Star comment: Parenting more vital than ever
There are lies, damned lies and statistics. But beneath the headlines and the peaks and troughs, analysists can draw conclusions based on general patterns. They can discern trends that provide reasonably accurate results.
Against that backdrop, we can evaluate the latest crime statistics from Shropshire and Mid Wales.
And while avoiding data that may be misleading due to changes in the recording and reporting of crime, one type of crime stands out. It is crimes committed by children under the age of 10, which provide serious food for thought.
In recent years, schoolchildren in other parts of the UK have committed atrocious crimes, become involved in theft, violence and drugs and participated in activities usually associated with gangs.
And while Shropshire and Mid Wales have escaped some of the worst examples of those behaviours, the new statistics show that we are not immune from childhood crime. Arguably the most disturbing form of crime is among children under ten, which has risen during the past four years.
Youngsters who find themselves involved in crime or anti-social activity at such an early age face a serious diminution of opportunity during their adult years. They are less likely to achieve their potential or, find gainful employment or keep out of trouble as they move into the adult world. They are less likely to establish stable, happy families or lead productive lives.
It is encumbent upon parents, the police, schools and other agencies, therefore, to keep children on the straight and narrow. Clearly, the police are taking a proactive stance, taking the message into schools. They are to be commended for doing so.
The crime figures should serve against complacency. We ought not to wear rose-tinted shades and imagine our children to be perfect.
The figures should also serve as a reminder to parents about the need to keep an eye on their children and watch for any unusual behaviour. Being a parent is not easy at the best of times and these statistics reiterate the responsibility on parents to teach their children right from wrong.
Ideas to rebel, destabilise, reject authority or do wrong frequently ferment in the home. And so parents should be vigilant and provide necessary safeguards. If they give their youngsters get too much latitude, or are set a bad example, parents are creating problems for the future that will manifest in the criminal behaviour of their children.
