perpetrators. No regard is given to the enormous job they do on our behalf. The system belittles women, belittles mothers and leaves our children insecure and vulnerable as a result.
For children to become good citizens they have to have their needs met. This cannot be done in nuclear families alone. This is not about bad parenting. It takes a village to rear a child.
What are the current unmet needs?
Babies and toddlers need the chance to socialise, and develop trust, in trust worthy networks of children and adults.
School age children need to have opportunities for informal social networks and activities outside of school.
Youth need safe spaces to socialise, stretching activities, opportunities to test themselves, informal learning, work experience.
We need investment in our young.
Parents need responsive and timely support during pregnancy and after birth and continuing access to support throughout their parenting.