Protecting children – Guidance needed for youths

THE morning after students across the country celebrated their Junior Cert with a night on the town is a good as any to consider how we protect our children.

Today we report on electronic tagging devices that allow a parent track a child’s movements via a map on a computer screen. It is sad that we even have to consider these devices or that we have to discuss them at all.

Ever greater exposure to violence and levels of binge drinking not seen before combine to give anyone concerned for the wellbeing of a child or young adult enjoying a night out cause for concern.

This concern should not be over exaggerated no more than it should be ignored. These tags may offer a degree of security for the child and comfort for the parent but will not replace solid guidance, the kind that turns a child into a balanced adult ready for nearly anything the world can throw at them.

Whether tagging is appropriate or just a tad too paranoid may be irrelevant, as any teenager worth their 10 As in the Junior Cert will soon find a way to circumvent the technology.